The beauty about inspiration is that it can strike anytime and from anywhere. August Kekulé discovered the ring-shaped Benzene molecule after seeing a snake eating its own tail in a vivid dream. George de Mestral invented Velcro after he saw cockleburs attaching to his dog’s fur. Teabags were created as the result of people accidentally dipping tea packaging into hot water, instant ramen was created by accident too. History is littered with examples of products that came about as a sudden eureka moment and while I could fill this entire article with hundreds of instances, it’s the IRISgo I’d like to shine the limelight on. Designed as an alternative to every dysfunctional travel-cup you’ve ever had the misfortune of interacting with, the IRISgo is an innovative, ingenious product that pulls inspiration from a very unlikely place. The idea of the product came to a bunch of science and arts students in Switzerland while on an outdoor trip. Given that coffee and outdoor photography practically go hand in hand while trekking, it wasn’t long before they discovered that the camera’s aperture system could actually serve as a dynamic, integrated, watertight lid for the coffee cup. A couple of concepts and prototypes later, the IRISgo was born. With its unique twist-to-open mechanism, the patent-pending IRISgo makes drinking beverages (or carrying snacks) easier, safer, and much more multi-sensorial. Single-use cups are bad for the environment, and reusable cups aren’t exactly perfectly designed. They either have really small sippy-cup-ish openings that burn your tongue and don’t give you the aroma of your drink, or they have removable lids that either get lost in the dishwasher, or worse, open inside bags and drench your belongings with hot coffee. The IRISgo and its pretty amazing aperture-inspired lid helps effectively solve those problems. The twist-to-open lid stays on your cup at all times (preventing it from ever getting lost). A silicone sleeve sits on a rotating dial, twisting shut to turn the cup entirely watertight… when you want to drink the beverage of your choice, just twist to open and sip like a regular cup or tumbler. The wide opening helps bring your hot drink to a more potable temperature, while allowing aromas to waft around into your nose (and also letting your eyes observe your drink) because food is a multisensorial experience, isn’t it?? Besides, the integrated lid design means you’ll never misplace or lose parts of your travel cup ever again! Designed, developed, tested, and perfected in Switzerland, the IRISgo adheres to high quality and sustainability guidelines. The silicone membrane is food-safe, heat-resistant, odorless, and leak-proof. It attaches to a food-safe Polypropylene dial that sits on the double-walled insulated stainless steel tumbler – retaining temperatures of hot beverages for over 3 hours, and cold drinks for over 6 hours. For the most part, the entire IRISgo cup is recyclable, and the entire travel cup’s production is carbon-neutral. The cups are manufactured in Switzerland too, and come in two sizes – a smaller 7oz (200ml) variant and a larger 12oz (350ml) variant, and a whole litany of color variants. They’re dishwasher friendly, can be reused for years, and hold drinks as well as snacks with equal effectiveness. With that, they tick sort of all the boxes we have for ‘great design’. They solve problems better than the rest, they make beverage carrying and consumption safe and more enjoyable, they’re sustainably produced and designed to last multiple use cycles, and most importantly, they’re easily one of the most ingeniously clever and interactive designs we’ve seen! Concept Iris (13% off). Hurry, only 46/100 left! Free worldwide shipping! Made in Switzerland, the IRISgo cup’s patent-pending closure system allows to open the entire opening of the cup. When closed it is completely leakproof. The IRISgo drop (200ml/7oz) is perfect for your regular coffee or a double espresso. The IRISgo sip (350ml/12oz) is great for latte macchiato, tea or any hot/cold drink. (13% off). Hurry, only 46/100 left! Free worldwide shipping!