Iron Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design · 2024
Espresso Ceremony Coffee Set
by Lea Shanati
- A' Design Award 2024 Iron Winner in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Lea Shanati
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 16,135
- Verification code 7F944AE1D2 · Verify this award
About Espresso Ceremony Coffee Set
Espresso Ceremony is a coffee serving set designed for homes and cafes. The set includes a tray with dedicated recesses for an espresso cup, a milk jug, a water glass, a sugar bowl and a spoon. The tray is made of plexiglass, the cup, jug and sugar bowl are made of porcelain, and the water glass is made of crystal. Colour and pattern flow across the tray and the porcelain in layered hues inspired by a blooming rose. A tray height of 25 millimetres and a convex edge allow fingers to slip beneath for a secure grip.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This tray is a modification of a cup saucer. Dedicated recesses cradle a cup, a milk jug, a water glass, a sugar bowl, and a spoon, creating a holistic coffee ritual. Beyond function, it fosters connection. Colour and pattern flow seamlessly, creating a beautiful experience. Inspired by a blooming rose, the layered hues symbolise the unfolding coffee ceremony. The set isn't limited to a single design. This collection extends beyond a singular design, offering various options, as evidenced by the mint green variation presented here.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Measurements
Rose tray: L 250 mm; W 200 mm; H 25 mm
Espresso cup: H 60mm; bottom D 30mm, top D 65mm
Milk Jug: H 55mm; bottom D30 mm, top D30 mm
Sugar bowl: H 40mm; bottom D30 mm, top D75 mm
Water glass: H 80mm; bottom D40 mm, top D70 mm
Materials
Tray - plexiglass
Espresso cup, milk jug, sugar bowl - porcelain
Water glass - crystal
Packaging - cardboard box designed accordingly
* Mint tray: L 355 mm; W 120 mm; H 25 mm - Tags
- espresso, coffee, ceremony, tray, set, crystal, porcelain, plexiglass
- Production Technology
- The project aimed to design a cohesive coffee serving system. Initial hand sketches were refined into technical drawings for functionality. A 3D model facilitated the virtual exploration of design and interaction with coffee elements. Material selection was key. Wood (durability) and metal (noise) were explored. Plexiglass offered lightweight functionality and a polished aesthetic. Porcelain and crystal complemented the design for a practical and elegant coffee ceremony.
- Design Challenge
- Designing a coffee tray felt like a saturated market. The key wasn't reinvention but elevating the familiar. Merging ergonomics with aesthetics, the tray prioritises secure handling while maintaining a sleek, unified design. It's more than a tray; it's a seamless extension of the coffee ritual, fostering a connection between the user and daily practice. This design goes beyond function, aiming to connect you to your coffee experience.
- Project Duration
- The project started in November 2023 and finished in March 2024 in London, UK.
- Operation Flow
- Imagine an espresso ritual on a personalized canvas tray. Sparkling water preps your palate while gleaming milk & sugar invite customization. It's a handshake with your coffee. The thoughtful design lets you effortlessly lift the tray, bringing the ceremony wherever you find joy. The tray's comfortable 25mm height allows your fingers to slip beneath effortlessly, while the subtle 3mm convex edge and a 20mm line before the recessed area create a secure and natural grip. You can effortlessly lift the tray and bring your coffee ceremony to your desired location, whether it's your favorite chair or a table shared with loved ones. These seemingly minor details come together to ensure a smooth, quiet, and satisfying interaction with your coffee ritual from start to finish.
- Research
- Rising coffee trends expose limitations in essential coffee trays. The study focuses on a user-centered design (n=30: cafe owners, baristas, enthusiasts): material exploration and prototype prioritized functionality, aesthetics, and experience. The final design features a dedicated compartment for espresso cups, milk jugs, water glasses, and sugar, with cohesive color and pattern across the tray and china. Users praised improved stability, visual appeal, and versatility for cafes and homes.
- Inspiration
- Adoring Europe's cafe culture, this project elevates daily coffee rituals. Inspired by the perfect espresso, it aims to transform a rushed routine into a mindful moment of pure indulgence. Wobbly cups and missing sugar? Not here! This design caters to the global coffee boom, offering elegance and functionality for coffee lovers and cafes alike. Imagine an organised coffee set on a sturdy tray, transforming your coffee break into a beautiful ceremony. Savour every sip, every moment.
