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As a (lapsed) industrial designer, this object is fascinating to me, in the same way certain EDC objects are. This Geimori GU Series coffee grinder, by a Chinese startup called Wirsh, has been designed with both modernist looks and an obsessive attention to UX.
Targeted at true coffee nerds, the machine promises to grind beans with repeatable precision and accuracy, without scattering any of the grinds during the transfer process, and is easy to clean. Take a look at its operation:
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It comes in two variants, the GU64 and the GU78, with the numbers referring to the diameter fo the grinder. Running $300 and $600, respectively, they’ve been successfully Kickstarted with nearly $150K in pledges at press time, with 7 days left to pledge.
Part of me does miss the early days of Kickstarter, when individual design entrepreneurs were trying to get their stuff out there. This project follows the pattern we’ve seen from a lot of (presumably deep-pocketed, possibly state-backed?) Chinese manufacturers, which is to first flood the Western influencer market with free samples, having them build up buzz with their YouTube channels, then kicking off the campaign. Seems to work every time.