Bloom is a Turkish coffee set that combines classical and contemporary.
Situated between traditional and modern Turkish design, Bloom combines classical and contemporary elements into an elegant, refined Turkish coffee set.
Special thanks to Ali Ilhan, a Turkish industrial designer and professor at DAAP, who served as a design and cultural research consultant to this project.
Turkish coffee’s foamy texture is a result of the extra-fine grounds and absence of filtration.
Coffee is a both a ceremonial tradition and regular occurrence.
Turkish coffee sets typically consist of the cezve (Turkish coffee pot), coffee cups, small water glasses, and sometimes a dessert tray.
The act of sharing coffee represents hospitality, friendship, peace, and community.
Water, sugar, and coffee grounds are added to the cezve. The sugar sinks to the bottom and is not stirred, which will allow it to caramelize.
The cezve and its contents are slowly brought to boil, creating the distinct ring of foam.
The coffee is temporarily is removed from the heat in order to spoon off some foam and prevent overflow.
After the coffee froths a second time, it is served immediately to preserve the texture of the foam. A glass of water is often served before the coffee to cleanse the palette.
Turkish coffee has a rich sociocultural history that persists today with its presence in traditions, ceremonies, and daily life. However, Turkish coffee design is polarized between modern and traditional aesthetics.
Inspiration was taken from both modern and traditional Turkish coffee sets, including coffee machines by Turkish designers. Copper is a popular material choice for cezves because of its workability and heat conductivity, so it was a priority to include it in the final design.
Initial form explorations began with the cezve, the most important element of the Turkish coffee set. Later sketches explored cups, glasses, and a dessert tray (cut due to scope).
Key sketches were prototyped from corrugated paper board to assess the scale and affordance of each design. I consulted a Turkish professor for ergonomics validation. He brought in his cezve, which provided a reference for handle refinement and overall proportion.
Done cocurrently with concept refinement sketching and Rhino work.
Iterations of the handle and its relationship to the cezve body, and early materiality explorations. Handle angle and shape were user-validated for comfort and safety. Done cocurrently with Rhino work and preliminary modeling.
Key iterations of the glass, cup, and cezve using Rhino. Over 70 iterations were created in total.
3D printing models allowed for validation of scale, affordance, and family of form. The prints of the water glass and coffee cup revealed their curvature did not match that of the cezve and needed further refinement.
Cocurrent with rapid prototyping and iteration sketching.
Spun 304 stainless steel, matte black
durability, corrosion resistance, premium aesthetic
Spun PVD copper
premium aesthetic, thermal conductivity, traditional significance. brazen to cezve body
Machined stainless steel, copper plated
connector, spot welded to cezve body
Turned dark walnut, satin
full round
Slip-cast ceramic, satin black
food-safe glaze
Ceramic handle
additively attached, copper colored glaze
Blow-molded glass
rose tinted, lightly frosted
Prototypes were 3D printed in PLA. The cezve was printed in four parts: body, main handle, handle connector, and pin. The pin pierces the body for a durable mechanical connection allowing the prototype to be realistically handled.
Pieces were filled, primed, and spray painted, with sanding in between each step.
I referenced the branding of popular Turkish coffee sets and consulted my Turkish professor for ideas on naming the set.
Tulips were cultivated in the Ottoman empire and are culturally significant blooms in Turkey.
"Blooming" describes the carbon-dioxide degassing reaction when brewing freshly roasted coffee.
Sharing Turkish coffee is an invitation to be socially intimate, allowing for conversation to bloom.
Made revisions to materiality after receiving professional feedback in portfolio reviews and interviews.
Changed grain direction to more accurately represent turned wood.
Changed snap-fit baseplate to a brazen connection for better thermal conductivity.
Increased glass tint strength.
Handle, original in-context render, Keyshot
Handle, revised in-context render, Blender
