Students from the Collaborative and Industrial Design program at Helsinki's Aalto University have created five new concepts for coffee machines and other household products, aiming to "simplify and clarify" existing models (+ slideshow).

Tasked with creating a product that can stand the test of time, the students drew inspiration from modern architecture, the built environment, new materials and food culture for their designs presented at the In Formal exhibition during Helsinki Design Week 2015.

Lauri Käkelä designed his 8AM drip coffee maker to look like laboratory equipment, and took inspiration from successful German appliance Moccamaster.

"The construction of 8AM is inspired by Moccamaster's understandable and replacable parts," said Käkelä. "Its design language balances between simplicity and mystified alchemy."

Transparent components sit on top of a brightly coloured base, and allow users to see the full coffee-making process.

"The sights, sounds and smells of brewing coffee are all on stage," Käkelä said.

Hoping to simplify prolific hot beverage makers, Mikko Latomäki looked to modern architecture and Bauhaus products to inform his design.

"I began by collecting pictures related to modern architecture, old and iconic coffee machines, furniture and Bauhaus products," said Latomäki. "The product development work started by sketching and tearing down current coffee makers."

Made from aluminium, acrylic, glass and Himacs – a composite material typically used for bathroom and kitchen surfaces – his The Untitled Coffee Maker features a removable water canister at the back to minimise space usage.

Aija Hannula aimed to celebrate the ritualistic elements associated with coffee making by exposing parts usually hidden by a plastic cover.

"Coffee Cooker challenges our everyday household appliances by making it easy to understand how the machine actually works," said Hannula.

After the water is heated inside the glass tube, thermal expansion causes the liquid to be pushed from the container to the carafe where the coffee grounds are captured in a custom-made washable filter.

Yuchao Chien's Phyto Pure air purifier is designed to be "highly modifiable", and can be installed on a wall, hung from the ceiling or simply placed on a shelf and its transparent shell helps to keep it discreet within interior spaces.

Monolith is a collapsible kitchen blender that was influenced by the adaptable nature of a Swiss Army knife.

Hoping to create a device that is suitable for a Minimalist interior, Krzysztof Witkowski-Soroczan opted for a monochrome palette – using white edges to create striking lines.

The In Formal exhibition took place at the Habitare fair in Helsinki as part of the city's design week, which took place from 3 to 13 September 2015.