Island Glass by Dohwa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 Golden A' Design Award in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Competition Category.
GoldKitchenware· 2021
Island Glass
by Dohwa
Client: Dohwa
Golden A' Design Award Winner in Kitchenware Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #100225The Design
About Island Glass
Island is a drinking glass made for soju, a popular Korean liquor. The form of Island is inspired by the Korean islands Dokdo and Ulleungdo. The name of each island is engraved in Korean letters on the base, and the outer shape follows the lines of these letters. When the glass is placed upside down on the table, as is common in Korean drinking culture, the base is seen first and recalls an island floating on the sea. Island is hand crafted from unleaded crystal, a clear material that supports fine detail and is safe for people and the environment.
The Recognition
About the Golden A' Design Award
Island Glass is a Golden A' Design Award winner, an immensely prestigious recognition granted to first-rate, marvelous, and outstanding designs. Golden winners are exceedingly innovative, visionary, and glamorously dazzling creations that reflect the prodigy, wisdom, and prowess of their designers. Island Glass is expected to be a highly praised, trendsetting, and monumental invention that delivers unprecedented value. This Golden A' Design Award-winning design is a spectacular, respected project that highly benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Island Glass creates intense feelings of desire, evokes passion, encourages creativity, and fascinates us.
Where to Get It
Modern Korean Lifestyle Products
We transform Korea's traditional culture into contemporary lifestyle essentials. Our award-winning designs blend heritage with innovation, creating handcrafted pieces that bring meaningful Korean stories into modern living spaces worldwide.
Shop NowBehind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This premium glass with the sentiment of Korea inspired by Korean island, Dokdo and Ulleungdo, crafted by hand is different from the existing uniform shape of the soju glass. The shape of the entire glass inspired by Korean islands, Dokdo and Ulleungdo, is formed according to the name of the island engraved in Korean at the bottom. Furthermore, the glass was designed to be in the form of an island turned upside.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Dimensions: 57 mm tall, 61 mm diameter, 60 mm diameter at rim. Total capacity approx: 50 ml. Recommended pour: 30 to 40 ml. Weight: 105 grams.
- Tags
- Glassware, Drinkware, Soju, Island, Hangeul
- Production Technology
- To make high-end soju culture, unleaded crystal materials were used. An unleaded crystal has better refraction and bright colors than glass. It is the most suitable material for detailed representations of artifacts and is healthy and environmentally friendly.
- Design Challenge
- The most difficult challenge was to balance the bottom of the glass into which letters were placed by flattening it. The work of making the strokes uniform through manual glasswork had to go through many trials and errors.
- Research
- First, research has been done to understand the drinking culture of Korea. This made us engrave the name of the island on the bottom of the glass with an embossed seal, considering the Korean culture of setting the glass upside down on the table before using it. Second, studies have been made on usability. Due to the nature of the curved shape, inspection of the center of gravity and grips was essential. Through several user tests, the ideal center of gravity, grip, and thickness was found.
- Inspiration
- The design's starting point dates back to experience on the trip to Ulleung Island. It was a time when we were preoccupied with ways to premium soju, a popular Korean liquor, amid growing demand for high-end spirits. While drinking alcohol during the trip, I came up with the idea that the upside-down glass resembled that of the island floating in the sea, and that it should be combined with the Korean language Hangul to create a new type of glass.
- Project Duration
- The initial design and study of the Korean Island and Soju Glass began in July 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. Additional unleaded crystal materials were developed in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, and final molds and designs were finally designed in November 2019. The first sample arrived in the same month in preparation for the Wadiz launch in November 2019. The campaign ended in early December 2019 and exceeded the funding target amount by more than 2000%.
- Operation Flow
- In the setting stage before use, you can see the letters written at the bottom of the glass. Accordingly, the image of Dokdo and Ulleungdo off can be associated. Also, the shape of the glass was formed according to the island name, so you can enjoy different forms depending on the angle you see. If you tilt your head to drink the wine in the glass, the person sitting on the other side can see the letters at the bottom of the glass.
- Team Members
- Jhunghan Jo
Chihyun Son
Minsuk Kang - Image Credits
- Image #1 : Photographer Hyunsung Roh
Image #2 : Photographer Hyunsung Roh
Image #3 : Photographer Hyunsung Roh
Image #4 : Film Director Hyunwook Park
Image #5 : Film Director Hyunwook Park
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