Quarta. A wrist-holder for a cup

The primary research for the project was started with observing local dwellers on the streets of Bangkok. The first noticed thing is that people always carry something in their hands. It is tough to see a person free of bags. Usually, a person takes at least three sacks, including a personal bag (purse, shoulder bag, or equivalent) and two (or more) bags with food. Among all this baggage, the specific container for the cup caught my attention the most because this notion was never met in other places.

During one week, there was an of local dwellers in the streets, shopping malls, and public transportation. This cup holder was met pretty often. The funny thing is that it is a bit difficult to make a user profile based on this observation. Almost everyone carried this cup holder: men and women, every age, different wealth, occupation, etc.

It may conclude that a cup holder is an everyday thing for local dwellers. At the same time, this holder could be claimed as a distinctive feature of this region; thus, it could be defined as a basis for this project.

Inspiration

The problem of personal carrying food & beverage seems highly practical at first sight. But even something that requires functionality should not be impersonal. On the contrary, these days, things that a person wears must be unique and must express the individuality of the owner.
Couture fashion is the field of pure self-expression of designers and the area of innovation as well. Furthermore, this project took place at the time of Paris Fashion Week 2020, so taking inspiration from the best practice seems wise & rational.
Another area to seek ideas is history. It is believed that most of the answers have already been done, but it is hard to find the right one as far as you can see yours in an unexpected field.

Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept

Personal Experience

Before designing anything, it needs to experience existing solutions. That is the reason that during one week, I tested
different cup-holders in my daily routine and tried to mimic the local’s habit of carrying both personal cup and disposable.

To me, it was necessary to walk with this device not only from home to the local market and back but mostly experience it in public transportation and crowded shopping mall. The other point is looking at this holder from the drinking perspective.

Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept Sketch Visual Research
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept Sketch Visual Research
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept Sketch Visual Research
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept Sketch Visual Research
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept Sketch Visual Research
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept Sketch Visual Research
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept Sketch Visual Research
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept Sketch Visual Research

was one of the options to evaluate the research and visualize some discovered problems. This stage required analyzing both the general shape of the product and several features such as hardware, expandable mechanism, the idea for a cup holder, and bracelet connection.

ROUGH PROTOTYPE

Working with cup mockups, I made some decisions about the construction of the object in general, but the prototype for the holder was still mandatory. First, to understand the basics of the folding process for a smaller cup. Second, to check
the dimensions that I suggested in Rhino. And finally, to figure out any other surprises that usually appear while .

DESIGN

This stage required to physically visualize all ideas into one piece at a new (higher quality) level and also to check whether it is possible to apply the results of my experiments in the product.
The design prototype is not yet an entirely functional manufacturing prototype, but some basic features of the product might be experienced and tested in this stage.

FIELD TEST

Before making the final design prototype, I decided to take the holder with me on my morning trip. Usually, I am
carrying a heavy bag in one hand and using my smartphone in another.

FINAL DESIGN PROTOTYPE

For the final design prototype, I utilized another type of faux leather. There were just minor differences in sewing
it compared to the black one. During the work of this example, I took into account all the notes I made before, but there were some new issues. One of that is attaching holding rings to the bracelet. During the experiment, it was discovered that the first version of mounting rings was correct. Also, I made adjustable stripes. As far as I could now find proper sliders, I took tiny buckles and detached the middle parts.

Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept CAD prototype
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept CAD prototype
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept CAD prototype
Quarta is a multifunctional cup holder design concept CAD prototype

© 2024 Ksenia Semirova. Hand Embroidery Artist