- Image Credits
- Image Credits: Serhii Lozovskiy, 2024
Colors of Espresso Ceremony Coffee Set
Grand Interview about Espresso Ceremony Coffee Set
The initial spark for this design came from a very practical observation. I was sitting in a restaurant, waiting for my espresso, and watched as the waiter navigated through a busy dining room. He was carrying a traditional, slippery metal tray, and nearly spilled the coffee right in front of me. It was a clear point of friction in what should be a seamless experience. I immediately thought about how much sense it would make to reimagine the saucer itself into a stabilised tray, featuring dedicated recesses for both the cup and the water glass—which is exactly how I prefer my espresso.As I continued to develop the idea, I started paying attention to coffee service during my meetings. I watched a friend who always orders her espresso with hot milk on the side and brown sugar, and another who requires a small sweet bite to perfectly balance the coffee's bitterness. At the same time, I noticed a recurring pattern during meetings: waitstaff would frequently forget a spoon, the sugar, or the cream. This seemingly minor oversight completely disrupts the pleasure of the ritual. The coffee cools while you wait, the conversation stalls, and the relaxed rhythm of the moment is lost.Driven by my perfectionist nature, my goal became to design away those disruptions. The additional recesses evolved to create a self-contained ecosystem that anticipates every need before it arises. By carving out a specific "home" for the cup, the glass, and the accompaniments, the set ensures that every element of the ritual is present, secure, and perfectly placed from the start.
The aesthetic language of the Espresso Ceremony Coffee Set is deeply tied to the sensory journey of coffee itself. I chose a blossoming rose as the core inspiration because it serves as a perfect metaphor for the coffee-brewing and tasting experience. A rose doesn't reveal its full beauty all at once; it unfolds layer by layer. Similarly, enjoying a fine espresso is an unfolding ceremony. The layered hues and the fluid pattern flow across the set are designed to mirror that progression. Furthermore, the intricate pattern deliberately draws the eye, inviting the user to pause and study its details. This visual engagement mirrors the attention and dedication required to truly appreciate a fine coffee—taking the time to recognise its complex flavour profile, the subtle notes, and the specific region the beans come from. By choosing this palette and flowing pattern, I wanted to create a visually captivating narrative that transitions the user from a rushed routine into a state of mindful appreciation, letting the design visually celebrate the depth and artistry that coffee represents.
When speaking with various cafe owners and baristas, it quickly became apparent that there is a stark divide in the industry's business models. For high-volume, fast-paced coffee chains, speed is paramount; a meticulously arranged set like this takes time to serve and requires an investment that doesn't fit their operational flow.However, my conversations with those in the rapidly expanding "specialty coffee" sector revealed a completely different landscape. We are seeing a surge in venues where coffee is treated as an artisanal luxury, with some rare pours commanding up to £265 for a single cup. That insight was a pivotal moment for the design. I asked myself: doesn't a cup of coffee of that caliber deserve presentation and treatment that matches its value?The feedback from these high-end purveyors and enthusiasts shifted my functional focus away from mass-market utility and entirely toward the ceremony. It validated the decision to create a tray that intentionally takes a bit more time to plate and serve. The specific, dedicated recesses are functionally designed not for a quick table turnaround, but to frame the coffee like a jewel. It ensures that the physical service is as elevated, deliberate, and exceptional as the specialty roast itself.
Material selection was one of the most challenging and pivotal phases of this project, particularly when it came to the tray. I explored several options initially. Wood was considered, but it raised concerns regarding long-term durability and water damage in a hospitality environment. Metal was also tested, but the clinking noise of cups against metal completely disrupted the peaceful, ceremonial atmosphere I was trying to create.If it were entirely up to my personal aesthetic preference, I would have chosen marble—it is my absolute favorite material and the epitome of luxury. However, practicality had to take precedence; a marble tray would simply be too heavy for waitstaff to carry elegantly, especially with multiple sets. Ultimately, plexiglass emerged as the perfect solution. It offers a lightweight functionality that makes it effortless to carry, while still providing a highly polished, sleek aesthetic capable of beautifully showcasing the intricate rose pattern.For the vessels themselves, the choices were much more instinctive: Porcelain for the Cup: To me, nothing beats porcelain. It is unparalleled in its ability to preserve the pure taste and optimal temperature of the coffee, and it provides an undeniable tactile luxury when held in your hands. Crystal for the Water Glass: I needed the water element to feel solid, perfectly clean, and entirely transparent. Crystal delivers that heavy, premium clarity, providing a beautiful visual contrast to the solid porcelain.Together, these materials strike the exact balance required for the set: they are practically lightweight and durable for service, yet deeply luxurious and traditional to elevate the coffee ceremony.
While its roots are firmly planted in reflecting and elevating the specialty coffee niche, I believe the design's true contribution to contemporary coffee culture lies in its ability to bring that same level of intentionality into everyday spaces. It takes the "specialty" experience out of the cafe and integrates it wherever hospitality matters.I envision this set transforming the arrival experience in a luxury hotel lobby; instead of a standard beverage while guests wait to check in, presenting coffee on this ceremonial tray immediately establishes a tone of care and refinement. Similarly, in business offices, it serves as an unexpected, unique detail to surprise a client or visitor—turning a standard meeting into a highly memorable, tailored interaction.Perhaps most intimately, I see its impact at the end of home dinners. Too often, the post-meal coffee is treated as a quick, functional wrap-up before guests depart. By bringing out the Espresso Ceremony Coffee Set, that final cup is no longer a rushed goodbye, but a beautiful, prolonged moment of appreciation and connection. Ultimately, this design contributes to the culture by proving that the thoughtful presentation of coffee can act as a powerful tool for hospitality and mindfulness in absolutely any setting.
