Part 1: Team Research
A three person team project done for R Campbell's Introduction to Industrial Design course at SCAD. The group had to answer the question: What exactly is a coffee pot? We determined it to be a device which holds coffee, is heat retardant and has a protective grip. Using this definition, I pictched to my teammates the Chemex coffee pot. I grew up with my parents using one and thought it would be appropriate for this project. Our group researched the Chemex company to understand functionality, design inspiration and the company's values.
The next step was to produce a scale replica of the coffee pot entirely from paper products. I modeled the Chemex Handblown series in Rhinoceros and created the Adobe Illustrator file which would yeild the necessary cardboard parts when lazer cut.
Cardboard paper model made of the Chemex coffee pot. Photography by Henry Woodward
Side profile. Photography by Bridget Haggerty http://be.net/bhaggerty
I also modeled a coffee mug, an item of familiarity, for additional scale. Photography by Bridget Haggerty http://be.net/bhaggerty
Part 2: Individual Ideation & Form Exploration
The second portion of the project was for each student to explore design opportunites that might arise between the company researched in their teams and the company they had individually researched earlier in the quarter. The company I researched was Braun, and I focused primarliy on the Dieter Rams era.
We were asked to sketch twelve possible solutions and choose three to further develop.
Refined Sketches.
Pink foam sketch models.
For the final presentation, I decided I would take the prototyping process one step further than required. I wanted to make a model that could also function to a certain degree. I made some adjustments to the form, thinning and stretching it a bit to fit more comfortably in a range of hand sizes than the original foam model.
no.23
This coffee maker merges the brewing process the Chemex utilizes with the aesthetic inspired by Dieter Rams' Braun work. The coffee maker is visually seperated into two parts, the funnel and the container. It features an off center funnel which enables the area above the break to act as a safe hand hold. There is also a subtle interior spout which is capable of channeling coffee in a controled manner without breaking the exterior profile.
Wooden Prototype. Photography by Bridget Haggerty http://be.net/bhaggerty
Side profile. Features the material break which informs users where to interact with the form. Photography by Bridget Haggerty http://be.net/bhaggerty
Top view. Features offset funnel and subtle spout to guide coffee. Photography by Bridget Haggerty
