Book Journalism Talks, a weekly interview newsletter for subscribers, introduces innovators and leaders in different fields with applicable insights for readers. For the final interview I wrote for Book Journalism, I talked to the inventors of Uno Cup, a disposable cup without plastic lid.
Translated Excerpt to the Interview
What was the most difficult problem in designing a no-lid disposable paper cup?
Tom: Good design first needs to serve its essential purpose, which is holding liquid for Unocup. It also has to be easy to use and pleasant to look at. Unocup required a strong enough lid that keeps contents from spilling while allowing consumers to easily fold the top to close the top. If you focus only on creating a strong lid, it becomes difficult for users to fold it. A blinded focus on functionality compromises on usability. On the other hand, focusing only on usability will result in a spilling cup. There needed to be a right balance between functionality and usability. Thatβs why we made more than 1300 prototypes.
Kanur: For products whose functionality is such a core part of its design, like Unocup, product aesthetics is heavily related to functionality. A design scoring high on functionality and usability will have great aesthetics. The experience of drinking from an easy-to-use, well-functioning paper cup is aesthetically pleasing. The strong link between functionality and aesthetics is what I learned while working as an architect before, and I applied it to the Unocup design. Just like it is difficult to appreciate places that make you physically uncomfortable, the essence of product design is in its convenience.
To convert ideas into physical products, what are some of the most important steps?
Tom: You need to create prototypes. You first need to start off from somewhere before making changes for the better. You canβt go to a bookstore and look up βhow to make an Unocup.β The first thing should be creating something with your own hands. There needs to be a physical object to work on with your ideas.
Kanur: There are no special tricks. The easiest answer would be to continue experimenting. A crazy number of experiments, for sure. It all depends on whether you are creating something from the scratch or improving an existing product. To make something better, you first need to look into thousands of references. Letβs say I am working on a new vacuum or building a condo. A designer first needs to provides a combination of references that would satisfy your client. On the other hand, Unocup is a product without precedent. Then, what counts is countless tryouts, like Tom mentioned. The essence of product design is finding the right reference and continuing on with your experiments.
