Rethinking Form

Growing up I always remember my dad licking the lip of his coffee cup every Sunday morning, "You know you look stupid doing that," I would retort. However, we all know this moment when you look down to two or three streams of hot coffee running down the outside of your cup, streamlining towards the paper it's sitting on. Turning into an avid coffee drinker myself, I began to realize how annoying this issue was.

In the documentary Objectified by Gary Hustwit, a Japanese toothpick was highlighted by Design Curator, Andrew Blauvelt. This toothpick was redesigned with grooves at the top, allowing a small piece of the toothpick to break away. Not only does this indicate it was used, but also provides a base for resting when not in use.

Japanese Toothpick. Everyday Science, http://vishayalu.com/everyday-science-toothpick-ridges/

I was influenced not only by the clever nature of the Japanese toothpick, but also Designer, Naoto Fukasawa's theory of "Design dissolving in behaviour." He suggests that design is closely linked with human interactions that are made subconsciously. As I was thinking of ideas for my design I noticed that my coffee mug, adorned with various coffee drips, had completely stained the sketchbook it was resting on. Aside from a twinge of annoyance I didn't give much thought to it.

Little day annoyances that are overlooked, such as picking up a used toothpick or messy coffee drips provide an opportunity for everyday objects to be redesigned. This inspired me to rethink the coffee cup. I changed the shape of the mug, adding an thin inset which allows drips to fall inside the mug instead of on the surface it's sitting on.

The very bottom of mug is removable, allowing you to clean the inner walls of the inset where the coffee is caught. The design allows for a mess free coffee experience while keeping the simplicity of a traditional style mug.