Mμ - Kickstarter Success

A porcelain coffee cup designed to encourage being present. 

Client: Self Initiated

Services: Product Design, Design for Manufacture, in-house prototyping, crowdfunding

Impact: Kickstarter funded, nearly 1000 cups sold worldwide

Brief: In a world designed for speed and convenience, the everyday ritual of making coffee had become yet another thing to get through rather than savour. Mμ was designed to push back against that - a porcelain coffee cup that uses material, texture, and design to slow the user down and invite presence. The challenge was to create a product that communicated a philosophy without stating it: one that felt premium enough to be bought as a gift, distinct enough to stand apart from the market, and considered enough in its manufacturing to be produced sustainably in small batches.

Iterative Prototyping

Over 40 iterations were produced, over a period of 12 months, before the design was resolved. The ribbed exterior - the defining feature of the cup - required extensive iteration to land on a profile that solved the thermal brief, felt right in the hand, and could be manufactured consistently. 

The unglazed exterior introduces natural variation in tone, making each cup subtly unique while giving it the rough tactile quality. The quest for the perfect black resulted in a lot of testing - testing both slip recipes and firing cycles. 

 

Packaging was designed in parallel: a bespoke black card stock tube with screen print and an antique white paper label, engineered to hold two cups securely in transit without additional void fill.

Building a Successful Kickstarter Campaign

The chance of success on kickstarter dramatically reduces if you don't hit your funding target on day one. With that in mind, I spent 6 months planning and generating interest in Mµ before launching - ensuring I had enough interest to hit my funding goal on day one. 

Kickstarter rewards preparation, not luck. The campaign funded in 4 hours because the work was done long before the launch page went live.

Pre-Launch

The most important phase of the campaign happened before a single person could back it. The goal was simple: build an audience of people who already wanted the product before they had the chance to buy it.

• Instagram as a development diary. The design process was shared openly - prototypes, material tests, iterations. This turned followers into an invested audience who felt part of the journey before the campaign launched.
• Coffee community outreach. Relevant coffee influencers and blogs were approached directly. These weren't cold pitches - they were genuine conversations with people who cared about the ritual of coffee as much as the product did.
• Email waitlist. Interested followers were funnelled into an email list ahead of launch, building a direct line to the people most likely to back on day one.
• Early bird pricing. A limited early bird tier rewarded the most engaged followers, creating genuine urgency on launch day without artificial scarcity.

---

The Campaign Page

A Kickstarter page is a product in itself. The brief was the same as the cup: considered, clear, and worth spending time with. Strong photography, honest copy, and a narrative that connected the product to a wider cultural conversation about slowing down gave backers something to believe in - not just something to buy.

---

Launch Day

With the audience warmed up and the early bird tier live, the campaign funded within 4 hours. The email list converted first, followed by social. Word spread through the coffee community as influencer posts and blog features landed in the same window, amplifying momentum at exactly the right moment.

---

Social Proof

Ingrida Olendraite

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beautiful cups!

Sam Johnson

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stunning Cups

George

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arrived safely from the other side of the world