SIP by Swell
At the height of S’well’s popularity for pioneering double-wall insulated bottles, the company introduced S’ip by S’well in 2016 as an exclusive Target sub-brand to make premium hydration more accessible. The design translated S’well’s signature performance and silhouette into a playful, affordable form, featuring simplified stainless-steel construction, bright colors, and whimsical prints optimized for Target’s shelves and price point.
The goal was to democratize S’well’s design language—maintaining performance and brand identity while simplifying geometry and manufacturing for large-scale production.
Development centered on refining the cap and base details through differentiation from the original design while maintaining style and character Swell had become known for. The cap’s threading and gasket system were simplified for reliable sealing, while the base was reinforced with an optimized rolled edge and wall thickness. Every detail—from thread pitch to paint tolerance—was tuned through DFM to achieve scalable, high-quality production without compromising S’well’s tactile and visual integrity.
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Industrial Design / Packaging
old vs NEW
Original Swell Design
NEW
SIP DESIGN
Development
Detail refinements + CMF
The CMF exploration evaluates body/cap pairings—Gloss/Steel, Satin/Gloss, Satin/Satin, etc.—against fingerprint pickup, scratch visibility, and print legibility under retail lighting. The highlighted directions capture the flared cap with a positive, tactile feel offering a warmer hand feel - the matte finish provides reduced glare, better scuff masking, and cleaner read of graphics at mass retail.
Overall — the new Sip line delivered a new silhouette for the brand, leveraging the character of Swell’s original design - Sip stands on its own as the brand’s second bottle offerings with its own unique details.
Cap + Closure Ideation
Studies explore the cap’s form language and ergonomics: flat vs. domed tops, tapered vs. barrel profiles, faceted/fluted grips, and soft-shouldered variants that echo the bottle’s friendly silhouette.
Early styling ideas are grounded in seal integrity and manufacturability — validating ideas closely through CAD validations.
