Above: image by Guy Godfree

The Kit Yamoyo is the idea of British aid worker Simon Berry, who realised while working in Zambia in the 1980s that Coca-Cola was available in even the most rural villages, yet simple medicines were not.

After Berry set up the ColaLife charity in 2011 to put the idea into action, design consultancy PI Global offered its services and came up with a robust container small enough to occupy the unused space between Coca-Cola bottles inside crates.

The AidPod, as it's named, is currently available as an anti-diarrhoea kit containing oral rehydration sachets, zinc supplements and soap, but ColaLife believes it could be used to get tablets, condoms or other products to remote areas if the pilot project in Zambia is successful.

The AidPods are designed to benefit independent rural retailers by allowing them to make a profit on their resale. In the last six months, over 20,000 kits have been bought by retailers in Zambia to be sold at just under a dollar each.

Kit Yamoyo recently won the product design category of the Designs of the Year award, given annually by the Design Museum in London. The overall winner is due to be announced tonight.

Other category winners included a folding wheel for wheelchairs and a government website designed to be as intuitive and simple as possible, as designer Ben Terrett explained to Dezeen in a filmed interview earlier this year.

The winner of the inaugural Designs of the Year Award was Yves Behar's One Laptop Per Child project to bring computers to children in the developing world – see all news about Designs of the Year.

We've featured a few other products designed to tackle health issues in developing countries, including a single-use disposable toilet and a bicycle-powered electronic waste recycler.

Images are by Simon Berry except where stated.

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and PI Global appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan 2012: London designers Studio Toogood will create a "hospital for the senses" at MOST in Milan next month as an antidote to the hustle and bustle of the furniture fair.

The La Cura installation will feature a therapeutic sound and light installation created in collaboration with Kite & Laslett, special scent by perfumers 12.29 and a re-energising elixir by food designers Arabeschi di Latte.

Visitors will be seated on Studio Toogood's Spade chairs, which will be wrapped in bandages, while they mould a piece of white clay to contribute to a collaborative sculpture that will grow as the week progresses.

Read more about Studio Toogood on Dezeen here.

We'll also be at MOST with Dezeen Studio powered by Jambox - read more about it here.

Here are some more details from MOST:

Studio Toogood will present ‘la cura’ with NIVEA, a partnership born from a mutual belief that design is for everyone. ‘la cura’ is a visual antidote to the chaos of the Salone del Mobile, a hospital for the senses where visitors are invited to rebalance through a series of intimate performances.

Whilst experiencing a therapeutic sound and light composition produced in collaboration with Kite & Laslett, visitors are presented with a ball of white clay to mould and shape into something that reflects their own individual expression and mood. These artworks – called ‘The Cures’ – are collected at the end of each performance and clustered together in the ‘Pavilion’ during the course of the week to create a collective sculpture.

For ‘la cura’, the Underkitchen by food designers Arabeschi di Latte have prepared a re-energising elixir designed to restore people’s sparkle and spirit. The air is filled with a bespoke scent by perfumers 12.29, which is designed to capture the essence of the colour white in olfactory form. Guests are seated on ‘Spade’ chairs by Faye Toogood, each one bandaged and covered for protection.

Read more about the highlights of MOST in our earlier story.

National Museum of Science and Technology,
Via Olona 6, 20123 Milan, Italy
Entrance through Via Olona 6

Dates: Tuesday 17 April, 10AM – 9PM Wednesday 18 April, 10AM – 6PM
Thursday 19 – Saturday 21 April, 10AM – 9PM Sunday 22 April, 10AM – 6PM
Press Preview: Monday 16 April, 3PM-7PM

www.mostsalone.com

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San Francisco designer Yves Behar of fuseproject has designed a range of pill containers for new brand Sabi, launched today.

Called Vitality, the range of holders for medicines and vitamins aims to move away from the stigma and low-quality of medical products normally associated with hospitals and nursing homes.

It includes a water carafe with a chamber in the top to hold pills and a slide-out pill calendar for dividing up daily doses, plus a cutter, crusher and bottle that dispenses one pill at a time.

A range of products called Agility to help with lifting, reaching and carrying is due for launch later in the year, as is a line of travel gadgets called Mobility.

See our story about medicines labelled with symptoms rather than ingredients here.

Here's some more information from Yves Behar of fuseproject:

As a designer and entrepreneur, I have long had a simple question no one has been able to answer: why is there no functional brand that speaks to the boomers while taking care of their everyday needs? With such a large demographic of people in their 60’s and older, it is not only a missed business opportunity, but also an insult that products with low quality and lesser design are still the norm.
 
Often I have thought about my own future when I might need a cane or a pill diary, and what it means to have needs that are not addressed thoughtfully by designers and entrepreneurs. So when Assaf Wand, a serial entrepreneur himself, visited Fuseproject 15 months ago, his vision was a perfect match for what had been brewing for years in the studio.

Sabi and Fuseproject became venture partners in keeping with our successful model of long-term engagements such as those with Jawbone and Herman Miller.
 
