Briar Coffee Cup

In an effort to get away from a less than quiet household, I retreated today to Common Grounds to study and do some blogging only to find that tonight that the internet here was, unfortunately, down.  I actually almost gave up trying to get any work done when I realized that I could, in fact, take the opportunity observe objects of design around me that I probably would have initially disregarded.   

            So here I am, staring at my Latte, realizing that the lid enclosing my hot purchase is a product of design.  These plastic lids are mass-produced, well known companions to any avid coffee drinker, and so incredibly common that the idea that these attachments to the ubiquitous Solo cup required some kind of effort of design may well have been overlooked. 

Karat Hot Beverage Cups

            However, the more intently you look at this seemingly mundane item, you begin to realize the amount of effort that must have been put into designing this plastic lid.  Think about it, hot beverages are a considerably dangerous product.  Careless design could leave a cheerful coffee drinker a regretful one should the container allow a leak or a malfunction cause a spill (which, I am sure, is not unfamiliar to a few).  

Briar Pipe

            This lid, produced by Karat, is black.  It consists of a raised outer circumference that has a oblong hole to allow for convenient sipping.  Behind this cutout the lid dips down into a trough that slants at an angle so that should any liquid escape from the inside, it channels down to one collected area and not drizzle down elsewhere, like the sides of a cup where it will most likely get sticky.  There are also holes in two places, one at the bottom of this trough and one opposite the drinking opening.  This, no doubt, allows the consumer a more smooth drinking experience – that if volume is displaced, it must be replaced. 

Yet, the first thing I noticed was that the lid is just a part of a two-part functioning whole, much like the Briar Pipe that Le Corbusier characterized as the Zeitgeist symbol of his day.  Is this the Zeitgeist of our day?  Disposable cups and lids? The first thing that comes to mind is “landfill.”   However, in my research both Solo and Karat are making efforts to make their mass produced products “green” and eco-friendly – a task that many notable designers declare should be the responsibility of designers.   

So all in all, this two-part disposable coffee cup is in fact, a product of intentional design. Everything from its shape, to its color, and even its biodegradable makeup are just a few aspects of the effort put into designing this product.

Karat Earth Products