The Brand

Memobottle began with a simple question: why should a reusable water bottle remain round when nearly everything else carried inside a bag is flat? Founded in Melbourne by childhood friends Jesse Leeworthy and Jonathan Byrt, the brand was inspired by their experiences growing up near the Australian coast and witnessing the environmental impact of single-use plastic bottles. Their answer was a reusable bottle shaped around international paper dimensions, designed to rest naturally alongside laptops, notebooks, books, and the other objects people carry every day.

The original memobottle concept launched through Kickstarter in 2014 with A4, A5, and Letter-sized designs. More than 6,000 people supported the project, helping it raise over AU$261,000 against an initial AU$15,000 goal. The A5 became one of the clearest expressions of the idea: a transparent, 750-milliliter bottle that combined recognizable proportions with a slim, space-conscious form.

What began as an unconventional product developed into a wider effort to encourage more thoughtful consumption through practical design. Memobottle later became a certified B Corporation and established a partnership with Water.org; the company currently states that each bottle sold helps provide five months of safe-water access to someone in need.

My Contribution

Independent product and lifestyle study

My connection to Memobottle began as an early customer rather than through a commissioned assignment. I purchased the original A5 when the design was still relatively new, long before the brand reached its current scale. Drawn to its transparent construction, unusual proportions, and paper-inspired concept, I used the bottle to create an independent series combining clean product presentation with model-driven lifestyle imagery. The project explored the shape, portability, details, and everyday function that originally made the A5 stand apart.