Business and brand strategy questions had to be answered at the onset: How would Sabi establish credibility in a space offering beige, low-quality goods?  How does the brand respond to the ergonomic and functional needs of boomers while appealing to a vast spectrum of users?  How do we build visibility for the products and company in a faceless category?
 
Our approach has been to base the brand and design work on universal design, meaning the actual executions needed to assess all users needs throughout the design process, especially populations that have special needs. The other unique strategy was to focus on a single problem, but in a holistic manner. The first Sabi line is functionally focused on medicine storage and organization.

We designed 9 products to cover the needs of a variety of users, multiple situations (from daily use, weekly planning or travel), and location specific solutions (bedside, bathroom or in purse or bag). The line of products – from weeklong pill storage to convenient on the go solutions – cover wide ranging needs, instead of just a singular solutions.

Another differentiating decision was to have each solution seamlessly fit within an active lifestyle. While Sabi helps keep people mindful of their daily rituals, such as taking pills and vitamins, it does not make these the focal point of their day.

Because the products are not reminiscent of hospitals or nursing homes, the stigma around such needs is reduced. Finally the designs combine improved functionality with expressive forms that are ergonomic features: the fluting permits easier grip or palming, while the nature inspired texture brings additional tactility. The aqua accent color visually outlines areas of interactions by indicating how to use the product and where to apply pressure or grip. The result is that while being highly functional, the Sabi products are more reminiscent of a lifestyle than one born from need. The innovation and aesthetic beauty infused in each design makes Sabi products stand out among others of its kind. These products are not designed to be hidden in bathroom drawers or bedside tables, but used and displayed proudly.

At retail, the brand and packaging experience is driven by the desire to deliver a lot of information and value, but with minimal materials. The eco-friendly consists of folded printed papers, with consistent iconic shapes that create continuity on the shelf. The clarity and simplicity of the packaging complements the high-quality manufacturing, BPA free, and elegant materials of the products they encase. The combination of these elements makes the Sabi line very different from the pharmaceutical or medical looks of what has remained to date a faceless category. The Sabi products are one’s life accessories to live with everyday.

CHOP
Easy pill cutter
$9.99
Split pills of all shapes, sizes, and textures, with or without a seam mark, cleanly, accurately and safely

CRUSH
Easy pill smasher
$9.99
Crush tablets of all shapes, sizes and textures into a fine powder, with minimal effort and twisting

FOLIO
Easy pill traveler
$19.99
Folio is an all-in-one load-and-lock weekly pill book that includes two chambers for each day of the week

GRANDE CARAFE
Handy pills + water
$14.99
Drinking bottle with built-in three-chamber vitamin and pill storage cap for on-the-go use

GRANDE FOLIO
Easy pill organizer
$29.99
Magnetic weekly pill book with removable four-chamber containers for each day of the week

HOLSTER
Daily pill clip
$5.99
Easy to carry, slide-open three-chamber clip-on travel pill case

HOLSTER FOLIO
Weekly pill carrier
$29.99
Load-and-carry weekly pill wallet with removable slide-open three-chamber clips for each day of the week

SHAKE
Easy pill dispenser
$14.99
Germ-free, no-turn-top bottle that dispenses one pill at a time

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A collective of young architects and designers from AlArchitects of Prague have designed a range of jewellery made from recycled medical waste.

Reclaimed infusion lids and lengths of hose are adapted and augmented to create decorative earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

The jewellery will be available to buy at Designblok10 in Prague, which opens tomorrow.

All proceeds from the sale will fund the renovation of the hematology department interior at Královské Vinohrady University Hospital in Prague, designed by A1Architects.

The Design Help initiative was set up to support and improve hospital environments in the Czech Republic.

The initiative was prompted by some of Design Help's cofounders' experiences as patients of the department.

Here's more info from A1Architects:

The Support for Heamatology Department at Královské Vinohrady University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic

Design Help, the association of young architects and designers from a1architects, take aim at supporting and directly improving the hospital environment in Czech Republic.

They are in active cooperation with The Heamatology Department at Královské Vinohrady University Hospital in Prague.

Some of the cofounders have their own experience as patients at this department, that is why they had decided to find new way to improve the treatment from the environment design point of view.

Important part of the high quality health care makes with no doubts the atmosphere of the environment within all patients are treated.

The group has designed original jewellery collection made from recycled safe hospital waste. Unique earrings, bracelets and necklaces were made out of different kinds of infusion lids, outdated infusion hoses etc.

The collection is presented at Designblok10, Prague Design Week,which is one of the main partners and has provided a free space for Design Help.

Proceeds from the charitable sale will be used for Design Help projects in cooperation with Endowment fund Janele, which was found by team of doctors and nurses from the Heamatology Department.

A1architects as part of the Design Help team has prepared the project of new interior of the main hall of inpatient department at the heamatology pavilion.

The realisation of new interior arrangement will be financially supported from the charitable sale of Design Help jewellery collection.

Come and support us at Designblok10, Prague Design Week!

