Design Bridge works on safer pint glass

Design Bridge is creating a safer pint glass in a bid to crack the problem of glasses being used in violent assaults.

The consultancy has been appointed to the task after being invited to pitch by the Design Council as part of the Designing Out Crime initiative from the Government’s Design and Technology Alliance Against Crime.

Working closely with manufacturers and the drinks trade, Design Bridge will now create a number of prototypes, which will be unveiled in December.

Nick Verebelyi, 3D branding and packaging director for Design Bridge, says the consultancy will focus on two areas, looking at what can be added to the glass to make it safer, and ‘a complete paradigm shift’, which could look at using new materials or forms. He adds, ‘We have to have a solution that satisfies the consumer, trade and the breweries.’

Initial research was conducted by Innovation RCA at the Royal College of Art.

Home Office minister Alan Campbell says, ‘Innovative design has played an important role in driving down overall crime by a third since 1997, tackling a range of crimes including theft, fraud and burglary with innovative and practical solutions to real problems.

‘This project will see those same skills applied to the dangerous and costly issue of alcohol-related crime and I am confident that it will lead to similar successes.’

There are around 87 000 violent incidents involving glassware each year, which costs an annual estimate of £100m in NHS, police and court costs.

Hide Comments (2)Show Comments (2)
Comments
  • Julia Cassim November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Something about Innovation I hear?

  • MM November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    A French glass manufacturer has already developed a glass product which crumbles rather then breaking into shards – and has produced a range of beer, wine and spirit glasses that are distributed around the world

  • Post a comment

Latest articles