Respirited
Discipline
Product Design
Focus
Product Development
Classification
Education
Date
Fall 2025
Born from retired whiskey bottles, this refined glassware gives new life to reclaimed packaging waste through thoughtful heirloom craftsmanship.
Context
The EPOP Shop made its first debut as a pop-up shop during 2019, and since then has become a core aspect of the Environmental Product Design curriculum. Every year teams of three work together to develop and take products to market through an intense 16 week studio that emphasizes material responsibility and user-centered design. All products sold at the market must be made of at least 50% diverted material, challenging students to rethink conventional manufacturing methods.
Context
The EPOP Shop made its first debut as a pop-up shop during 2019, and since then has become a core aspect of the Environmental Product Design curriculum. Every year teams of three work together to develop and take products to market through an intense 16 week studio that emphasizes material responsibility and user-centered design. All products sold at the market must be made of at least 50% diverted material, challenging students to rethink conventional manufacturing methods.
Ideation
This year I was a part of Team Masculine, a group focused on developing a gift for masculine audiences, who are an often overlooked demographic in holiday and handmade markets. Our goal was to fill that gap with a product that felt intentional, compelling, and actually worth gifting. In order to achieve this goal, we explored over 100 different concepts of what this gift might be.
Ideation
This year I was a part of Team Masculine, a group focused on developing a gift for masculine audiences, who are an often overlooked demographic in holiday and handmade markets. Our goal was to fill that gap with a product that felt intentional, compelling, and actually worth gifting. In order to achieve this goal, we explored over 100 different concepts of what this gift might be.
Ideation
Product
This year I was a part of Team Masculine, a group focused on developing a gift for masculine audiences, who are an often overlooked demographic in holiday and handmade markets. Our goal was to fill that gap with a product that felt intentional, compelling, and actually worth gifting. In order to achieve this goal, we explored over 100 different concepts of what this gift might be.
The final product delivered a refined drinking experience, perfect for those who savor the story. Respirited was a major success during the Fall 2025 Firefly Handmade Holiday Market, with our team selling all 30 units in just over three hours on opening day. This project highlighted the demand for well-crafted gifts within an often overlooked demographic, and proved that sustainable design can not only compete in, but also dominate mainstream markets.
Over 8 million tons of glass waste end up in landfills annually, so when we landed on the idea of creating a whiskey glass from post-consumer whiskey bottles, our path was clear. We began exploring how to customize the exterior of each bottle to appeal to a masculine audience. We did this through experimentation with textures, finishes, and subtle design cues that abstracted traditional aspects of masculine design.
Over 8 million tons of glass waste end up in landfills annually, so when we landed on the idea of creating a whiskey glass from post-consumer whiskey bottles, our path was clear. We began exploring how to customize the exterior of each bottle to appeal to a masculine audience. We did this through experimentation with textures, finishes, and subtle design cues that abstracted traditional aspects of masculine design.
Fabrication
Our fabrication process began with splitting post-consumer whiskey bottles from Spirit Hound Distillery. Then, heat-sensitive vinyl was then used as a mask for sand-blasted decals. The lip of each glass was wet-sanded and carefully polished with cerium oxide for a smooth beveled edge. The base of each glass was cast from a composite cement containing pulverized glass. Once set, the bases were sealed with tung oil for a durable and water-resistant finish.
Fabrication
Our fabrication process began with splitting post-consumer whiskey bottles from Spirit Hound Distillery. Then, heat-sensitive vinyl was then used as a mask for sand-blasted decals. The lip of each glass was wet-sanded and carefully polished with cerium oxide for a smooth beveled edge. The base of each glass was cast from a composite cement containing pulverized glass. Once set, the bases were sealed with tung oil for a durable and water-resistant finish.
Product
The final product delivered a refined drinking experience, perfect for those who savor the story. Respirited was a major success during the Fall 2025 Firefly Handmade Holiday Market, with our team selling all 30 units in just over three hours on opening day. This project highlighted the demand for well-crafted gifts within an often overlooked demographic, and proved that sustainable design can not only compete in, but also dominate mainstream markets.
Product
The final product delivered a refined drinking experience, perfect for those who savor the story. Respirited was a major success during the Fall 2025 Firefly Handmade Holiday Market, with our team selling all 30 units in just over three hours on opening day. This project highlighted the demand for well-crafted gifts within an often overlooked demographic, and proved that sustainable design can not only compete in, but also dominate mainstream markets.
Gallery
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