Kickstarter Campaign to Raise Funds for WWU Industrial Design Students

Starting Friday, May 1, a new Kickstarter campaign will launch to help fund future projects of Western Washington University’s Industrial Design students.

With a donation of $27 to the Kickstarter fund, customers will receive an Imbue brewing vessel. After a few weeks, the price will rise to $29. Funds being raised by the sale will contribute to future Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) student projects within the Western chapter and help continue Industrial Design (ID) education at Western. At the end of ID students’ senior years, final models of their senior project are required – these final pieces are entirely student funded, and the Kickstarter campaign will help remove some of this burden.

The Imbue brewing system is a portable tea steeper and mug that works by putting loose-leaf tea into the vessel’s strainer, adding hot water, closing the lid, and then turning the vessel upside down for the tea to steep. Once the tea is done steeping, the magnetic portion of the container can be removed along with the leaves, and acts as a sort of drainage sink. The vessel was created by Western’s student chapter of the IDSA in the Industrial Design department, and is restocked back after selling out last December.

“Imbue makes it easy to effortlessly brew great tasting loose leaf tea anywhere,” said Ashkon Nima, who is coordinating the Kickstarter campaign. “As industrial designers here at Western, we analyzed the brewing process in a collaborative group to make a creative and innovative multi-use vessel. It’s great for brewing tea, but is also a good bottle for other hot and cold drinks as well.”

Since the creation of the original project, industrial design students have worked closely with local Bellingham partners and manufacturers overseas in hopes of the Imbue system eventually being able to reach a much wider audience. To donate to the WWU Industrial Design Kickstarter campaign and receive an Imbue vessel, visit imbuetea.com.

For more information, contact Ashkon Nima, ISDA fundraising project coordinator for the Imbue system project, at nima.ashkon@gmail.com