Here are the finalists for the Sprudge Design Awards Outstanding Design Achievement, Vessels category. This award honors outstanding design of mugs, travel tumblers, demitasse, or any form of vessel out of which coffee can be served. Vessels must be available for purchase, used in a cafe, or otherwise offered for public use.

Just Go Coffee

Outstanding Design Achievement — Vessels Finalist

Asymmetry cups aim to elevate your sensory experience and are perfect for coffee, tea, and wine tasting. The designer, Shih Ru Wang, has been working on this project for years and first presented Asymmetry cups to the public when she competed in the 2023 World Brewers Cup. She secured 1st place in the preliminary round, and the new design successfully captured significant attention. To date, over 3000 cups have been sold worldwide through pre-orders.

In terms of appearance, this tasting cup features two different types of rim angles: an open mouth and a narrow mouth. The open mouth allows the liquid to first contact the sides of your tongue, enhancing the liveliness of acidity. On the other hand, the narrow mouth allows the liquid to pass through your tongue entirely, providing a longer-lasting sensation. You may also notice that the upward-open and downward-narrow shape of the cup can better fit your nose, allowing you to perceive the aroma more effectively.

Regarding the cup’s internal design, you will find internal ripples that can activate the aroma and flavor when you swirl the cup. Therefore, it’s recommended to swirl the cup every time before you take a sip. Through Asymmetry cups, you are in for a truly remarkable sensory experience.

URL: https://www.coffee.justgotw.com/products/%E3%80%90asymmetry-cups%E3%80%91

Visit the official Just Go Coffee website.
Vote for Just Go Coffee here.

Three Marks Coffee Roasters

Outstanding Design Achievement — Vessels Finalist

How a cup might enhances the experience of a specialty coffee?

A handle interrupts the space between coffee and drinker. The Marks 185 Cup boasts an ample grip that not only provides a tactile experience but also beckons you to savor the coffee even before taking a sip. The unique design, with varying wall thicknesses—straight on the exterior and curved on the interior—necessitated a specialized manufacturing process involving rotational molds and meticulously optimized firing temperatures.

URL: https://www.retoschneller.com/#section_marks

Visit the official Three Marks Coffee Roasters website.
Vote for Three Marks Coffee Roasters here.

Created Co.

Outstanding Design Achievement — Vessels Finalist

When the Specialty Coffee Expo announced a Portland show for 2023, Created Co. approached me, as they were interested in featuring a Portland Coffee Designer to create artwork for this event being held in the coffee mecca of the USA. As a Portlander, I have found visual representations of the “Rose City” can be predictable and overplayed — therefore, I had a personal goal to illustrate the personality of Portland in a fun and delightful way, calling out the PNW-vibes of urban foraging, roses, drizzle, cosiness, and of course coffee. Created Co. kindly offered me full creative freedom, so I selected my favorite Desert Tan tumbler color as a base, then selected a 1970’s color palette and vintage illustration style as a personal expression of myself as an artist. — Liz Chai

URL: https://created.co/products/artist-collaboration-tumbler-with-elizabeth-chai

Visit the official Created Co. website.
Vote for Created Co. here.

notNeutral

Outstanding Design Achievement — Vessels Finalist

Pico by notNeutral

Pico is the newest line of ceramic drinkware designed by notNeutral. We named the collection after Pico Boulevard, the iconic thoroughfare from the Pacific Ocean to Main Street in downtown Los Angeles, which unites many of the city’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods.

We drew from our team’s diverse expertise in handmade ceramics, specialty coffee, and design technology to create a collection that looks striking on the table and performs beautifully in a professional coffee setting. Our team took great care considering many rounds of prototypes, materials, and glaze techniques, incorporating feedback from our local barista community before arriving at our final design.

Our empathetic approach to design centers on understanding how a product is used to ensure positive interaction between the user and object we create. When we design cafeware, we consider the experience of the barista and drinker alike. Our signature flat-topped handle offers an ergonomic grip, the glazed lip makes for a comfortable sip, and the tulip-shaped bowls keep beverage temperatures stable. The cups’ curved interiors are ideally shaped for pouring latte art, and the saucer’s rim is slightly upturned to lift effortlessly off the table. The spoon fits carefully into the saucer and rests intuitively in hand.

Visit the official notNeutral website.
Vote for notNeutral here.

Mr. Espresso

Outstanding Design Achievement — Vessels Finalist

Prior to the May opening, ceramic artist Nadia Elgan designed and created one-of-a-kind pieces for The Caffè by Mr. Espresso, mirroring the ethos of The Caffè — honoring Italian old-world coffee tradition in a decidedly contemporary space with a sleek Bay Area look. The artist used locally sourced clay with sand from California beaches to truly highlight the beauty of the landscape in each vessel.

The interior of each vessel features an egg-shaped bottom for polished and easy pouring, while the base of the pieces are made thicker to keep the coffee warm until the last sip.
The juicy orange glaze gives a perfect pop of color that ties it all together.
The artist designed and created 5 cups, a saucer and a pastry plate. Cups sizes are: 2-oz, 3-oz, 5-oz, 8-oz, and 12-oz.
The 2-oz, 5-oz and 8-oz cups were fully glazed, designed with a handle and multi-use saucer.
The 3-oz and 12-oz cups were designed without a handle and left unglazed on the exterior.
The end result for use in The Caffè, as well as for individual purchase, is a line of vessels, that blend both function and design — marrying Italian traditional aesthetics with a kiss of California flare.