Able
overview
Able is an independent product design project focused on making everyday drinking easier for elderly individuals experiencing hand tremors. Designed as a shake-resistant cup, Able aims to minimise spills and improve stability, allowing users to drink with greater comfort, confidence, and independence.
The project explores how thoughtful, accessible design can address everyday physical challenges through a simple, intuitive product.
year
2018
role
Product Design
institute
National Institute of
Design, Haryana
Problem Area
For elderly individuals and people living with Essential Tremor or Parkinson’s disease, simple everyday activities like drinking tea or coffee can become physically challenging. Involuntary hand movements make it difficult to hold and control a cup, often resulting in spills, discomfort, and the risk of burns.
Conventional cups are designed for steady hands, overlooking the needs of individuals with limited motor control. This creates an opportunity to rethink an everyday object through inclusive product design, enabling safer, more comfortable, and independent drinking experiences.
Research Data
Tea is more than just a beverage; it is an important part of everyday life, representing comfort, familiarity, and connection. However, for individuals experiencing hand tremors and muscle weakness, this simple ritual can become physically challenging and frustrating.
Through user interviews, we identified recurring difficulties in holding, carrying, and drinking from conventional cups. Involuntary hand movements often cause tea to spill, particularly while walking, increasing the risk of burns. Despite these challenges, users expressed a preference for drinking their tea while it is still very hot, making spill prevention especially important.
We also observed that reduced grip strength places additional pressure on the index finger, leading to discomfort while holding a cup. These findings highlighted the need for a design that improves stability, reduces physical strain, and enables users to enjoy their daily tea with greater comfort, safety, and independence.
These insights revealed a clear design opportunity: to rethink the conventional teacup around the physical capabilities of its users rather than expecting users to adapt to the product. The challenge was to create a cup that accommodates involuntary hand movements, minimises spillage, distributes grip pressure more comfortably, and reduces the risk of burns, while preserving the familiarity and independence of the everyday tea-drinking experience.
“Good day starts with a cup of hot tea like my tea boiling hot, sometimes I ask my son to heat it twice. Look at these burn marks on my hand. They are from spilling tea.”
7 million
elderly people in India are affected by parkinsons disease, meaning a significant portion of the Indian population experiences hand tremors.
Ideation
The concept was driven by the idea of making the cup more accessible without making it look like an assistive device. I explored a double-walled structure that insulates the outer surface from the heat of the beverage, allowing users to hold the cup comfortably without the risk of direct heat exposure. Eliminating the conventional handle encouraged a more natural, full-hand grip, distributing pressure across the palm rather than concentrating it on the fingers.
I deliberately chose to retain the familiar form of a conventional teacup rather than introduce a complex mechanical solution. This decision simplified manufacturing while ensuring the product remained intuitive, approachable, and socially familiar. The intention was to design for accessibility without making accessibility visually apparent, creating a product that feels like an everyday cup rather than a specialised medical aid.
3D Modelling
The development process began with 3D modelling in Rhino, where the cup's spherical interior, proportions, and overall form were refined. The model was then taken into Blender to explore the physics of liquid movement and understand how the curved geometry responds to shaking and sudden movements.
Following the digital exploration, a physical prototype was created using thermocol as an initial proof of concept. This allowed us to evaluate the form, handling, and feasibility of the design before moving towards further refinement.
Working Principle | Geometry Driven Spill Resistence
The working principle draws inspiration from the natural behaviour of liquids. Due to surface tension, a free liquid tends to form a sphere, the geometry with the minimum surface area for a given volume. This became the foundation for exploring a spherical interior within the cup.
Unlike conventional flat-bottomed cups, the curved inner surface is designed to guide liquid movement along its contours, helping manage the sloshing caused by involuntary hand tremors. By combining this geometry with a controlled opening, the design aims to reduce the likelihood of spills during movement.
Rather than mechanically counteracting tremors, the concept uses geometry to manage how liquid moves within the cup.
The Prototype
Following the digital exploration, a physical prototype was created using thermocol and terracotta as an initial proof of concept. This allowed us to evaluate the form, handling, and feasibility of the design before moving towards further refinement.
gauravilad.design@gmail.com
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@2026