Water Droplet: A Harmonious Blend of Art and Functionality

Xin Wang's Award-Winning Ceramic Coffee Set Inspired by the Fluidity of Water

With each vessel born from and integrated with water, the 'Water Droplet' coffee set is not an overt depiction of water droplets but allows users to experience the dynamism of water. The smooth, round shapes transmit a gentle and comfortable feeling during use, as if round water droplets are placed right before one's eyes.

What sets the 'Water Droplet' coffee set apart is its unique properties. The set includes a coffee pot, coffee cups, saucers, and a fruit plate, each showcasing different forms of water, including roundness, fullness, and flow. This design takes water as its source, symbolizing the harmony of water and fire, united by earth. Ceramics, a product of water, fire, and earth, relies heavily on water during its production and use. Water makes ceramics mellow, while ceramics make water lively.

The 'Water Droplet' coffee set was realized using 3D printing resin model, plaster mold casting slip, and porcelain clay fired to 1250℃. This innovative approach to design and production resulted in a coffee set that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical. The curved handle offers a better grip, and the support point created by the handle and the table enhances the stability of the coffee pot. The lid design eliminates a protruding knob and uses an inward-curved arc to maintain the integrity of the water droplet shape of the coffee pot to the maximum extent. The saucers and fruit plate also add richer functional experiences to the coffee time.

The design was completed in 2020 in Nanjing, China, following extensive research into ceramic product design. The aim was to provide better service vessels for daily life using ceramics as the material. The design integrates and innovates diverse design elements, embodying a dialectical and materialist symbiotic aesthetic concept, not only in material aspects but also in spiritual aspects, between tradition and modernity, nature and humanity, individuality and the masses.

Despite the challenges faced during the design process, such as integrating the form of water into the design of the utensil and achieving a good combination of ceramic and metal materials, Xin Wang successfully addressed these issues. A non-glazed treatment was applied to the adhesion area during production to increase the friction between the ceramic and the metal, resulting in a design that is both beautiful and functional.

The 'Water Droplet' coffee set is a testament to Xin Wang's innovative approach to design, combining the art and science of industrial design, imitating the external forms and symbolic meanings of biological organisms and natural materials, and applying them to design through appropriate artistic processing techniques. This unique design, which was awarded Silver in A' Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Award in 2023, is a remarkable example of the fusion of art and functionality in everyday objects.