Lifetime Brands brings student design concept to life

A cafetière for loose-leaf tea, originally conceived by a group of MA Design and MA Fashion Design students at Northumbria University is landing on shelves across the world, in a fantastic turnaround from concept to product.

Every year, students at Northumbria’s School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries work with leading global provider of home goods, Lifetime Brands, to generate a range of new product concepts for their homeware range.

The project allows students to work in teams on a live brief, creating a realistic and creative environment for designers working in industry. The partnership also generates fresh ideas for Lifetime Brands, bringing in new knowledge from a diverse range of backgrounds to draw inspiration from.

Two years ago, students were set a brief to design a kitchenware product focusing on the experience of storing, preparing, cooking, eating and drinking.

In response, a group of four students including Shrey Trivedi, Lewis Kingsley, Adnan Sunny and Kenny McRae, transformed the idea of a classic cafetière and designed a novel product specifically for loose leaf tea.

Lifetime Brands was so impressed by the group that, for the first time, they created and launched the product which is now available to purchase online at stores such as B&Q and Debenhams, and in store.

La Cafetière Gyro Spinfuser Teapot allows loose-leaf tea to be more effectively brewed to people’s individual preferences. It does this by gently spinning the tea to release its flavour and show off the beauty of the infusion process, until it reaches the perfect strength.

Shrey graduated in 2023 with a Master's degree in Design. He said: “Working with Lifetime Brands was a brilliantly immersive experience. It gave us a great opportunity to work as designers with a real client. And, whilst we weren’t expecting there to be a physical outcome, we are thrilled that our design has come to life and will be used in homes across the country.”

Professor Graham Wynn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education at Northumbria University, said: “Shrey and his team exemplify how experiential learning creates pathways to career success for our students. Working on live industry briefs sparks genuine enthusiasm, builds professional confidence, and develops practical expertise that employers value. At Northumbria, we value and integrate experiential learning throughout our degree programmes. Congratulations to this talented team of Master's students!”

Northumbria has partnered with Lifetime Brands for eight consecutive years. This year's cohort recently pitched their final design concepts to the company directors at their headquarters in Birmingham.

Matthew Canwell, President Lifetime Brands International, said: “We genuinely love the collaboration with Northumbria University. It provides such a platform of fresh minds with unlimited and unhindered ideas that are of such significant value as we move through the project. If a product doesn’t come to fruition, that’s fine, the value isn’t just in getting a new product to market but the insight and research the students undertake on their journey”.

Matthew Lievesley, Associate Professor in Design at Northumbria University added: “We are delighted to continue this longstanding partnership and expand the brief into our brand-new Industrial Design Masters programme. This product launch is a perfect example of what can be achieved when students work in close collaboration with our fantastic professional and industrial partners.”

In September, Northumbria University is launching the new MA/MSc Industrial Design programme.

The highly specialised course combines the creative elements of technology, engineering, artistic expression, and business entrepreneurship with industrial design. Students on this programme will also have the opportunity to take part in a live brief with Lifetime Brands.

Find out more about courses at Northumbria’s School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries, and experiential learning at the University.