Yana Mikhailava

HeartSeed - Hydroponic Microgreens Planter

The HeartSeed Hydroponic Planter is a product design born out of a term-long research project on 3D printing and craft. The research examined the integration of digital fabrication into craft practice, asking whether 3D printing could be repurposed from a mass-production accelerator into a tool for small-batch, intentional making, and whether it could preserve artistic skill expression and material intentionality while helping makers adapt to the socio-economic realities of running a one-person artisanal practice in the 21st century. To explore this, the research proposed a combined workflow titled Artisanal 3D Printing, developed through the 3D modelling and fabrication of the HeartSeed Planter itself, a soil-free hydroponic microgreens planter made from PLA bioplastic. The planter serves as a case study in how digital fabrication can produce objects that are functional, materially considered, and expressive of a maker's sensibility without sacrificing accessibility or replicability. Building on the ethos of the Arts and Crafts Movement updated for digital contexts, the project treats artisanal 3D printing not as a contradiction but as a productive tension, one capable of democratizing access to both nutritious food and meaningful making. The HeartSeed Planter was manufactured and sold at the OCAD U Spring Market, where it successfully sold out. The 3D printing files are also available for free on my MakerLab profile for anyone with access to a printer who wants to grow their own microgreens at home.