Year
2020
4
Project Type
Design Competition
Organisation
ThinkTANK
The Cleanies
The Cleanies is a hand sanitiser for children. With a paintbrush dispenser, and colour changing pigments, the project encourages play while sanitising ones hands. Children can paint themselves with it and watch as the colour changes as the sanitiser works.
Objectives + Challenges
Problem Statement
The competition in the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic was looking at novel designs towards hygiene and sanitisation for children
Target Audience
To be judged by a group of designers, but the product was for children to use
Goals | Constraints |
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Collaboration
Team size of 4. I was heavily involved in concept refinement and finding reasonable backing the the feasibility of the concept. CAD design and Rendering responsibilities as well.
Process + Approach
Methodology
We brainstormed and ideated across a wide range of ideas for this project. It was generally low method beyond using the three project goals as our north star.
Key Activities
Ideation
Basic concept refinement
Imagery and presentation
Tools & Technologies | |||
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Solutions, Deliverables + Outcomes
Final Output
The Cleanies concept utilising pH indicators with colour change and a paintbrush dispenser is a concept asking where play can be used to help with personal hygiene.
Key Features
Paintbrush dispenser - fun and easy dispensing allowing one to paint ones hands, or other body part, to sanitise.
Colour changing pigments - Allow one to visually see the sanitiser working. Making an invisible process visible in a fun and interactive way.
Outcomes + Comments
Outcomes
The entry performed well and won the category and were exhibited at the Design Museum in 2020
Feedback was positive, with general agreement that this was a fun and interesting concept.
“We know that one of the societal impacts as we emerge from the pandemic will be an acceleration of human needs and desires that were starting to scale before the pandemic hit. Consumers will therefore demand even more environmental responsibility from the products and brands they choose to engage in. This solution which combines both environmental conscience with the human need for safety through hygiene screams out to be developed.” – Deb Pellen
Personal Commentary
This was a great little project. I hadn't done much child focused design before so it was a great experience in adding playfulness as a core part of the design goal.
Always a great feeling to win with a design as well.
In the long run, I'm not sure I love the idea of excessive use of alcohol based sanitisers and kids playing with it beyond necessity. Significant use may cause excessive skin dryness for example. That said, this was a timely concept and the idea of visual indicators is important and would be useful in many situations of hygiene.
Awards/Recognition
Category Winner - Child Directed Design: Fountain of Hygiene
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