Hug Mug

The Hug Mug is available to order now.

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There’s a common technique in ceramics called slab construction. A sheet of clay is rolled out, sliced into pieces, and assembled into walls and various other shapes; similar to how you would construct a gingerbread house. I thought it would be fun to emphasize this technique in the design of a mug. A single sheet could roll around into a cup, and the tail end could curl out to form the handle. I explored the concept in virtual reality, and it evolved into this softer spiral form. It felt cozy, like a gentle hug, and I couldn’t pass on rhyming the name: Hug Mug.

Virtual reality and traditional sculpting share a similarity that is not often discussed. I made the final surfaces of the mug in VR, moving each point by hand and adjusting the form by eye. In traditional CAD we tend to draw forms with precise lines and dimension them to exact integers. I think back to the many designers who didn’t have 3D software and had to physically sculpt or shape final models by hand. There’s this charm I find in those older sculptural designs from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Of course, you can still achieve beautiful sculptural forms in CAD software, but I wonder if there’s a little bit of the human touch that’s lost in those perfect zeros and ones. To me, VR allows for the best of both worlds. I can add that human touch to a design while still taking advantage of the convenience and speed of working digitally.

I did, of course, print out many physical models to test the ergonomics and drinkability. I created a whole collection of these puffy overlapping ceramics, and I pitched the concept to a ceramics company that wanted to collaborate. They ultimately passed on the concept, so I shared it online to see if there was any demand. It was a crowd pleaser, and I thought it would be simple enough to produce under Jex.

Even though the inspiration came from slab construction, the puffy form of the final design lends itself better to slip casting. With this method the mug can be double-walled to insulate hot drinks, and the handle can be rounded for a comfortable grip.

a rejected factory model lacking the spiral on the inside

I began ordering samples from overseas. Working with factories is always an interesting process. Some wanted to recreate the design from scratch. Others wanted to change certain aspects of the form. At times, the concerns were valid, such as adjusting draft angles or wall thickness, but other times I had the feeling that they were just unfamiliar with working from a 3D model. I meticulously crafted every surface of the mug to get just the right amount of puffiness. The beauty of the design really hinged on the form, and I couldn’t accept any “knock-off” looking designs.

After going through several rounds of samples and testing, I found a factory that was able to produce the design exactly as I had sculpted it. Double-walled ceramics have air holes to prevent them from exploding in the kiln, but they leave an open cavity which can annoyingly fill with water when you wash your mug. So the factory and I worked together to minimize the opening and plug it with a small silicone stopper.

We arrived at a final sample and made a plan to complete 2000 mugs in 60 days. I waited patiently, but 60 days came and went. 90 passed. The days kept rolling by, and by the end of sixth months I gave up contacting them altogether. I cut my losses and figured I’d take a break and restart the sourcing process some other time. At one point I even considered making my own plaster molds to manufacture them from the studio.

A year passed and I received a message with a photo. It was 1000 mugs (half as many as expected), but at that point I was just happy to see them. I simply said send me everything you have, and two months later they miraculously arrived. It’s always a learning process when manufacturing a product. I definitely need to be better at vetting factories, setting deadlines and expectations, etc. But the great news is that the mugs turned out amazing!

The Hug Mug in all its spiral glory is finally complete and available to purchase on jex.us. It’s a simple object that was a true test of my patience, so I couldn’t be more excited to get them out there. I hope it brings just a little bit of delight to your morning cup of coffee.

— Nicholas Baker

Photography by Henry Koehler