When industrial designer Yang Mingjie was asked to create something special for Malaysian pewter manufacturer Royal Selangor, a tea set immediately came to mind. (China Daily)

He figured that, in winter, people like to hold the teapot or teacups to keep their hands warm, but the pewter material would make the items too hot.

With the concave and convex patterns etched into the wares, only 50 percent of the surface is in contact with the skin, so the individual is warmed rather than burned.

Yang also made the mouth of the tea can a little wider than usual so it looks like a bamboo joint and makes sealing the can easier.

"I hate designs without function. A good design should deliver the key message, and at the same time, it should solve problems," Yang says.

"I have only one principle when creating new things: to offer the best experience to users."

By Gan Tian (China Daily)