Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting award-winning projects and ideas from this year's Core77 Design Awards 2013. We will be featuring these projects by category, so stay tuned for your favorite categories of design! For full details on the project, jury commenting and more information about the awards program, go to Core77DesignAwards.com.
A belt and strap device worn on or under clothing, Bella helps pregnant women maintain healthy posture and support the growing belly. Bella fastens quickly and adjusts to fit comfortably, transferring weight from abdomen to shoulder and spine. Designed to grow along with the mother-to-be, the soft and gentle elastic straps shift the weight to relieve or prevent lower back and hip joint pain. Inspired by prenatal yoga practice, Bella is a healthy non-medical choice for pain relief.
- What's the latest news or development with your project?
Since this is a school project, The Technology Commercialization and knowledge Transfer of the Ohio State University invited me to work with them to do some further research for this concept. They want to see if whether this product has enough potential and worth to be patterned.
Though this is a product designed for pregnant women. When I show the final appearance model to people, several men run to me and said they really want something like this. Since their bellies grow bigger with their age, they start to feel bad for holding so much extra weight. They said if they can have something like this to wear under their suit to help them keep a better body posture could be awesome. I think this is interesting. I may design one for male later.
- What was an "a-ha" moment from this project?
As you can learn from my process book, I had several options that I can explore at the very beginning. After I narrowed them down to two final choices I still could not have my final solution settle down. But after I made a simple paper prototype of my maternity belt and tried it on, I knew at one this is exactly what I want. Since I have some lower back pain myself causing by siting in front of desk for most of the time, I suddenly feel some release when I put it on, even it was only a rough paper prototype. From this moment, I start to feel confident if I can improve both the shape and the material just a little bit, this can be a successful solution.
View the full project here.
Apart from designing a green product, I would like to design a product which can encourage people to have a green lifestyle. By providing a better way of keeping a bike, people are encouraged to use bike as a green transportation. A highly functional and protective bike cover would definitely a must-have item for them. With the concern of green, I designed a transferable, multi-functional and durable bike cover. It is based on the concern of using residue from factory and providing the best way of protecting a bike from weather.
- How did you learn that you had been recognized by the jury?
From the Core77 Design Awards website.
- What's the latest news or development with your project?
As the size of bike raincoat is too large which is difficult to fit with the bike in nowadays market, i am now trying to using another kind of materials such as nylon fabric to replace the original material from factor. At the same time, i have to make sure the selected materials must be green and recycled, therefore i am thinking of using the fabric from dumped umbrella. It is durable and water-resistant! Also, people usually dump it once its skeleton is broken, while its fabric part is still in good condition. The most important one is that it is so easy to get after heavy rain. we can find many of them in trash can.
- What is one quick anecdote about your project?
The whole design process (from idea generation to the final products is made) only took 2 weeks.
- What was an "a-ha" moment from this project?
In the very beginning, I was sucked in connecting the materials and bicycle product. but then there was a heavy rain at that time, and i saw many bikes parked outdoor and they are all wet. Then the idea just pop up.
View the full project here.
Create a Core77 Account
Already have an account? Sign In
By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use
Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.