SHERPAS WARM HOJICHA
Duration | 5 Weeks
Date | Spring 2025
Design Goals | My design goals were to design a hojicha set for a Mount Everest sherpa that guides travelers through the mountains. Hojicha is a traditional japanese tea meant to be shared as a calming drink which is suitable for a anxious hike.
WARM TEA AT PEAK
Hojicha brings warm woodsy umami notes, my ultimate goal was a sherpa being able to enjoy this before going to summit to help calm their nerves.
OVERALL AESTHETIC
Originating from Nepal, Sherpas are the guides to Mount Everest hikers, ensuring they complete the hike in safety. They are also responsible for carrying luggage such as first aid kits, extra clothes, grappling hooks, ladders, and any other necessities for the travelers. They determine when, over the course of the next 4 months, its safe to hike and acclimate to the high altitudes.
MY CLIENT
I proceeded to ideate and landed on this idea of a shaker with the components in it with a hook at the top to clip onto a backpack. This seemed like the most practical idea yet.
CONTINUING IDEATION
As my ideation stage came to close this was the idea I landed on however I continued to tweak and fix along the way as I knew I wanted to change it a bit.
FINAL DRAFTED DESIGN
I made multiple iterations and models of my directed idea to find a size that suited what my design goals were. I simply crossed the pieces to allow the width and height of each object. This taught me form and size, what felt nice to hold and what did not.
PHYSICAL VERIFICATION
Color exploration for my fabric was a big part of this project. I used the green and yellow from the flags at the base camp. The tans a browns represent the hojicha drink. This fabric integrates both cultures.
FABRIC EXPLORATION
The overall shaker and cups are double-walled stainless steel to be able to maintain temperature in the harsh winter. I then used fabric wrapped around to keep the sherpas’ hands warm.
EXPLODED VIEW
Final printed models help me present how the objects would be used in the directed scenerio and how the sizes interacted with each other.
FINAL PRINTED MODELS
FINAL RENDORS