Design Bridge’s safer pint-glass prototypes unveiled

The glasses, designed not to shatter into loose and dangerous shards, have been produced under the Design Out Crime programme, an initiative from the Home Office’s Design & Technology Alliance Against Crime and the Design Council.

Design Bridge was appointed to the project last August after being invited to pitch. It has now developed two prototypes – Glass Plus (pictured) and Twin Wall.

The Glass Plus design has a thin transparent coating of bio-resin on the inside of the glass, which makes it stronger and binds together dangerous shards if the glass is broken.

The Twin Wall concept is made by bonding two layers of glass together with a layer of resin, which makes the glass extremely difficult to break.

The consultancy used early research results from Innovation RCA to create a range of initial concepts, which were assessed by glass manufacturers, materials experts, drinks producers and pub-owners.

The Design Council is in talks with major pub chains about trialling the Glass Plus designs, which it is hoped will be ready within 12 months, while the Twin Wall designs are being further refined with manufactuers to investigate possible large-scale production.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson says, ‘Glassing causes horrific injuries and has a lasting and devastating impact on victims and their families. I hope these designs can bring an end to such attacks.’

David Kester, chief executive of the Design Council, says, ‘These innovative new designs could help protect the public and reduce the burden of coping with glassing-related injuries. In the current economic climate it is also good to see such a thorny problem turned into a global export opportunity for British businesses.’

David Helps, director of 3D and innovation at Design Bridge, says, ‘The beauty of these glasses is that they keep everything British drinkers love about their pint. They look good, work better and are safer in front of and behind the bar.’