The Collapsable Coffee Cup wars -a cup full-

Which will be the world’s favorite collapsable cup* ….who knows.
At this point, I can tell you that mine is still Pokito.

In this post:
Product Life Cycle,
HUNU
Pokito
…a list at the bottom of other posts about USER EXPERIENCE

The discussion below comes after: Product Design Review For Planet Earth
Get the function right and then follow with form.

Last time I went into the subject of Form Follows Function, there was Pokito and Stojo. Look below and see what Stojo is doing. There are a whole bunch of silicone collapsable cups on the market, now. But I will stick with the one that looks and feels the most versatile and easy to use.
So who is competing with Pokito these days? sleeker, slicker, slimmer Fashion – HUNU? BUT DO NOT SQUEEZE IT, if it is full of drink. There is actually a slimmer collapsable cup than HUNU, but not, I guess, for coffee.

And we come to the other issue: Product Life Cycle

So there are 2 issues to consider when designing a product:
1. really Form should follow Function
2. but, also, that the customer is always right and any product has a “Life Cycle“. The customer will decide to buy or not buy, which determines how long a product has a life. There are enough people in the world that most collapsable cups, already on the market, will have some buyers.  It is anyone’s guess which will last on the market the longest.

What the sellers are featuring right now is SLEEK. I find “collapsable” and ease of use far from important. Someone else is going to want a cup that holds the heat forever.

Marketing has a curve….  A Product’s Life Cycle
beginning sales, growing sales, and the end of sales….

Enjoying the ride for as long as possible
…Deciding that you are going to make clear, creative decisions as you entertain this battle* every product eventually loses can be daunting and enlightening.
The arc of a product lifecycle can last decades, so there’s no reason to fear the inevitable. Rather make the decisions with a clear mind and the job you do during each phase can significantly influence the length and success of each stage. Just as importantly, the skills a product manager need to change from phase to phase, so it’s important to continually demonstrate that you are up to the particular task at hand, since not everyone is adept at changing gears when a product evolves to its next stage. … [maybe get advice.]

… Of course, a common mistake is not recognizing where in the Life Cycle a product currently is and tending to it accordingly. Jumping the gun on growth or denying the reality of a decline can turn a gradual descent into a free fall, cutting years of profit from the product’s overall lifespan.

The Volkswagen Beetle lasted a very long time in the market – 65 years

I am not going to argue with someone who wants a sleek, slick, slim Fashion cup that fits in the back pocket of their tight jeans, but I hope they get the cap on tight enough and relize they can not turn it over until their finished drinking – it’s a problem with a cap that does not screw on and has a whole with no stopper.

From Amazon, Less 6 dollars, gets you slim FASHION and a bit of concern – HUNU
OR also From Amazon, those 6 more dollars will get you a collapsable reusable cup, with 3 different sizes, you can have confidence in and use totally at ease in any way you wish – Pokito. Still my favorite.

Here is what I found:

I used the same survey for the Form Follows Function post.

Collapsable Coffee Cup

HUNU

Sleeker, slicker, slimmer – Fashion

HUNU – I bought this cup during their original Kickstarter campaign out of curiosity. I warned them about the importance of ergonomics, but I don’t think they were listening.

• Number of pieces:  3
• No-leaks?:  ok, as long as you make sure the cap is on tight, do not squeeze it and realize that there is no stopper when it is full! And as long as you do not puncture the rubber.
• Volume/capacity:  OK
• Weight:  light
• Insulating properties:  be sure to put the band around the cup before filling it with hot liquid. That band is hard to put on after the cup is filled and the cup is a little hot.
• Ease of cleaning:  yes
• Stability: Can pour hot liquid straight into it without falling over
• Aesthetics:  very streamlined, thin, fashionable
• Ease of Collapse:  stretch out, easy to collapse. With the stopper on the band in place, a little clumsy.
• Other: THE BAND; Do not be stupid like me and get the band wet, it does not dry out fast.
• Other:   THE CAP; pulls off, snaps on…does not screw on.  Make sure the cap is snapped on secure, or you might have leaks.  Do not pull off the cap after it is full of hot liquid, if you can, you may have liquid spilled all over you and if it is hot?

Do not Squeeze it when it is full, but it is the only way to get the cap off. The suction as the coffee cools makes it close to impossible to get the cap off. And since the Band is around the cup, you do not have a stopper if you need one.

Not for me: I like to drink my coffee without a cap on the cup. I can’t get the cap off once it is full! I am afraid if I try any harder, it will spill. I try to drink my coffee as is and unless I suck it out of that cup, I get nothing. Even pouring it into my mouth is iffy. A bit of coffee is left in the cup when I squeeze the cup to get the cap off when empty. The cap is still hard to get off. This is a coffee cup you have to be trained to use.

Hypothetically……………….. the cap snaps right on…..but where is the coffee

Cap:
If the cup is empty, you can just pinch the bottom and pull it open with the elastic band.
Put the band around the cup before you fill it. With the cap removed and it’s ready for the barista to fill. Add the cap, carefully, and completely and you’re ready to drink. BUT BE SURE THE CAP IS REALLY ON!


