Ten years after the LINO cup changed coffee, we sat down with the lead designers to figure out what makes it so successful.
The LINO specialty coffee line is the result of a thorough design process with artisanal coffee purveyor Intelligentsia to create a family of six cups — espresso, single cappuccino, double cappuccino, small latte, large latte, and brewed coffee— that further evolves this ritualistic cultural experience.
To engineer the perfect set of cups, the designers took lessons in pouring and sipping exceptional direct-trade espresso. They studied fluid dynamics of coffee during a pour, the ergonomics of grips and handles, and the interplay between the drinker’s nose and the cup’s mouth during a sip. Through this careful examination of the baristas’ pouring and the consumers’ drinking experiences, notNeutral created LINO, a family of cups with exquisite form and function.
LINO functionally supports the barista’s art, while also exhibiting personality and presence on the table. Now a cultural coffee icon, the distinctive, signature form has been adopted by coffee shops from Portland to Paris, and thousands of places between.
View the documentary below.