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A sophisticated, minimalist coffee hand grinder designed as a thoughtful exploration of how to practically integrate sustainability into product design, creating a better future without sacrificing the product quality and user experience.
Duration: 8 Weeks
Project Time: Summer 2024
Skills Demonstrated: Innovation | Design for Sustainability | Form Development | Storytelling
Benchmark Product Study
Issues with current design
Unrepairable,
Unrecyclable
Plastic parts were permanently attached to metal components, making repairs impossible and forcing customers to discard the entire product when it malfunctions. This construction also makes the metal unrecyclable.
Project Goal
To explore a new path where sustainability and user experience thrive together
Interviews
Kevin Kwon
Coffee Barista, Sydney, Australia
“I find inner peace in the process”
Maxim Bregs
Coffee Barista, Los Angeles, CA
“I enjoy the
sensation of the burr grinding the beans and the smell of freshly ground coffee.”
Raphael Li
Coffee Enthusiast, Cambridge, MA
“Well designed and high quality tools really reduce the friction of the learning process for me.”
Insights
It's more than just brewing a cup of coffee.
Coffee enthusiasts savor the aroma of freshly ground beans.
Coffee enthusiasts delight in the clatter of beans colliding.
Coffee enthusiasts enjoy the tactile sensation of burrs grinding the beans
Coffee enthusiasts treasure the mindful moments of brewing coffee.
Product Pain-Points
Findings were gathered from interviews, YouTube reviews, Amazon reviews, and coffee forums.
Flawed design can cause beans to bounce out during loading.
Loose parts will undermine the user experience.
The adjustment knob tends to get dirty and cluttered.
Fine grounds get stuck in small gaps, causing fitment issues.
Mission Statement
Designing the perfect manual coffee grinder that tackles all the existing pain points and meets the internal desires of coffee enthusiasts, while also making the production, usage, and recycling processes more environmentally friendly through thoughtful design.
Trend Research
As consumer values shift towards more responsible lifestyles, CMF design is going through a transformation, veering away from disposability and moving to longer-lasting materials and finishes
2023 CMF Trends
Design for Longevity
​When considering a purchase most consumers value durability (58%), reparability (39%) and biodiversity (37%) over recyclability or biodegradability
2023 Customer Behavior Trends
Durability & repairability
lead the way
Design Process
Sustainability Strategies
Less is More
Minimize Parts
Minimize Material Diversity
​Minimize Using Virgin Material
Minimize Manufacturing Process
Ideation
Prototyping
User Testing
MUGEN
Premium Coffee Accessories
Inspired by the Japanese word "Mugen," meaning infinity,
the brand embodies the essence of timelessness. The aim is to create products built to last a lifetime, serving as a constant companion throughout every coffee lover's journey, standing the test of time with enduring quality and craftsmanship.
Signature Feature
Open-Top Design
This design streamlines the user experience and reduces operational friction, also minimizes the number of components, which reduces the likelihood of malfunction and lowers energy consumption during the manufacturing process.
Open-Top Design
Beyond Functionality
The design subtly amplifies the satisfying sound of burrs grinding beans, allows the aroma of the fresh grounds to be more pronounced. It caters to the internal desires of coffee enthusiasts, elevating their overall satisfaction and enjoyment.
Grind Adjustment Ring
Dial in, Simple and Precise
The external adjustment ring makes dialing in grind size easy and mess-free. The intuitive indicator graphics allows you to swiftly and accurately switch grind sizes for different brewing methods.
Attention to
the Unseen Details
Designed to avoid tiny gaps and sharp corners, preventing coffee grounds from getting trapped
—for a cleaner, smoother using experience.
Traditional Solution
MUGEN Solution
Grind size Adjustment Mechanism
Simple Change, Huge Difference
Traditional solutions adjust grind size by moving the inner burr. Simply shifting to moving the outer burr achieves the same effect, streamlining the structure and reducing parts.
than traditional designs
35% Less Parts
This not only ensures less material and energy use throughout production but also reduces the likelihood of malfunctions over long-term use.
Magnetic Connection
Plain Bearing
Drive Shaft
Spring
48mm Burrs
Adjustment Ring
Magnetic Connection
50 gram Max Capacity Canister
Designed for
Effortless Disassembly
No special tools required. With a streamlined structure, it's designed for easy part replacement—so you can update your grinder effortlessly.
Internal Structure
Optimized for CNC
Every major component is optimized for seamless CNC integration, reducing part count and plastic consumption, while enhancing long-term reliability.
THANK YOU.
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