ZUTEA is a ritual enhanced tea-maker for the Dutch office environment and the result of my Final Bachelor Project at the Eindhoven University of Technology in 2009. This project was done individually and went through a complete design process, starting with acquiring information on the subject. The objective was to design a product that reduces work-related stress.
My approach was to make the user involved with tea-making and find inspiration in cultures that have a rich history of tea-making. I explored the habits of Dutch office-workers, the benefits of tea and the rituals involved in making tea. Modern tea-machines have abandoned the rich qualities of tea-making and barely involves the user in the process. Zutea, on the other hand, makes the user experience the tea leaves and the water being turned into a cup of tea, yet still in a safe automated process.
Throughout the project, I went through numerous design iterations of idea generation, sketching, modelling and testing. These were necessary to find the best solutions for the intended interaction, casing, working mechanism, electronics and so on. While gaining knowledge on these parts, I tried not to jeopardize my vision of an aesthetically pleasing design with an elegant and intuitive interaction.
ZUTEA focuses on those having difficulties taking their minds of work during their work break. Studies show that although the Dutch population drinks a lot of tea during work they take little time or effort to benefit from the relaxing rituals associated with making tea.
Tea is added manually to any flower, followed by pulling down the flexible stem; the user initiates the boiling process. Each stem has a length associated with a brewing time to pick the desired tea strength. While the flower remains down, hot water pours in to mix with the tea leaves. The flower uprights itself while brewing and once the top is reached, the tea is ready. After pouring the brew in a cup (top-lid removed) the tea can be enjoyed.
Transparent materials make the process of tea making visible and enriches the interaction with the tea maker. Many cultures embraced the healthy and relaxing beverage in which high-quality materials and attention for details in the aesthetics of products play an important role in their tea rituals. ZUTEA’s organic shape and traditional materials, yet fully automated operation enrich the ritual of tea-making and fit neatly any modern office environment.
Client: TU / Eindhoven (PhD research)