Human Beans create provocative concepts.

We make fictional products by hacking commercial culture and we design new services by working with real people

Our aim is to challenge assumptions and point in new directions, we diffuse our thinking through spam, the press, shop shelves and exhibitions.

Our work is mostly self directed, but we also accept commissions.

Human beans is a collaboration between advertising creative and designer Mickael Charbonnel and design strategist Chris Vanstone.

 

 

Contact

If you want to commission Human Beans or feature their work contact:

To be put on our mailing list for future releases send an email to

All enquiries regarding Powerpizza should be directed to

 

Projects

HearWear, RNID, Blueprint
April 2003

U, Film script
April 2003

Karmaphone, Fictional product
March 2003

Neurocount, Fictional product
February 2003

Live, Fictional product
January 2003

Safe & Mobile, with Central Saint Martins Design Against Crime Research Initiative
November 2002, Ongoing,

Dial-an-Elf, Christmas fiction
December 2002,

YOU'D BETTA WATCH OUT!, Central Saint Martins Design Against Crime Research Initiative
December 2002, Link

Wow - I can't believe it's still dirty!, Fictional products
August 2001

Camera Accessories Design, Kodak
September 2001

User Research and Concept Development for APS Cameras, Kodak
April 2001

Secure Futures?, Fictional products
April 2001

 

Press

Movers and Shakers The 40 most exciting and soulful artists of 2003, Utne Arts Extra
January 2003, Download pdf (1.3 MB)

The Unreal Thing, ID
April 2001, Download pdf (1.3 MB)

Grime and Punishment , Designboom.com
10 October 2001, Link

Anti-Diefstal Design (Anti- crime Design),De Ingenieur
31 August 2001

Dish the dirt, New Design Magazine
July/August 2001

Secure Futures?, New Design Magazine,
June/July 2001

 

Exhibitions

SAFE
MOMA, New York
Opening October 2006

HearWear, The future of hearing
V&A, London
July 2005 - March 2006

What You Looking At?- Agenda driven product design from the UK.
Spring, New York
July - September 2005

Spam: from Human Beans.
Galleri Neurotitan, Berlin
August 2004

Wow - I can’t believe it’s still dirty... in Need: Core 77
Gallery 71, New York
April 2002

Wow - I can’t believe it’s still dirty! in Dirty Washing
Design Museum, London
August - September 2001

Secure Futures? in Don’t Tempt Me!,
Studio Zeus, Milan & O’Flynn Studio, Barcelona
April 2001

 

Writing

Human Beans write a column for New York design network Core 77.

DesignMai 2004 - New European Design in Berlin
June 2004,

What Use are People Anyway? - Our opinion on Using Users.
November 2004, Link

Consuming Design - Thomas Heatherwick's Conran Collection.
March 2004, Link

The Dress Doesn't Make the Monk. London Design Festival round up on Core77.
October 2003, Link

Props for a Non-Existent Script, RCA Design Products 2003
August 2003, Link

Beyond Imagination - Trial and Error in architectural models
July 2003, Link

Designmai, Berlin's first design festival
June 2003, Link

Milan furniture fair picture special
May 2003, Link

Designer of the Year competition
April 2003, Link

Droog Design
February 7 2003, Link

Doors of Perception, Flow
January 2003, Link

Swiss Expo '02
December 2002

Protein is Good for You, Freq 4 - Collaborative Systems
October 2002, Link