5th-10th October
Superstudio, 4th floor, room no. 459a
Bubenská 1
Prague 7
Czech republic

Above: hematology department interior Královské Vinohrady University Hospital, Prague, by A1 Architects

Design Help Team

Lenka Křemenová (a1architects)
Marta Maštálková (grafic designer - a1)
David Maštálka (a1architects)
Petra Kasová (manager)

the collection 2010 was supported by:

Jana Šprinclová (photography), Iva Němcová (styling), Jana Kozubková (model)

for more information visit:

www.designhelp.cz
www.nadacni-fond-janele.cz
www.a1architects.cz

See also:

.

D.Vision Dental Clinic by A1 Architects	66 Gallery and Botas Concept Store by A1Architects	Escape by Hanna Hedman

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At the Royal College of Art graduate show in London earlier this month designer Elena Figus presented a carrier designed to cool vaccines as an icepack inside melts and the water evaporates.

Called Pop Up Vaccine, the bag would contain an absorbent pad cut from a disposable nappy to catch cold water as it melts from an ice block.

This water would continue to cool the vaccine as it warms up, since the liquid uses energy in its surroundings to evaporate.

The bags could quickly be made from locally-available materials as required, for example during a polio outbreak, and repurposed afterwards.

They could provide a lighter-weight alternative to the insulated cooling boxes currently used for vaccine transportation in poorer countries and for disaster relief, because less ice is required and it need not be carried once melted.

Figus developed the prototype while studying on the Industrial Design Engineering course.

Above: insulated ice box currently used to transport vaccines

Here's some more information from Figus:

Pop Up Vaccine

Vaccines need to be kept at below 30°C (or 8°C for polio) to avoid them loosing their potency

In low income countries, where a large amount of vaccines are administered in the field as opposed to in hospitals or clinics (as there are not enough of them around) this means carrying vaccines in large, cumbersome and heavy insulated boxes with ice.

The objective of the project was to redesign the existing vaccine carrier to make it easier for the nurses to carry it around, both during their routine vaccination trips and during emergency vaccination campaigns, such as polio.

Challenge

It was impossible to change the design of the current vaccine carrier without changing the cooling system. If one only uses ice, 2kg of it is what one needs and 4cm of insulation is the minimum one can have, to protect the ice from the outside heat. A more active form of cooling therefore needed to be introduced, taking into account the local constraints in terms of budgets and in terms of infrastructure.

Innovation

The inspiration came from the so-called pot-in-pot cooling systems currently being used in some low income countries to keep food cool. The current system is based in two clay pots, one inside the other and separated by wet sand. As the water evaporates, it absorbs the surrounding heat, therefore contributing to keeping the inside pot with the food cool for a reasonably long time.

In the POP-UP carrier the sand has been replaced by ….a nappy and the clay pots by pouches and a bag made of breathable cotton. As for the water, it does not need to be added by the nurse but it is derived from the ice as it melts, and trickles down slowly on the nappy.

The nappy has two main benefits: it is made of cotton, which provides some minor form of insulation for the ice, but more importantly, it contains so-called superabsorbent polymers which trap the cool water for longer, and keep it there until it finally evaporates.

It would have been nice to do away with the ice altogether, but the advantage of the POP UP system is that less ice is needed as it is complemented by the evaporative cooling.

Moreover, as part of the heat becomes useful to create that evaporative cooling, the ice no longer needs to be protected with thick and heavy insulation to fight the outside temperature.

Benefits of the POP UP carrier for the nurses

• Because the system needs less ice and does not need insulation, vaccines can be carried in a bag as opposed to a box: nurses therefore have to carry less weight and have a bag which is much easier to carry
• Because the bag is made of textiles, it can be easily customized with pockets to enable nurses to carry their personal belongings on the same bag, as opposed to having to carry their hand bag separately.

Benefits of the POP UP carrier for logisticians and the health delivery system

• Because both the cooling pouch and the bag are easy and cheap to make, in case of an emergency campaign, there can be more people on the ground, more quickly and at a lower cost
• There can also be more people on the ground, for the same amount of ice, which is one of the current cooling constraints
• Once a campaign is finished, the organizers are not left with a large number of extra-boxes, but with bags that could have a second use
• If the bags are kept by the clinics, far less storage space is required compared to the traditional vaccine carriers

Next steps

• Additional technical testing to calculate the optimum quantity of ice needed depending on outside temperature, humidity levels and volume of vaccines carried
• Finding one or more partners to test a sample of POP-UP carriers in the field and get direct feed-back from nurses, doctors and logisticians operating on site.
• Make the designs and the technical tables available open-source for everyone to use
• A new version of the POP-UP carrier bag that will incorporate space for syringes

Elena Figus has a BSc (Hons) in Economics and Social Sciences. Priori to applying to the RCA, she worked for over 10 years in the business and finance sector. She is interested in the challenges of Design for Health, both in low income countries where a lot of basic health issues are still unresolved and in richer countries, where the current public sector deficits will require a brave redesign of the way all health services are delivered.

See also:

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XO-3 by fuseproject	Flow2 kitchen by Studio Gorm	60Bag by Okinczyc and Truchanowicz

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