rishi tea retail space
2024 | time frame: 14 weeks
imagining a brick and mortar for the tea brand rishi tea, celebrating slow living through the essence of tea by exploring its botanical origins.
rishi tea was founded on the commitment to set the standard for quality and expand the awareness of exceptional tea and its rich, inspirational tradition.
selling over 150 different types of tea, rishi tea welcomes people to be familiar with the horticultural aspects of tea, emphasizing both culture and community.
rishi tea
how can we escape the cult of efficiency?
more than 4 in 10 U.S. workers don't take all their paid time off.
“The modern man thinks that everything ought to be done for the sake of something else, and never for its own sake.”
- Bertrand Russell
focusing on healing the overworked
through these keywords:
from the leaf
ephemeral
renewal
how can we create emotional connection through tea?
location: row dtla
Located on the edge of the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles, ROW DTLA is a 30-acre urban enclave made for bold creatives and emerging entrepeneurs. Serving as a vibrant hub with unique boutiques and restaurants, ROW DTLA is curated to appeal to a younger generation.
This newly reimagined rishi tea retail space fits right alongside these distinct store experiences, offering as a renewal space for the newer, overworked population.
orthographics
targeting
small spaces
to learn more about the problems that came up with communal eating in small spaces - I shared a meal at my friend's apartment.
pictured: the struggles of current dining ware - the constant dropping of chopsticks
the benefits of communal eating
meals prepared in company tend to be more nutritious and healthier. eating together brings a sense of contentedness & community.
how can we improve communal eating in small spaces?
rethinking current dining ware
experiencing dining without a dining table had me reevaluate how current dining ware does not support flexibility.
prototype, prototype, prototype
to understand the right proportion and ergonomics, making was an essential step in this process.
all my adjustments are based on testing my prototypes -
does eating from this shape make sense? is holding this form comfortable?
colors, materials, finish
for this design to feel grounded, it was important to use materials that reflected that notion. with an intention of simple curvilinear forms, and using bamboo composite as the main material for this dining ware, I also wanted to focus on the sustainable nature of this design as well.
material:
bamboo composite
