Rachael Jubb
Having worked for the NHS since the start of the pandemic I have an interest in designing solutions to two prominent issues intensified by the pandemic which I saw first-hand - mental health and infection prevention. I focused my projects on these areas incorporating psychology into both through colour and form. This combined with my modernist style produced two aesthetic yet functional pieces.
FLUIDITY
The concept behind Fluidity was to reduce stress and enhance attention through fidgeting. This ideation began through reinventing the vintage stress product lost in history whilst focusing on biomimicry through the fluidity and movement of water droplets. The elevation of the fidget product was done using a plinth to remind the user to use the product whilst still retaining its prominence.
Fluidity is a copper fidget product manufactured from solid copper.The cold, hard copper hits the pressure points in the hands to relieve stress. It is also an antibacterial material ideal for a handheld product during the coronavirus pandemic. The copper colour also uses colour psychology as the warm orange colour has a calming effect on the user. By producing a fluid shape specifically, the interlocking water droplet shape, also integrates form psychology into the design.
The key users of this product would include people under stress including working professionals and those with mental health limitations including anxiety and ADHD. There could be many potential reasons a person fidgets including but not limited to lockdown due to Covid-19, stress, anxiety, ADHD or just as a general outlet when concentrating.
RONA CHAIR
The concept behind the Rona Chair stemmed from the Covid-19 pandemic that began in 2019 and continues to this day. It has had an immense impact on the world in many aspects. The Rona Chair gives a solution to the concept of waiting during the Covid-19 pandemic. This modular waiting room chair designed for medical settings incorporates a tubular steel cantilever chair that can be attached to others and a clip-on infection prevention screen that can be easily moved from chair to chair.
The Rona chair not only enforces social distancing and infection prevention with a clip-on screen – but also incorporates antimicrobial material technology in the upholstery, kindly sponsored by Teal Healthcare UK, and allows easy cleaning with a cantilever back meaning there is a reduction in surface area that would otherwise collect bacteria. The use of colour psychology applies to this product in the form of the olive-coloured upholstery, which is traditionally seen as a peace colour, yet it could be seen as ‘offering an olive branch’ and something that can overcome adversity to develop an understanding. This makes it ideal for a medical setting where some may be nervous, particularly more so due to the spread of coronavirus.