Students at the Shenkar Academy of Design in Tel Aviv were directed to scrutinize and reexamine the ways in which coffee and tea drinkers interact with their beverage, in terms of materials, taste, and ritual. The results are visually arresting and for the most part functional, and without a doubt a thoughtful, refreshing step beyond the mug and teaspoon. Below are some of our favorites from the project.

The ‘Audrey’ espresso cup comes with an extension to store a companion spoon that can also function as a finger grip for a diminutive shot.

The ‘Cubis’  mug’s angled shape allows a set of four to be stored away neatly, while the added thickness insulates hands from the coffee’s heat.

The ‘Tea = Time’ saucer set is low and broad, and comes with sugar capsules that dissolves slowly when submerged in hot tea. The design is meant to encourage tea drinkers to drink slowly so as to savor the experience, as opposed to just slurping their cup down.

A full gallery of the team’s results can be viewed at the link below.

[via designboom]