&Drip

A home use capsule coffee machine designed for Coca-Cola Japan Company. After placing the capsule which contains coffee beans into the machine, with a single push of a button users can serve themselves a variety of drinks, “Regular Black”, “Iced Coffee” and “Café Latte”.

The appropriate water temperature is automatically set according to the flavor, and a mechanism for evenly spreading the hot water within the capsule, allowing for a drip-type machine that has a softer pressurizing effect compared to espresso-machines is utilised. These two functions make it possible to gain a mild taste with a rich aroma and less bitterness and sharpness. It also became possible to serve tea and iced coffee. And above all, this unique soft pressurizing feature reduces the level of noise made upon the brewing process as to not disturb the user. Inspired by this “quietness”, the machine was designed to be used in places like the living room, rather than making it a cooking tool found in kitchens. The main body was shaped into a simple cube, and its backside was also made presentable so that it can be placed in the middle of the room and not just alongside a wall. The round-shaped “mouth” on the front prevents the coffee from spattering during the dripping process. Other than this, in order to maintain the feeling of relaxation when enjoying a cup of coffee, the movement of the lid of the capsule slot was fine-tuned to open slowly, giving a welcoming feeling. Touch-panels were used for the operational buttons so that it would not be visible when it is not being operated, and the interface designed to blink softly in a way that doesn’t give the feeling you are being rushed. In addition, a built-in speaker was adopted and sound design was also conducted: a clicking sound was added in order to mimic the feeling of “pushing” a button, and the alarm which goes off when the drink is served, or when the water has run out, is played with a soft guitar sound.

A case for storing the capsules and a box for throwing out the used capsules, which can be aligned perfectly with the machine, were also designed. Lastly, the design of the machine provides the option of placing a 500 ml plastic bottle directly on the machine instead of using the water tank, eliminating the need for filling up or cleaning. This design was adopted in anticipation of the project creating a synergy effect with Coca Cola Japan Company’s mineral water “I LOHAS”.