Final year project
M-PWR; making reusable menstrual products accessible to homeless, rough sleeping and… [Read more]
M-PWR; making reusable menstrual products accessible to homeless, rough sleeping and displaced people
For homeless and displaced people, sourcing menstrual products is a constant struggle. The average cost of a period is around £10 a month and often people are forced to use unsuitable materials, such as socks, rags or even leaves in place of sanitary towels and tampons when they cannot afford them. My solution consists of a hand-powered washing machine and reusable sanitary towels that are cleaned within it.
M-PWR
The system that enables homeless and rough sleeping individuals to deal with their period in a hygienic, discreet and user-friendly way, empowers the user through responsibility and ownership. Extensive prototyping and user testing was undertaken to ensure a suitable final proposal was reached.
M-PWR
The pads are designed to be as lightweight and absorbent as possible, in the interest of user comfort. The materials are fast-drying which means the pad is ready to use again soon after washing. Pads attach and detach to the provided underwear, and the underwear itself can also be washed within the cleaning device.
Wag Walks
A service that connects older people with dog shelters to promote socialisation and exercise. Walkers are matched with dogs suited to their health and fitness levels in order to make the walks as accessible as possible to those with disabilities or health issues.
Wag Walks
The goal of the service is to improve the users' fitness and confidence so that they feel more inclined to take part in more active travel in the future.
V & I
A modular product family that guides women through the often daunting process of treating vaginismus through the use of dilators, relaxation techniques and app-based support. This was a week-long project on a brief set by SeymourPowell which gave me the opportunity to design for the medical sector; something I had not previously done. I was lucky to find an expert that gave me some great insights to take into the final proposal.
V & I
The dilator's modularity means that the user can gradually increase sizes as their treatment progresses. The app supports the user through their treatment alongside regular visits to a gynaecologist, and the dock creates a relaxed environment, necessary for dilation, through the use of lights and music.
Tara Janes
It is important to me that the projects I undertake have a positive impact on the area in which they function; the idea must be founded in a genuine user need or pain point.
My biggest inspiration comes from users with genuine problems that need to be solved. User research is a strength of mine and through that I have been able to design compelling solutions for a range of users, including homeless women, the elderly and those suffering with medical conditions. I am not afraid to tackle controversial subjects and take risks in order to solve problems for causes I believe in. The broad range of skills I have learnt whilst studying abroad and completing a placement mean I am able to bring exciting and outside-the-box ideas to the table, before taking them into development and delivering feasible real-world solutions with a novel edge.
Final year project
M-PWR; making reusable menstrual products accessible to homeless, rough sleeping and displaced people
Awards
'20 Diploma in International Studies
Recently, my project Wag Walks was shortlisted by The RSA for their Student Design Awards brief; Healthy Routes. They asked for solutions that encourage older people to take part in active travel options and my proposal focused on group dog walks that facilitate exercise and social interaction in a safe environment.
Experience
After completing an internship at Bombus, a personalised gift company, I was offered a position for the summer of 2019. There I learned a lot about working to real-world deadlines where customers are relying on you to prepare their order on time and to a high standard. It could be a very fast-paced and to work collaboratively in an environment like that was be challenging, but I learned quickly how to support, or be supported by, my colleagues when the situation demanded it.
In the summer of 2017 I completed an internship at Sharpak, a plastic packaging manufacturer. I was a design intern working on real company-set briefs, which was an amazing learning experience. I learned how to collaborate and work to deadlines, as well as managing my time when working on multiple projects at once.
Placements
February 2019 - July 2019
Prototyping Intern, Lego DK
July 2019 - August 2019
Manufacturing Intern, Bombus UK