Cultural Code of Everyday Life: Philosophy of Aesthetics in the Design of a Coffee Glass as a Phenomenon of Visual Culture – Международный журнал исследований культуры

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Julia S. POZDNYAKOVA
Novosibirsk State University
1 Pirogova St., Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation
Senior Lecturer, Department of Mass Communications
Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
17 Lavrentyev Ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation
Head of the Department for Promotion and Popularization of Scientific Achievements
e-mail: mostovichka@gmail.com
ORCID: 0000-0002-0966-102X

Tatiana L. SYSOEVA
Ural State University of Economics
62, 8 Marta St., Yekaterinburg 620014, Russian Federation
Associate Professor, Department of Marketing and International Management
PhD of Economic Sciences
доцент
e-mail: t.l.sysoeva@mail.ru
ORCID: 0009-0001-0123-5181

Elena A. KHAVLYUK
Brands Promotion and Communications Expert
e-mail: Ekhavlyuk@mail.ru
ORCID: 0009-0009-3591-1502

Cultural Code of Everyday Life: Philosophy of Aesthetics in the Design of a Coffee Glass as a Phenomenon of Visual Culture

Abstract: The relevance of the study is due to the need for cultural studies of everyday life phenomena, which in the open self-developing system of modern culture acquire the status of significant aesthetic objects. The design of a coffee cup for takeaway, combining utility and visual expressiveness, conveys cultural codes and forms an accessible aesthetic value in the urban space, but has not yet been the subject of a systematic philosophical and cultural analysis. The purpose of this article is to identify and analyze the cultural codes conveyed through the design of coffee cups and to justify its status as a phenomenon of visual culture in the context of the philosophy of aesthetics. The methodology is based on a structural-semiotic approach (R. Barthes, Yu.M. Lotman), visual analysis, case studies, and a comparative analysis of the design strategies of local and global coffee chains, as well as a content analysis of publications on social networks. The paper identifies key cultural codes that are conveyed through the design of the coffee cup: the aesthetics of everyday life, local memory, handicraft and community, seasonal rituals, "cuteness," and ascetic purity. It has been proven that a takeaway coffee cup acts as a mobile carrier of cultural meanings, transforming a utilitarian object into a significant element of visual culture and an accessible aesthetic value, and a coffee shop into a new cultural institution.

Key words: cultural code, everyday aesthetics, media communication, coffee shop, design, packaging, media artifact.

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For Citation:

Pozdnyakova, J., Sysoeva, T., Khavlyuk, E. (2026) Cultural Code of Everyday Life: Philosophy of Aesthetics in the Design of a Coffee Glass as a Phenomenon of Visual Culture. International Journal of Cultural Research, 2 (63). 49–62. DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2026_2_49

DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2026_2_49