Who do you design mugs for?

When I started in the world of ceramics, I did it through cups because for me it is an object that we use at all stages of our lives and at different times.

As an industrial designer, I wanted to create a utilitarian object that would satisfy a physical need and be present in people's daily lives.

Since then, I decided to study the subject in more depth, immersing myself in gastronomic topics such as coffee, chocolate, wine, tea and mezcal tastings, because I suddenly realized that the needs in a coffee shop are not the same as those in a home; What do I mean by this? At home I can have my big mug because I love drinking my tea and coffee from it because it doesn't get cold so quickly, it's the mug I brought back from a trip and that I love because it brings back good memories and many other things. Mugs are very personal objects; however, in a coffee shop, things change. Although a nice and comfortable mug is part of the whole experience for those who consume a drink there, it fulfills a function beyond that given to it by the end user, which is that of the restaurateur or the barista. And why is this? Speaking of coffee in particular, as you well know, there are various drinks, from espresso to latte and an endless number of variants; There is a cup size for each type of drink because they are made with recipes and certain guidelines are followed, such as the proportion of coffee-water or milk. There are slight variations between them and it also depends a lot on the trend in which the coffee shop is based, for example, those with European influence, are smaller quantities than those with American influence (which was actually dictated by the Americans but in Mexico we follow many recipes), here the drinks tend to be larger; and well, I am talking about espresso shots that are measured in ounces, because there are also method coffees and there, a more free cup design can be used.

You might say… well, let them use the same cup for everyone even if they serve less; but visually that would be uncomfortable, then the user experience would become negative and you would leave with the idea that they served you poorly or not enough at that place… would you go back?

The objects we use on the table every day have a specific function and tell a story, which are a reflection of our traditions, customs and habits; like the clay jar for coffee, drinking it from a clay jar influences the flavor of the drink (its history dates back to the time of the Mexican Revolution, the adelitas prepared it on the battlefield, adding brown sugar and cinnamon mainly to improve the flavor).

So now you know, if you want to tell a story through food, consider where you serve or plate it, whether at home or in a restaurant, and very importantly, make sure the ceramics and glassware are appropriate for a complete experience.