Final year project
ana. The new standard for allergy care: anaphylaxis prevention and treatment… [Read more]
ana. - emergency anaphylaxis treatment
In an public emergency anaphylaxis situation, ana. uses both audio and visual cues to guide users through the treatment process, ensuring that the patient is properly cared for and that the equipment is used correctly. With the handle pulled up, the EpiPens, inhaler and box of Piriton tablets are all easily accessible when needed, and once an EpiPen is pulled out of its slot, an ambulance is automatically called to the location to care for the patient in case of a delayed secondary reaction.
ana. - ready to help
ana. sits inside a wall mounted lock box in order to keep it safe from misuse. Every ana. registered location will be stocked with two keys which can be used to unlock the wall box and access ana when necessary. The internal battery inside ana. powers the screen, speakers, and other electronic components, and when ana. is docked inside the wall box it remains at a constant full power level due to the wireless charging pad at the back of the box which is connected to the mains.
ana. - smartphone app
The ana. app enables those who suffer from food allergies to create their own virtual allergen profile and use it to find and ‘check-in’ to registered ana. locations where they can eat safely and with confidence. Allergen profiles can be fully translated into any known language through the ana. app, enabling the user to eat and live safely even if travelling abroad.
ana. - restaurant check-in
ana. members can walk into a restaurant, automatically check-in to the ana. hub via WiFi, and order their food with confidence without having to verbally discuss their food allergies with the waiter. This works due to ana. being able to automatically integrate with restaurant point of sale systems, allowing user allergen profiles to flow directly into the food order for the attention of waiters, waitress and kitchen staff.
ABEL - AI walking cane
I designed this AI integrated customisable stability assistance device for over 70s to start off my third year at university, tackling the RSA 2020 project brief 'Healthy Routes'. ABEL is an all-in-one assistant to over 70s, providing them with a simple AI interface that can provide company and connectivity to ease loneliness, whilst always encouraging them to take trips outdoors to improve their health. ABEL monitors the user's heart rate and location which is updated in real time through the ABEL app for loved ones to see. The user can also connect with friends and other ABEL users through the system as an incentive to be competitive with their fitness.
ABEL - modular & bespoke
The key design aspect of ABEL is it's customisability - through my user research and testing I found that it's very difficult to make a one size fits all product, and so I decided to design a web-based ordering service which allows users to build out their ABEL to make a bespoke product, whilst also providing options for extra parts such as snow and sand specific feet. ABEL also has in-built safety features with its camera and light, which help to light up the path for clearer walking and recording in case of theft/attack.
BEING - be present
BEING was a one week long live project which saw the creation of a product to help escape the digital world and embrace the physical world. It both encourages the user to have more greenery in their home environment - which has been shown to improve mental health and wellbeing - whilst simultaneously reducing phone device usage - something which 84% of people admit to being distracted by when trying to work.
BEING - hide the phones
Smartphones get in the way of our day to day lives, whether that be working, socialising with friends or relaxing with loved ones. The idea behind BEING is to encourage the user to remove the phone from the equation and therefore be more present, living in the moment without the every present distraction of their smartphone. This works as unless the phone is sitting inside the BEING charging mat, the UV light above the plant won't turn on, meaning that unless the user regularly dedicates time to place their phone inside BEING, their plant will die.
Zak Marks
I'm a creative, ambitious & hardworking designer with a deep rooted passion for making beautiful things.
I am an ambitious, motivated and hardworking industrial design student. I have a deep rooted passion for design and I’m always looking for problems to solve with creative solutions. I’m friendly, sociable, and highly adaptable, with experience working across product, graphic, web, video and brand design.
For my major final year project I decided to set myself the challenge of 'Redesigning the way we approach, identify and treat food allergies', as I have been allergic to variety of nuts and legumes all my life. If I was to have an allergic reaction I would suffer from the symptoms of anaphylaxis, as well as allergy induced asthma. Because of this, I carry around a medical kit containing two EpiPens (adrenaline auto-injectors), an Inhaler and a packet of prednisolone more or less wherever I go. Carrying anti-anaphylaxis medication like this causes a daily issue for tens of thousands of people with food allergies across the UK, and although it is vital to have on you at all times in case of emergency, many don't bother to carry it all - and those that do often misuse it! I aim to alleviate the burden on those who suffer from food allergies by instead sharing the responsibility of care with the public, placing life saving allergy equipment within easily accessible locations like restaurants and shopping malls.
My product - named ana. (short for anaphylaxis) - will not only provide housing for the equipment, but also give audio and visual instructions on how to use the EpiPens (adrenaline auto-injectors) and inhaler in an emergency scenario, whilst simultaneously calling ambulance services to the location of the suffering patient. In conjunction to this, the ana. app enables those who suffer from food allergies to create their own virtual allergen profile and use it to find and ‘check-in’ to registered ana. locations where they can eat safely and with confidence, even if they're travelling abroad.
I have also attached images of two of my other projects from this year - ABEL and BEING. For more of my work, please visit my website zakmarks.com
Final year project
ana. The new standard for allergy care: anaphylaxis prevention and treatment system
Awards
'20 Diploma in Professional Studies
'19 Snacktivity Logo Design Competition - Loughborough
Placements
September 2018 - September 2019
Graphic Design & Marketing Intern, The Wood Works