bubblewrap babes
I took a Design as Entrepreneur class my last year of school. We were tasked with thinking of, prototyping, and "bringing to market" a product of our creation. I have suffered with chronic health issues for several years, and I have always been struck by how ugly and poorly-made medical equipment is. I set about designing a set of medical devices that were helpful, but also fashionable.
concept
I originally had the idea for a line of cute medical accessories when designing an activism campaign about women's treatment by the healthcare industry. Chronic Illnesses disproportionately effect young women, but items that suit their needs are absent in the medical and adaptive equipment sector. I named the company "Bubblewrap Babes" as a sort of inside jokes. Due to frequently being injured or ailing, people often jest that chronically ill people should be rolled in bubblewrap for their protection. I liked the idea that my products could serve as a sort of bubblewrap for my customers, protecting them and making the outside world safer.
process
The first product I came up with is a portable pill case that attaches to a keychain. I decided to go with a heart shape with funny chronic illness sayings, the design was reminiscent of a conversation heart. I worked on finding the right proportion so that it was small enough to clip to your keys. but large enough to hold a decent capacity of medicine. I decided to build my design using laser cut acrylic sheets and "sandwiching" them together to develop height.
