Saturday, September 6, 2008

Experience Enrichment: Toothpaste Squeezer

My product’s function is to squeeze every last drop of toothpaste out of the tube easily with one hand, as the toothpaste is being applied onto the toothbrush with the other hand. The symmetry of the form allows the user to be able to use it with their right or left hand, and the slit forces the toothpaste tube to be positioned so that a thick or thin finger can use it and also someone who has long nails. It is small enough to be held and quite a dainty sized product in order to attract a female to it, as opposed to something that is overly bulky. Through research, the widest toothpaste tube that I came across was McCleans’s tube which is 55mm wide, so I made the slit 57mm wide.


The blue rubber grip would be made of thermoplastic elastomer so that when the user’s hand is wet the tactile material allows the finger to grip on to it. The rest of the body would be made of polypropylene because it is light and cheap and possibly inexpensive to manufacture by injection moulding. Off white was chosen as the main colour in the design because it is to be used in the bathroom, and off white would allow it to be of a similar colour to its environment. The light blue was chosen because it is a calming colour and best represents the water element.

One of my very first ideas was this huge round thing where the knob is turned to squeeze the toothpaste out. I researched similar products on the market but they either had to be controlled with both hands or if they were controlled with one hand, there were complicated mechanisms that would cost more to manufacture and produce for this target market. I figured, since it is an easy motion of squeezing toothpaste, there should not be an over complicated product to achieve it. I explored ways of solving the problem of getting the toothpaste out with one hand, and ended up simplifying the initial design completely to what is shown now.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. Very simple and effective design to fulfill the need. It looks to be an easy to use product, it could also be targeted at elderly people, as the product is a bit bigger then other similar products on the market that are smaller and harder to use.
2. The product could be improved by changing the ergonomics slightly, possibly making it a bit smaller, or changing its overall shape.

Anurag said...

This is an interesting product. I've never heard of such a product before, so I think it is original. The design is also aesthetically pleasing, with a simple ergonomical design.

The product could be targeted at people with disabilities, especially people who suffer from joint problems as it would make using toothpaste a lot easier for them. The product is definitely easy to use for everybody, so it manages to do it job well.

YEOJUNG KIM said...

I like how you've solved the problem of squeezing toothpast out of tube which we needed to put a lot of pressure. Also i like the symmetry form which can be easily targeted by people who use with their right or left hand. The overall design allows the form and fuction to directly relate to the intended market as it is much easier to use for elderly people. it is an easy to use product with a ergonomical design. I like it!

uel said...

This is a very well thought out product and i like how you have taken the cost, material, colour and design into consideration. It is a very useful product and i would personally buy one because of its usefulness. The only thing I’d change about it is the aesthetic nature of the product by possibly shrinking it and giving it a few different colours so that people could have a choice. Overall though, a very nice product.

Patrick Paraan said...

- An effective response to the brief. Your design has been able to communicate it's applicability to the target market. Excellent technique in communicating the final material that is to be used and obviously the result of hard work. Form has been aptly appropriated to allow for one hand use.
-Colour options would be great to enhance the marketable options of the product. Perhaps a deeper insight into different textures and materials would enhance the final outcome.

Desmond Yiu said...

This is a very simple and effective product that fills the brief. It is easy to use, easy on the eyes and effective! Good work!
Perhaps changing the shape abit would make it smaller and stand out less? But all in all, good work!

mike_mac said...

very simple product design, that meets the brief, and is very successful i think in its ability to perform the task. It would be very useful for people with artheritis or elderly people, as they might have a bit of a problem with squeezing the toothpaste out of the contrainer.

The use of different colors, or of a different material, maybe softer could enhance the product.