2024 Galleries
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Galleries // 2024 Spark:Experience // M Lab
M Lab
Entrant
Competition: Spark:Experience
Designer: Sara & Wenyu Sara & Wenyu
Design Type: Concepts & Prototypes, Industrial Design
Company / Organization / School: Sara & Wenyu
Team Members: Sara Hua
Wenyu Du
M.Lab is a concept that redefines coffee-making by merging Auto-Drip and Pour-Over techniques with app-based customization, prioritizing sustainability. It features a gravity-driven, top-down water flow, eliminating redundant components to reduce material costs and energy consumption. An embedded light ring enhances the user experience, providing rhythmic guidance for Pour-Over and clear communication of brewing status in Auto-Drip mode. Constructed from sustainable materials, the mission block is made from recycled coffee-composite PE plastic, and the frame from die-cut and bent stainless steel, which requires significantly less energy compared to other manufacturing methods,aiming to reduce environmental impact by 60%, as verified by Okala Practitioner. The app offers personalized recipes, connecting users with coffee experts and renowned roasteries, providing curated blends that inspire creativity and deepen the coffee culture experience. It also offers quick brew options using presets and available beans, inviting deeper explorations through diverse community-shared coffee recipes. The Coffee Grounds Re-purpose Program gives used coffee grounds a meaningful second life. Collected in reusable pouches, the grounds are repurposed for farming and composite material manufacturing. Participants earn credits to spend on certified fresh produce from farms utilizing these recycled grounds, closing the loop on the coffee lifecycle.