Moment Coffee
Affirmative Design
CNC Machining | Glass Casting | Lampworking |
Elm | Brass | Borosilicate Glass | Expanded Cork
University Brief
Batch Production
Moment is a single-serve coffee system designed for the modern office.
It transforms coffee-making into a 2–5 minute ritual and creates a socially equitable break that supports focus, wellbeing and daily rhythm.
When the user requires a break, they step away from their desk, carrying the Moment with them.
Using the Loth spoon (calibrated to their ideal coffee dosage), they measure their coffee, rinse the filter (which preheats the cup), and begin to pour.
The process is slow and deliberate - watching the bloom, listening to the drips, and enjoying the aroma.
For a few minutes, attention shifts away from work and onto the act itself.
Once finished, having engaged every sense, they return to their desk with a renewed sense of focus, and a warm cup to hold and enjoy.
A small, revitalising pause within the structure of the working day.
Sustainability:
Elm base: Locally grown and felled hardwood which is soft enough to mark with continuous use.
Cork sleeve: Bound by its own natural suberin and without additives, making it safely biodegradable.
Borosilicate: Recyclable when kept in a closed-loop system which Moment can facilitate.
Brass: Infinitely recyclable and patinates beautifully over time.
Moment understands that accidents happen and has developed the concept of ‘Bits for Breaks’, whereby users can return a broken part for a discount on a replacement.
Returned pieces are repaired, repurposed or recycled. Every component is available individually, so you only ever replace what is needed.
Every component is made to last, and to end safely when it doesn't.
Design Intention:
Design a coffee-making object that:
enables intentional micro-breaks
balances performance (good coffee) with experience (ritual)
feels personal within a shared, impersonal environment
Rather than removing effort, the aim was to make the process itself worth doing.
Development focused on:
Balancing usability, minimalist aesthetics and experiential value.
This project represents a shift in my practice toward designing for behaviour, time and experience.
It demonstrates that:
function and meaning must coexist for an object to be valued.
rituals can be intentionally designed through form and interaction.
everyday objects can structure how people feel, not just what they do.
It reinforces my interest in designing at the intersection of product, ritual and experience.
The final design is a personal, portable pour-over system which
produces high-quality coffee
creates a structured 2–5 minute pause
signals a break without justification
integrates dripper, cup and spoon into a compact, stackable form
The coffee becomes a by-product of the ritual, not the sole objective.