Not like in this video where no body is being careful. Not just once, but twice. They don’t seem to think putting the cap on is serious.

Just because you push hard on your Derrier, doesn’t mean it won’t show in your pocket when you start moving.

If we are talking about Fashion, Jeans are beginning to get baggy again, so the slim cup is really not so important.

A New ‘Denim Cycle’? After a Decade, Jeans Move From Skinny to Loose American shoppers are flocking to high-waisted, loose-fitting jeans in droves and companies believe they may become a hallmark of the post-pandemic world.

HUNU is back on Kickstarter with a bigger cup. Soon you can have your baggy pockets filled with slim HUNU cups of different sizes……….

Collapsable Coffee Cup

pokito

versatile, ease of use, radiates confidence

I know that they continue to improve the Pokito, I am not sure just what. I did notice that the colored areas of the cup are no longer rings that can be removed…. all in 1! I find this collapsable reusable cup to be something that I can count on and use in any scenario in which I want such a cup.

POKITO – Pokito sent me this new cup…this is after I had already bought one…….

• Number of pieces:  2
• No-leaks?:  Considered Spill Proof, as long as you do not puncture the rubber
• Volume/capacity:  great! – 3 sizes in 1 cup
• Weight:  for it’s size, as light as the small ones….a surprise!
• Insulating properties:  good, pick up the hot cup on the Pokito Area. I filled it to the top with hot coffee this morning and as I like it, without the cap, and the coffee remained warm to the bitter end.
• Ease of cleaning:  yes
• Stability: steady, and looks like it is steady.
• Aesthetics:  a bit bulky, I will compromise so that Form follows Function
• Ease of Collapse:  easy to open, takes a little to collapse, but not so that one worries about squeezing it.
• Other:   THE CAP – screws on and off easy.  Accommodates someone like me who dose not like to drink my coffee with a cap on the cup. Easy, smoothly and swiftly screws off and on for a swig. I can feel that it will not spill or leak. And I can even handle my heavy grocery cart and the Pokito, too, all the way home.
• Other: 3 in One – you do not have to buy 3 different cups to get the size you wish.

POKITO continues to improve on it’s cup. They seem to be only in this one business.
For example……………………

You can see from this early version that there was a bit of wrinkle in the white areas of the cup.


Since then………………….

It appears that they have improved the design of the flexible parts.
Much Smoother.

Take notice of the threading and screw-on aspect of the Pokito, and the comments they make………….

I think that the problem might have been that the cup she used was brand new and there was a burr on the plastic threading like this one. I had the same problem screwing it on the first time… a little touchy……when I went to get a barista to fill my cup with cappuccino. Then I held my breath and turned the cup upside down. AAAAAh, no leaks!

But “First Impression” is important. Get those burrs off the threads before you package the product.

Retailers on and off line are selling Pokito:

After Comparing Cups?
To our way of thinking they are usually too big, too small, too heavy, too unstable, too leaky and too easy to forget. All we wanted was a reusable cup that you … errr … actually reuse!

Overwhelmed by the variety of choices. When it comes to collapsible cups, there are only a few worth mentioning. GeigerBTC Branding and Consulting Company has found a great practical coffee cup that is smart, reusable and resizeable – meet our Pokito!

WELCOME TO THE WATER BOTTLE SHOP
We’re on a mission to help YOU help OUR Planet.
We’ve done the hard work for YOU to ensure we have the perfect reusable bottle for YOU at the perfect 
price and others, like: 
Pokito is spillproof: Engineered to within a 10th of a millimetre the stopper means this cup is spill proof when full and perfectly safe to put in your bag or pocket after you’ve finished your coffee.
Pokito has three sizes: Unlike other collapsible cups, Pokito is three sizes in one. It can be an 8oz espresso cup, a regular 12oz cup or open it fully for a 16oz ‘grande’.

And what is Stojo doing?…………..

About 13 years ago they were beginning with these collapsible cups……

What else can Pokito do?
?Maybe they can become more streamlined, but like the Volkswagen Beetle, that might not make any sense.
?Right now the Pokito is recyclable, but not bio degradable. They would probably not be suitable for Cradle to Cradle certification, but maybe that is down the line.

The point is that Pokito is only interested in making a really good collapsable Coffee Cup. Not a fashionable cup, but rather a cup that everyone can use, their way, with ease. No other products that take their focus away from their cups. Thank you Pokito!

The Collapsable Coffee Cup wars

This is a series of posts about promoting Eco-Ethical USER EXPERIENCE (UX) to ward off the “temperature ticking time-bomb”. Can we make it easier for us all to master the art of “climate conscious buying”?
The Words
The Eco-Anxiety
Product Design Review – Form should still follow Function

The APPs – The different kinds
>Transportation APPs
>Clothing, etc. APPs
>Food APPs
>Carbon Footprint and more kinds of APPs
The Gases
Pulling in the Excess CO2