SIP Magazine Feature: “Your Mugs Changed My Life”
- Cerys Jones
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
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by Cerys Jones
Visit the SIP website to read all our articles.
Accessibility shouldn’t mean sacrificing style. DigniTEA mugs are thoughtfully designed, handcrafted ceramic pieces that provide extra support for those who need it — without looking clinical or childish. Whether it’s a steadier grip, a second handle, or a wider-based design, these mugs put dignity back into their customers’ hands.
I can still picture my paternal grandmother’s fragile hands, as they would grip the steering wheel of her Citroën Berlingo, or shakily hold her favourite glass mug, sipping her fifth instant coffee of the day. Nana, as we called her, suffered from arthritis. Who knew holding a mug could feel so difficult, even debilitating?
Unfortunately, the market for accessible or assistive mugs, designed for adults who may need extra support to hold a drinking vessel, is uninspiring. People with various ability requirements can choose from double-handled baby ‘sippy’ cups, or medical grade, clinical looking devices which would make anyone feel like they’d entered an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Neither are very stylish, and neither offer very much dignity.
That’s where potter and founder of the DigniTEA mugs range, Nicola Swann comes in. Her ceramics business, Made With Mud (of which DigniTEA is a branch) is based in Lincolnshire. Nicola was first asked to create a double-handled mug for a friend’s husband, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She explains, “He was at a stage where he found using baby sippy cups embarrassing, and he just wanted to drink out of a ceramic cup.”
A Learning Journey
Nicola began experimenting with clay creating baby hands and footprints for friends, before learning to throw at a local weekly pottery class. This blossoming skill was put on hold however when Nicola was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago. Nicola tells me: “It was a really aggressive form of it (cancer). But I’ve come out of it, it wasn’t a guarantee, I can say that much. But I had such an identity crisis at the end of it. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. My identity for nearly two years had been somebody with cancer, and now that wasn’t there.”
This is when her pottery throwing passion really took off. Nicola’s husband recognised her love for the craft and suggested they convert their garage into a workshop space. She then spent the Covid lockdowns honing her skills on the wheel, predominantly making functional pieces for friends and family. This is when she was first approached by her friend who was looking for an Alzheimer’s-friendly drinking vessel for her husband, and DigniTEA Mugs was born.
When I ask Nicola about the name, she tells me a lot of thought went into DigniTEA. “The word that kept coming up was dignity, they wanted to be able to drink with dignity. The only vessels that they were finding out there were very medical looking devices or baby cups.” However, she explains: “I sent some mugs off to a focus group, and some of the feedback was that they were unsure of the name, because they didn’t feel they weren’t drinking with dignity.”
She reflects that, for her, it has been a journey of learning: “as an able-bodied person, not assuming to know what somebody else is thinking.” She settled on the name DigniTEA because she liked the pun, and felt it was the name that best respected her diverse clientele.
I am inspired by Nicola’s collaborative approach to crafting her mugs. “The whole concept behind my products has just come from listening to people and what their needs are. I’ve never redesigned a mug and gone ‘I think people with this problem should have this.’”
Nicola’s mug designs were born from working together with people dealing with diverse conditions, and tailoring each mug to its owner’s specific needs. “The mugs you see now aren’t necessarily where it started. My first attempt at a double handled mug was very much a mug with another handle on it. It became clear that it needed more room for people that may be holding it differently, so I made a good grip on there. I also lowered the handles so silicon lids can be put over the top. Sometimes it might be a spout or a straw that’s needed, all things I myself wouldn’t have considered.” Nicola explains. “I think that’s why my mugs have reached a larger audience, because people can see that it isn’t just a case of somebody’s got a mug and just slapped another handle on it.”
Nicola’s mugs have been pivotal discoveries for her clients. She shares several heartwarming anecdotes.
“I get emails from people saying, ‘Your mugs changed my life.’ This woman in America said she bought one of these mugs for her husband who had been diagnosed with various conditions but was too embarrassed to use a double-handled mug because he was getting plastic baby sippy cups. This meant he was getting dehydrated at work every day, and that was causing kidney infections. Which we can’t fathom, can we? It’s something we take for granted that we can pick up a cup and drink from it.
So, she bought one of these, and she said it has literally been a game changer. He is well again, and doesn’t mind drinking at work. When you get an email like that, you’re like, ‘Okay, I will put up with the difficulties I’m having, getting it produced.’”
A client closer to home in Nicola’s own village has a similar story. “She’s bought about five of these now. Her daughter has cerebral palsy, and she was showing me these mats she had to put over her daughter because she dribbled excessively from every single cup.” Nicola tells me, “She handed it (her first DigniTEA Mug) to her daughter and she instinctively grabbed it and just drank. She was absolutely stunned. She didn’t dribble a single bit. She said it’s absolutely changed her life. She described it like a trauma, the constant washing, caring for this adult disabled lady on her own, and it just took all that away from her.”
Nicola is currently working on developing an arthritis-friendly mug, inspired by trial and error with her own mother. I think back to my own grandmother, who would have greatly benefitted from Nicola’s innovative DigniTEA Mug designs.
Nicola’s craft is a testament to the big impact of small objects. She concludes: “I’ve been very honoured to be accepted by this community of people that have trusted me to come back with more and more designs.”
Find her products for sale at Made With Mud’s online store.
So, what is so special about these DigniTEA mugs? What features make them tailored to specific needs? Take a look at a few of her bestselling designs.
Double-Handled Mug
Nicola’s first design, this provides extra grip and support for anyone who may require it when sipping.
One-Handled Mug (with rim)
This mug was designed thanks to numerous conversations with occupational therapists, who told her their clients needed a second handle, but couldn’t necessarily hold it. This design addressed the need for an extra hand rest without having to hold a second handle.
Side Loop Mug
Similar to its double handled sister, but with a smaller side handle. Nicola explains: “My mum’s got arthritis and she didn’t want a second handle that would be really obvious. So, it can be used as a second handle for a pinch hold, but more discreet.”
Cut Out Mug
“When we drink, when we get to the bottom, we tip our head back. If you can’t, this one allows the face to go into the cup” Nicola explains. “I sent this to an artist in Wales, and she is in a wheelchair that supports her head so she can’t tip her head back. She was like, ‘Oh my God, for the first time I’m getting to the bottom of the cup.’”
Mug with Wider Base
Nicola has also created a newer model with a wider, heavier base. This is designed to create extra weight and stability for people who may have tremors. “If the tremors are worse, it’s a bit harder to knock over.” she explains.
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