etereo
The first espresso set designed for a luxury outer space travel experience.
5 Week Project | Winter 2024
Project focus: Imaginative Design, Branding
the environment
In the near future, zero-gravity space travel could become a luxury travel experience. I wanted to explore this new market because it hasn’t been saturated with ideas and products yet.
the goal
Design an espresso set for a zero-gravity environment that accommodates the parameters for this extreme environment.
research
Italian Espresso
Espresso originates from Italy, and is one of the most popular coffee-brewing methods. Despite its popularity, it’s a symbol of quality, tradition, and luxury because it involves a meticulous process in order to be made properly.
isspresso
NASA’s current solution to making coffee, the ISSpresso machine was installed on the International Space Station in 2015. It is used by installing a standard drink bag and a concentrated drink capsule. The machine brews the coffee, which is then consumed out of the drink bag.
Testing
The capillary cup is the only patented coffee cup for drinking coffee in a zero-gravity environment. Since I do not have access to a zero gravity environment to test my coffee cup in space, I borrowed the proven logic behind the capillary cup to make sure my cup would function.
design iteration
Branding
La Pavoni is a luxury Italian espresso brand. They stray from mass market trends and define their own path. Because of their values, and my similar intentions for this coffee set, I wanted take the La Pavoni brand to Space by creating a new product that fits their brand identity.
etereo
Etereo is Italian for “Ethereal”, meaning delicate, refined, and otherworldly. This describes the visual intent of my coffee set. The Italian translation alludes to the Italian espresso used in the process, but also ties into the La Pavoni brand identity, as La Pavoni is Italian for Espresso.
form iteration
the process (in zero gravity)
I mapped out a hypothetical process of making espresso in a zero gravity environment, referencing physics of liquid in zero gravity and NASA’s current systems in place to access hot water in spacecrafts.
Handle iterations to find the solution that is most ergonomic and true to brand
Using Fusion360, I honed in my design for my coffee cup while broadening my abilities with the software. The evolution to my final design is a combination of my refining the form itself and mastering the software to create the form I envisioned.
design solution
Final Prototype
3D Printed models of the final forms of the espresso set.
Final Design
Creating unity of form with proportion, material, and function.
Exploded view of hydraulic coffee bean press.
Exploded view of espresso syringe.
