Body-focused design, addressing the needs and comfort of pregnancy.
Making Body
Health Product Design | 2022
Iu Mi Kim, Cassandra Matalas, Jeongbin Gu
TEAM
Reviewed by UBC Birth-place lab
FACTS
User Research, Empathy Mapping, Journey & Persona Mapping, Roleplay, Product Design, Material Exploration, Scaled Sketching, Rapid Prototyping (paper, cardboard, textiles, laser cut), Technical Drawings, 3D Modelling, User Testing, Woodwork, Textiles.
SKILLS
TOOLS
Miro, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Rhino, VRay
This research and design response project encourages us to understand complex situations and conditions, articulate unspecified problems, and seek creative, assistive pathways to understand and reframe human behaviour. The focus is on empathy development, material agency, material research, and design problem-solving.
This project is designed for women and mothers impacted physically and emotionally by the overwhelming experience of pregnancy and motherhood. It serves as a sense of comfort for the living environment of the women and their support systems.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
| Research & Analysis Mapping.
Mind Mapping
Journey Map: stages of pregnancy
Journey / Persona Mapping
| Design Response.
Soft surfaces exploration / sketching
Ideation sketches
Preliminary sketches
Refined sketches
Refined sketches
| Material Exploration. Prototyping.
Technical Drawings
Textiles prototyping
1:10 Prototype (laser cut)
Cardboard prototyping
1:1 Cardboard Model
Front View
Back View
3D Rendering: Rhino, VRay
| Reflection.
As we delved into the topic and explored the significance of the issues at hand, we approached each step with careful attention. Through in-depth interviews, observations, and feedback from professionals such as midwives and experienced women in the research lab, we gained valuable insights into how human connection plays a crucial role in the medicalized experience of pregnancy. Although we weren’t able to perfect our product with the final materials we curated, we gained a deeper understanding of essential topics related to women’s health. By collaborating as a team, we strengthened our knowledge and recognized the importance of motherhood and women practices, enabling us to effectively communicate our insights and ideas in the creative process.