A 5-week exercise in empathy and ergonomics through the lens of a drinkware set that is:
Optimized for a contrasting user or occasion
Comfortable to operate by a variety of individuals
Realistically manufacturable
This project required me to dig into materials, processes and attachment methods to ensure my concept was replicable.
Objective
Gluhwein is warm German mulled wine typically served at outdoor Christmas markets. Ice sculpting is a fast-moving activity, taking place in a chilled studio using sharp, motorized equipment. It was a challenge to integrate two disparate aesthetics.
Research
Ideating
In addition to aesthetically pleasing and cohesive, my set had to 1) be unobstructive to ice sculpting, 2) prevent spills and heat release, 3) be easy to handle with gloves on, and 4) strain the raw ingredients out of the wine.
Refining
Since I struggled previously to find mug forms that balanced traditional and contemporary aesthetics, in the next round of sketching, I focused on the sealing function, hoping it could inform the visual appearance down the line.
Interacting
The ladle being uncomfortable to operate led to a big pivot— I replaced it with a built-in mixer. Then, adding a heating element to the pot made it possible for the entire brewing process to take place in-studio, which is far more efficient.
Moving into 3D
I realized, through Fusion 360 work, that elements of the final mug showed up in early sketches, but they appeared plain divorced from the final set. Moving forward, I will work to identify strength in simple concepts.
Finishing Up
This was my first time exploring materials, processes, and attachments. I also determined the hardware necessary to allow: the seal on the mug to invert when pushed once and pop back up when pushed again, the turning arm to spin freely while attached to the lid, and the button to release wine from the spout when pushed.
