Functional Decor: Coffee Dripper Concept 1
Can I redesign the coffee dripper to be stored less awkwardly?
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee! Yes, coffee has been peaked my interest and I can't stop, won't stop. I’ve been consuming (no pun intended) as much coffee culture as I can while thinking about how a designer fits into the coffee world. My passion is design and as any good design project would begin, is with insight.
I’ve tried to submerge myself into the culture as much as possible by visiting shops, attending festivals, events, listening to coffee podcasts, reading blogs, news articles, browsing Instagram feeds, I even picked up a barista job at the Union Square Cafe to get first-hand experience.
Nevertheless, something caught my attention and it was related to my growing collection of equipment at home. That is unless you have dedicated space for all your coffee stuff, it’s either piled up the counter or it’s stacked inside some alternative cabinet. Truthfully, storage is limited when you live in NYC and all this equipment is kind of awkward to store anyway… can it be redesigned?
I approached this problem is by thinking about what fun alternative feature a dripper could serve when it's not being used. If it's going to live on the counter shouldn't it look nice? Shouldn't it blend in?
Since the shape of a dripper is a constraint, I looked at objects that were similar in the kitchen that already took residence - utensil crocks, soap dishes, caddies... (this is the same kind of work that I did while working at Umbra.) However, another thought popped up and I said, "well, do they need to be stored in the kitchen?"
Enter Le Planter Dripper.
I found the key to be elsewhere in the home. Often our spaces, especially urban spaces in NYC, tend to be mixed anyway – the kitchens is the living room, the living room is then split by the bedroom, and the bathroom is in the center of it all.
The dripper can live anywhere in the home as a planter. On the shelf, on your desk, near the TV, etc. It houses a Kalita Wave (185) filter and the water tray is the base that sits over the cup. (I still need to resdesign this part to accomodate varying rim sizes) In respect to the faux plant, I basically went to IKEA and picked up one of their mini artificials. It fits perfect. While outside of the pot, I designed a mould of the Kalita filter to attach to the stem of the plant. This way it can sit perked up while you brew some coffee.
The images you see here are just prototypes, however this is a concept that I believe is worth exploring. I try keep my mind open, however I still believe some of the best insight can be found right inside our home through our very own experiences. If you have any comments or insight you feel is worth sharing, feel free to add a comment below or send me a message on Instagram – @ginofromjersey – Thanks for reading.
