curv; an environmentalist’s way to carry coffee

client

northwestern university

duration

3 months
[ january - march 2019 ]

ROLE

user research lead
market research lead

SKILLS

market research // benchmarking
survey design
user observation
user testing
persona development
prototyping [3d printing]
financial analysis

// the problem

During the past few years, more and more people have started using reusable containers, including water bottles, as a way to cut down the volume of plastic being consumed. But with the rise of coffee culture, every day, numerous disposable coffee cups are thrown away, generating waste and damaging the environment.

There are many reusable water bottles on the market that have been proved to work well, but there is a clear lack of reusable beverage cups that work well. Given this problem space, we designed a convenient, portable container for beverages that users can carry their own beverages such as coffee or tea in, as well as use at coffee shops.

// the process

we first determined a whitespace we could work in by distributing a survey about reusable containers in general, and through the results learned that Most of the pain points mentioned in the responses were about leaking beverage containers. extensive research on existing solutions was conducted, including products on the market and patents that had been filed, and customer reviews were analyzed to determine what problems each product had. With a clearer idea of the user needs in mind, we created personas that were most characteristic of users of our product.

Screen Shot 2019-08-25 at 5.27.45 PM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.36.35 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.36.55 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.35.47 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.36.44 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-08-25 at 5.25.26 PM.png

Screen Shot 2019-08-25 at 5.25.35 PM.png

three initial product ideas were developed: the origami design, the telescoping design, and the cam + follower design. through user mockup testing, we found that users liked the telescoping and cam + follower design more than the origami design. higher fidelity works-like prototype of both designs were created, and they were subjected to further performance testing by users. results from both rounds of testing pushed the team to select the cam + follower design for its aesthetics and ease of cleaning.

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.41.03 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.42.16 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.41.09 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.42.22 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.41.14 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.42.27 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-09-13 at 11.41.44 AM.png

// the solution

The solution, curv, consists of two main parts: the hard outer casing and the soft, collapsible inner lining.

The exterior shell is made of a hard material that protects the soft inner lining and the liquid it holds, and is dishwasher safe. Made of three components, the parts are stacked on top of each other and slide along in order to increase and decrease in height, which allows for modular sizing. The casing also includes a locking mechanism that provides the cup from collapsing. The mechanism consists of a locking tab and a slot for the tab.

The inner lining of the design is made of a soft, collapsible material. It can be removed and flipped inside out for ease of cleaning, and is dishwasher safe. At the bottom of the inner lining is a small tab that fits into the hole at the bottom of the design, and can be popped in and out by the user as needed.