SIP

This project served as the final for my Fall 2021 “Sustainable Business Models” course. The brief was open-ended, asking for a viable business model that simultaneously addressed an environmental issue. My team began combatting single-use coffee-shop waste (cups/lids/straws) but ultimately broadened to address general single-use drinking vessel waste. Over the course of 5 week-long sprints, we adjusted our vision via iteration, pitch presentation, and critique each week. The final deliverable was a concise five-minute pitch deck for investment (viewable below).

Single-use plastic bottles and drinking vessels continue to negatively impact the environment. One million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. As of 2021, more than half a trillion plastic bottles will be sold annually. And despite the best recycling efforts, less than 1/3 of all plastic bottles will be recycled. Alongside producing material waste, plastic bottle production creates both production- and transportation-related emissions.

Our solution is “SIP,” an eco-friendly, collapsible smart-cup that you finally won’t forget at home.

SIP consists of a collapsible cup, lid, straw, removable support sleeve, and Bluetooth tracker base. SIP is created with high-quality food-grade silicone, making it lightweight, durable, and easy to clean. And SIP’s tracker base is easily removed, making SIP dishwasher safe. SIP is collapsible and flexible, allowing for convenient storage on the go.

Using our smartphone application, set your home location and alert preferences. SIP connects to your smartphone’s Bluetooth, alerting you as soon as you leave your home without your SIP in tow.

Our sleek, recognizable design comes in 10 eye-catching colors, so there’s a SIP to suit everyone’s style. SIP is the perfect way to show off your sustainability, without sacrificing style.

Our team conducted thorough user-testing over five weeks of iterative sprints. As stated in the Context section, our starting focus was to combat single-use cups and lids from coffee shops. Throughout the sprints, we remained flexible, pivoting our idea into its final form: a collapsible, Bluetooth-enabled to-go cup.

Our process’s most crucial aspect was maintaining a human-centric mindset. This mindset encouraged rigorous user-testing at every step, from initial concept development to final prototyping, to ensure desirability. We employed surveys and interviews to discover users’ most prominent pain points regarding reusable drinking vessels already on the market.

Another critical area of focus in our process was our Business Model Canvas. By drafting new Business Model Canvases weekly, we could mend possible weaknesses in the existing business model while keeping a high-level view of product feasibility.