IDC Helps Bring Invention to Life for 'pokito'

As an advocate of sustainability and user-focused design, IDC is delighted to have supported the development of the pokito, a pocket-sized, reusable cup designed to resize depending on what volume of drink is required.

Inventor, Andrew Brooks, came to IDC with a concept to develop a practical alternative to disposable cups which cause a number of environmental problems. His vision was to devise a product that could be reused many times and be convenient in a huge variety of situations. The project was initially funded through Kickstarter and went on to enter the top 1% of all-time campaigns on the world’s largest crowdfunding platform.

IDC’s design and engineering team worked with Andrew to develop a technical solution. After an initial brief, they went on to determine the needs of consumers and to create the best drinking experience using the safest materials. IDC’s engineers developed Andrew’s original sketches into a fully formed clever industrial design which allowed the cup to be compressed to less than 2 inches in height and expanded to accommodate 230 to 475ml of drinks. The unique design of the pokito has since been patented, creating valuable IP for the company.

The product was made visually appealing in both shape and styling, with a stable base and lid to help prevent spillages. With a choice of six different colours, the pokito was designed to appeal to a wide audience. Numerous prototypes were produced by IDC Models for testing, and the design was refined until the perfect solution was reached.

Much work was put into the selection of materials, with product trials testing silicone and various plastics, with the final choice being TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) for soft components and PP (polypropylene) for hard sections. This choice meant that the pokito was safe, odour-free and recyclable at the end of its life. With a focus on sustainability, the pokito pays for its environmental cost after just 15 uses.

Pokito’s founder, Andrew Brooks, comments, “I’m thrilled by the success of pokito - it has been embraced by individuals and businesses alike. Growing millions of trees to manufacture billions of disposable cups for a few minutes of convenience has to be considered a wasteful and ecologically unsound practice. By developing the pokito, we can still enjoy our daily indulgence and manage to safeguard the environment for future generations.”

Further information about pokito is available at: www.pokito.net.