Project Description
For this project, the goal was to design, manufacture, and sell a sustainability-conscious home-good at a small scale
Project Information
Project Type: Academic
Project Duration: Full Semester
Instructor: Will Nickley
Teammates: Haley Gregory
SCRUBBITS
Scrubbits are handcrafted, versatile, machine-washable scrubbers that slide over your hand like a glove. Scrubbits come in packs of three, each with a special material for a specific cleaning task: a rough, abrasive sponge for cleaning dish grime, a plush terrycloth material to clean and polish glass, and a smooth dishcloth alternative for wiping and drying. Each Scrubbit features an elastic strap to provide stability and comfort – they're way more comfortable than a dishcloth or sponge!
Design Process
Research:
A fellow student group gave our team an ethnographic-style research packet about cleaning and how to make the procedure more enjoyable. After doing some did some ideation and brainstorming with three major insights by thinking about what housewares, materials/processes, and sustainability might yield before deciding that a reusable sponge would be the most effective and sustainable.
Early Ideations:
Early Prototypes:
Final Solution:
Based on the design limitations, research on user observations and human factors, market analysis, our final design solution was a hand-sewn reusable sponge that offers freedom of use dependent on the individual. The fabrics were from thrift stores and remnants from Jo- Ann's. We wanted to make a portable product that was both aesthetically beautiful and functional, and that used sustainability to enhance rather than confine the design
Production and Sale:
For the 3rd Annual Winter Market, we produced and sold all 7 copies of our product within 30 minutes of the market being open. We sold each for $25 and the proceeds went to IDSA (Industrial Design Society of America) and to the next class of Industrial Design majors for materials cost.
