jeonghwa seo + hanna chung: ripple effect tea table

according to korean designers jeonghwa seo and hanna chung, easterners commonly believe that small changes of an individual person or object can make big impact on the larger society, thus, leading to a modest and totalitarian culture. this social tendency described as a ‘ripple effect’ was translated here into tea ceremony table.

as part of his graduation project for IM masters design academy eindhoven, ‘ripple effect tea table’ by korean industrial designer jeonghwa seo in partnership with hanna chung is a reflection of eastern mentality towards social relationships.

ripples are created on the top water layer of the table surface every time the tea cup and saucer are moved by the user. through this project, seo and chung wanted to emphasize the importance of considering cultural mentality and context as a backdrop to their work.