flat white
noun
noun: flat white; plural noun: flat whites
a type of coffee made with espresso and hot steamed milk, but without the froth characteristic of a cappuccino.
At first glance, this object appears to have little weight behind its meaning, being defined as “a type of coffee made with espresso and hot steamed milk, but without the froth characteristic of a cappuccino.” With a desire to extrapolate social, cultural, environmental and economic meaning from this Australian cup of coffee, I brainstormed in the form of a mind map.
- Although Italian migrants brought Espresso to Australia after WWII, Australian’s desire for a ‘white’ coffee saw the creation of the flat white
- Flat whites hold great economic possibilities as fast food outlets thrive – Capitalism
- Workers experience slave labour and wage exploitation
- In a social and business environment, coffee culture allows for human interaction and idea generation
- Environmental degradation and pollution through waste as well as animal cruelty
- Dissimilarly, the coffee can be used for fertiliser and compost
- Caffeine, energy and addiction
- Flat white as a standard paint colour in terms of design
Developing this mind map further, I considered what other forms the concept of Flat White could take…
I am excited to see how I can transform some of these ideas into experiments…