These dimensions were born from rigorous prototyping and a deep focus on the user's physical interaction with the object. Because the tray houses multiple distinct elements, it is absolutely essential to make it as comfortable and effortless to handle as possible to keep the entire experience immaculate from table to hand.The 25mm height was determined to be the exact clearance needed to allow fingers to easily grip beneath the tray. It allows a server or a guest to lift it cleanly from a flat surface without the piece feeling overly bulky or heavy. Meanwhile, the 3mm convex edge serves a dual purpose: it provides a soft, natural boundary that feels pleasant and secure against the thumb when carrying, and it acts as a subtle physical barrier that keeps the eye—and any potential minor spills—contained perfectly within the tray’s ecosystem.This flows beautifully and highlights both the practical engineering and the sensory experience.
Interestingly, my expertise in spatial design and my attention to intimate-scale objects actually trace back to my earliest childhood memories. Long before I formally studied interior design, my passion began with playing with dollhouses. I would spend hours meticulously arranging my dolls' lives and their environments, even creating little, custom wall art objects for their miniature rooms. To this day, I remember it being the most deeply satisfying thing for me.Looking back, that was my first real exercise in spatial design—learning how to thoughtfully organize a tiny environment to make it both beautiful and functional. I approached the Espresso Ceremony Coffee Set with that exact same mindset. In interior design, a room requires a harmonious layout of furniture to dictate how people move and feel within that space. I treated this tray as a micro-room. I imagined exactly how my fingers would move between the cup and the glass. The cup, the crystal glass, and the sweet bite are the "furniture." My background naturally guided me to zone this small tray just as I would an interior space, ensuring that every little object has a purposeful place and creating a perfectly balanced, cohesive micro-environment. As you have often heard, the devil is in the details—and it is those precise, meticulous details that elevate a daily routine into a true ceremony.
By presenting the mint version, my core idea was to demonstrate that the tray has a vibrant life of its own and can be developed in countless ways—through different colors, patterns, and configurations. While the physical ceremony of coffee is universal, the moods and environments in which we enjoy it are deeply personal.Drawing from my background in the psychology of design, I understand how profoundly aesthetic choices impact our emotional states and daily rituals. The rose-inspired design evokes passion, warmth, and a sense of traditional elegance. The mint green variation, on the other hand, was introduced to offer a distinct sense of calm, freshness, and modern minimalism. By offering these variations, the collection seamlessly adapts to different interior styling and personal temperaments. It proves that while the visual narrative can evolve, the structural integrity of the "ceremony" itself remains completely intact regardless of the aesthetic overlay.
The most profound surprise wasn't related to the physical ergonomics of the tray, but rather the psychological impact of the presentation. When observing the participants, I noticed a stark contrast in how they experienced the exact same coffee with and without the set. Remarkably, many participants claimed that the coffee actually "tasted better" when served on the ceremonial tray, even though the coffee beans and the brewing method were entirely identical.When served in a simple, isolated cup, the coffee was often treated as a "quick sip and run"—a purely functional, rushed caffeine fix. However, introducing the tray completely shifted their behavioral rhythm. The physical framework of the set made them pause, explore the arrangement, ask questions, and truly savor what they were doing. It encouraged them to slow down and listen to their own reflections rather than rushing to their next task. This insight was incredibly validating; it proved that by designing the right spatial and visual environment for the coffee, you can actually elevate the sensory perception of the drink itself, transforming a mundane habit into a deeply mindful experience.
As I mentioned earlier, I believe it is essential for the specialty coffee sector to adopt this level of presentation to truly distinguish and honor the unique, high-value coffees they pour. But on a much more personal level, my ultimate dream—if I could get a sneak peek into the future—is to see how people interact with it in the sanctuary of their own homes.Imagine a woman preparing her morning coffee before the demands of the day begin. She is intentionally carving out time for herself. She carefully places her favorite items into their dedicated spaces on the tray, curating her own quiet moment. Then, she steps out onto her balcony, takes a deep breath of fresh air, and takes that first, unhurried sip. That is the true potential of this design. I envision the Espresso Ceremony Coffee Set not just as a beautiful serving piece, but as a daily catalyst for mindfulness—giving people the physical framework and the permission to pause, breathe, and transform a fleeting morning habit into a deeply cherished, restorative ritual.