In 2020, DIAC issued a Call for Design Projects. Our intent was to highlight the critical role of designers in developing human-centred and resilience responses to the pandemic that will enable communities, businesses and governments to improve quality of life and return to some level of prosperity during the ongoing health crisis. DIAC has been very pleased to receive project submissions in all of the design disciplines. For each of the featured projects we have included a website link for more information.
AVRO MASK
As soon as the pandemic hit last year, industrial designer Kevin Mar was on a video call with a number of his colleagues, a braintrust of people who wanted to help. They considered developing a locally-made ventilator but they quickly realized that designing this complex medical device would need to involve close collaboration with health care and engineering professionals. This project was just too complex to take on at the time.
Then Mar made an alarming discovery concerning the non-medical, disposable face mask that that was quickly becoming ubiquitous. He found that these light blue, non-woven (plastic), single-use masks will take almost no time to break down into micro plastic particles destined to end up in our oceans and make their way into our water and food supply. This prospect led Mar to develop a safer mask, one that would be made from materials that are compostable, recyclable and sourced in North America.
The body of the AVRO MASK is composed of 100% cellulose and the straps are made of 100% cotton lace, which is preferable to elastic because it doesn’t contain plastic. The mask also has the advantage of an origami facet fold which improves the fit, comfort and structure. The structure keeps the mask from collapsing on the face and nose and allows the mask to fit more snugly over an inner mask for extra protection. The AVRO MASK is available in both Adult and Youth sizes with custom branding options by special order.
The mask is manufactured locally in Ontario. “There is a great opportunity for quality industrial designers to get involved with local manufacturing”, says Mar. It’s better from a human factors perspective and also improves industrial processes”.
a42 MASK
When people began to wear masks in business meetings at the start of the pandemic, Miles Keller noticed that most of the visual cues in discussion were getting lost. A seasoned industrial designer who has worked on a wide range of products from corporate task chairs to water filtration systems, Keller set out to design a transparent mask so that facial expressions would be visible. He also wanted to add a more reliable safety seal.
Over a 4 month period, Keller experimented with 4 dozen prototypes. The result is the transparent a42 mask with a soft, antimicrobial, snug facial seal and a replaceable N95 filter element. Both the tighter seal and the filter offer better protection. (The tighter seal also prevents glasses from fogging up.) The mask is reusable and easily washable in soap and water.
Keller’s plan was to distribute the a42 mask to the general public and then, once certification was in place, to offer the mask to the medical, dental and educational markets. He connected with a US manufacturer and supplier of PPE. But since mask restrictions in the US are being relaxed, Keller is seeking a partnership with a local manufacturer to produce and distribute the mask in Canada.
“Masks have become a protective accessory for daily life,” says Keller. “What we are doing is learning for future use.”
