DBA Design Challenge 2002
 

Handle with Care / Sieberthead

Coffee culture and our increasingly nomadic working styles means that the sight of someone on the run with a paper cup full of hot liquid is commonplace. Just as commonplace are the resulting accidents. Statistics show that on average there are 350,000 burns and scalds accidents in the UK every year. 8,000 of these are severe and over 200 fatal with one of the two top causes attributed to hot drinks. If you look at what's on the market it's a choice between a paper cup, a non-spill baby beaker or a thermos. SiebertHead went back to first principles to design a cup and holder that spells safety and freedom whatever your mode of getting around.
 

How Does It Work?

From the outset, SiebertHead's design team set a clear brief for their user group for a simple, cost-effective and inclusive product suitable for today's nomadic coffee culture. In return, their critical users helped them establish a hierarchy of aesthetic and functional issues around which they could frame their design. It led to a two-part solution for a cup with an integrated handle, lid and spout or one where the elements were separate.

The users told them the design must:

• be easy to carry and hold safely
• reduce spillage
• have a secure, reclosable lid that could be attached and detached safely
• have a feature to assist drinking that was non-stigmatising
• be aesthetically pleasing not merely another special needs gadget

The two final designs met these requirements. A discreet but functional spout was integrated into the lid, which could be rotated easily yet provided a handle to allow for safe carrying. The diagonal handle is wide, easily accommodating hands of different sizes and allowing maximum support around the cup. It also allows for cups of different types to be accommodated in the structure. The design is sculptural and aesthetically pleasing.