Wärme
Timeline:
5 weeks (Sept. - Oct. 2025)
Project theme:
Coffee/tea set for a hypothetical contextualized client
The Client
A modern tiny home enthusiast who wants to host a small gathering to bring people together over the winter.
Age: 20 - 40 years
Inviting his friends over for traditional Glühwein, he finds himself cluttered and frustrated with the lack of stove space needed, as the recipe calls for Glühwein to sit stationary for hours.
Solution:
A Glühwein drinkware set that is compact while maintaining an emphasis on warmth and decor.
German and Austrian cultural background
Served Hot
Gives off an aromatic of common winter smells
Aesthetic Reference Board
Arrangement: 1 main warming vessel, 1 dry ingredient vessel, 2+ serving vessels
Symmetrical simplistic patterns
Vessels that are able to be warmed(Stove) or rewarmed(Microwave)
Product Reference Board
Someone living at a smaller scale would be looking for:
Something that understands the limited space the host would have
Stackability
Ease of Access
Something that brings people together without forcing it
Community
Something that makes everything someone may need within arms reach
Contextualized Journey Map
The process of making German Gluhwein is to evaluate the system in which needs designed for. Walking through the “life” of the process helps set the designer in the shoes of the user.
Cup Exploration
Attempting handled and non-handled vessels
Volume of each vessel aimed around 8 - 12 oz
Vertically tapered down serving vessels with visual interest
Concepts learned from exploration: Noticed Self-pouring Pots to be the most successful as to limit the amount of pieces in the set (Compactability)
Self Serving Pot Concepts
Ladle Assisted Pot Concepts
Spice Holder and Family Exploration
Refined Sketches
First Round of Models
Materials: Corrugated Paperboard
Warming Pot
Bottom Knob Handle needs scaled up for reformed
Top handle feels comfortable for pouring
Trying Adjusted front curvature
Trying adjusted proportions
Handle feels secure and comfortable
Built in filter through shoulder
Serving Cup
Rests in hand comfortably
Trying more dramatic middle curvature
Fits well in hand
Trying thicker handle for security
Trying a fully scaled up piece
Trying a vertically scaled up piece
Spice Holder
Storage is successful underneath lid
Volume of holding may be issue
Pouring feels natural
Trying a scaled up piece
Trying a scaled up piece or lid
Mimics common bottle form
Refined Models
Materials: Corrugated Paperboard, Copper Wire, Masking Tape
Oval profiled handle is comfortable in hand
Harsh should on spout gives secondary hand for stability
Infinitely many ways to hold mug
Curvature of overall form mimics back curvature of pot
Trying no handle for more ergonomic opportunity
More angular form than other two bodies
Matches handle of pot
Trying vertically scaled piece
Render Progressions
Exploration of Colorways
Blood Orange
Plum
Cherry
Starfruit
Warm and natural themed colorways represents the creation of community from the warmth of the drink and the olfactory taste profile of the room it surrounds
Prototype in Context
Full Warming Pot Steeping
Bottom half of Pot boiling sugar water
