Press Release
308a Multicapsule Coffee Machine by Nicola Zanetti and Federico Bosque Wins the A' Design Award in Home Appliances Design
Nicola Zanetti and Federico Bosque of Segnoinverso acknowledged for home appliances design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 15, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the A' Design Award in the Home Appliances Design category for 308a Multicapsule Coffee Machine by Nicola Zanetti and Federico Bosque of Segnoinverso. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
Regarding 308a Multicapsule Coffee Machine
308a is a multicapsule coffee machine designed for home and office use. The machine accepts capsules, pods and ground coffee, and prepares espresso, long coffee, tea and milk based drinks. A pressure pump and fast heating support consistent extraction and crema. Temperature and volume can be adjusted for different tastes. The body is made of injection molded ABS with continuous surfaces and soft transitions that reduce visual complexity. The capsule is inserted, the top handle is closed and the drink is selected through the touch interface.
About Nicola Zanetti and Federico Bosque
Segno Inverso is an Italian research, strategy, innovation, and design firm with a 10-year experience professionals. The team consists of accomplished international freelance strategists, designers, researchers, engineers and business professionals who work collaboratively, synergistically and effectively. The team can achieve highly specialized results thanks to abilities of single freelance that we hire on specific brief. We think it is the teamwork with a good supervision that permits to achieve highest results. Moreover they think a flexible organization can be succesfull between the need of a good design and the budget limits.
About Segnoinverso
Segno Inverso is an Italian research, strategy, innovation, and design firm with a 10-year experience international professionals.
Award Record
Nicola Zanetti and Federico Bosque of Segnoinverso is a winner of 10 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards were granted between the 2013 - 2014 and the 2025 - 2026 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Home Appliances Design Award
The A' Home Appliance Design Award is an international competition recognizing good home appliance designs by best appliance designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to home appliance designers, industrial designers, product engineers and appliance brands from all countries. Typical entries include refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines, dryers and ovens. The awarded home appliance designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/home-appliance
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/181434
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/181434
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!181434
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/127777
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.segnoinverso.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
###
Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- 308a Multicapsule Coffee Machine
- Function
- Multicapsule Coffee Machine
- Category
- Home Appliances Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Electronics & Appliances and Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Black, Dark Goldenrod, Burly Wood, Linen and Dark Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Nicola Zanetti and Federico Bosque
- Country
- Italy
- Brand
- Segnoinverso
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #181434
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This coffee machine stands out for its exceptional versatility, combining multiple brewing systems in one compact device. It is compatible with a wide range of capsules, ESE pods, and ground coffee, allowing users to prepare espresso, long coffee, tea, and milk-based drinks. A 19-bar pressure system and fast heating ensure rich extraction and consistent crema, while adjustable temperatures and volumes offer a highly personalized brewing experience for different tastes and beverages.
- Inspiration
- The design is inspired by the idea of fluidity and the expressive nature of liquid in motion. Soft, continuous surfaces flow seamlessly from one volume to another, creating a sense of natural continuity and visual calm. The form avoids sharp interruptions, favoring smooth transitions that recall the movement of water and coffee extraction itself. This fluid geometry conveys lightness, precision, and harmony, transforming a compact machine into an intuitive and elegant object.
- Research
- The design research began with a detailed benchmark analysis of existing single-serve coffee machines, identifying limits in compactness, visual coherence, and user perception. Early concepts were explored through sketches to define proportions and fluidity, followed by 3D models to refine volumes around internal components. Prototyping was used to validate ergonomics and visual balance. CMF studies finalized the design, enhancing surface continuity, tactile quality, and integration in different environments.
- Challenge
- The creative challenge was to design a coffee machine that feels friendly and approachable while standing out in a crowded market of technical-looking products. The goal was to achieve a fluid, compact form with continuous surfaces that visually soften the object and reduce perceived complexity. The design avoids aggressive geometries, aiming instead for a balanced and timeless aesthetic that can naturally fit into different environments, from domestic kitchens to office spaces.
- Realization and Technology
- ABS injection molding
- Operation and Interaction
- The machine is designed for intuitive and seamless operation. The user inserts the preferred capsule or coffee pod, using the dedicated holder, close the top handle, selects the desired beverage setting through the touch interface, and starts brewing with a single action. Visual indicators guide each step, while automatic dosing and flow control simplify the interaction, creating a smooth and effortless coffee-making experience.
- Project Duration and Location
- Italy, 03/2022 to 06/2022
- Specifications
- 124x317x290h 1400 W 20bar pump
- Keywords
- multicapsule, capsule, pod, espresso, cappuccino, coffee, machine
