The process of
Make idea
Tangible
Role
- Lead Product Designer
- Founder
Duration
- Sep 2017 - Aug 2019
Project Type
- Industrial Design
- Product Implementation
My Responsibility
- Lead Strategy, Idea and Concept
- Collaborate with cross functional team
- Bring the product to manufacture
Background
The inspiration from proposition 64 in California
On Nov 09, 2016, over 57% of California voters voted yes for Proposition 64, which allows marijuana for personal use. As the attitudes toward marijuana are more progressive, the legal cannabis market became the fastest growing market in the United States.
However, the current psychedelic styling of smoking hardware has a huge gap in identity and aesthetics. The young generation, as the main target audience, is looking for a new design in the water pipe. The traditional glass pipe is hard to clean, easily broken, and not portable. Bloom offered a solution for the problems in the user experience and provided an urban look and feel. I led the design of the product and collaborated with the engineering team to bring the idea from sketch to manufacture.
Discovery
Figuring out the problem with observational research
To get a better understanding of the market and current products, I started by interviewing the pipe store managers and regular users. I paid close attention to their behaviors and pain points during the experience. I started to notice the traditional one-piece glass design is a broken piece.
Discovery
Breakdown the broken piece
As I research the users’ struggles with the current design, I noticed the following main pain points in their experience:
- Hard to clean:
The one piece glass design make the inside of the pipe inaccessible for regular cleaning. Users have to soak the pipe with solvent over a period of time and shake the smudge off. - Hygiene:
Users like to share the pipe with group of people. Using same mouth piece brought worries for those care about sanity and hygiene. - Easy to break
Due to its one piece glass form, any small crack means the end of life for the water pipe, and an expensive price tag to replace with a new water pipe.
Ideation
Redefine the water pipe
Based on the user research, I ideated based on the key design criteria for the new water pipe, which include:
- Portability:
The new design need to be in compact form and easily transport without spilling - Replaceable mouth piece:
The personal mouth piece can help keep the usage of water pipe hygiene - Modular design:
The water pipe should be able to separate into parts for cleaning and replacement - Ergonomic design:
The form factor should be easy to hold and use
Prototype
Visualizing ideas and physical prototyping
After rounds of sketching and ideation, I started to make functional mock-up for ergonomics study and function testing. I had acceptance-tests with the target group and usability tests to validate the functionality. The result is very positive and I gained valuable insights and feedback for iteration.
Engineering
Finding the best structure
By working with the engineering team, we analyzed the smoke flow simulation and heat distribution in various structures and materials. Through the research, we understood that the best experience of the water pipe depending on the following three aspects:
Smooth Air
The air pressure is also essential in the water pipe. Higher pressure at the mouthpiece can lead to a denser and smoother smoke to inhale.
Cooling
Cooled smoke is easier to inhale and digest by the body. The path the smoke travels is essential for cooling the smoke down.
Percolation
The reason that people using smoke hardware is because THC is the only working elements in marijuana. Using water to filter the particles unwanted is the reason for the water pipe.
Implementation
Model Making
I utilized 3D print technology and glass making to make the final model before sending it to manufacture. The functional mock-up was tested with potential distributors and users, who shared positive reviews on the design and the user experience. I also built the final manufacturing model with refinement and tolerance for injection molding. The product was successfully produced in the test runs.
Final Design
Innovating architecture for smoothest result
The innovative double-layer glass design allow the smoke to be sucked from the hollow space in between the glass. The air then pushes inside the inner bottle due to the lower pressure in the pipe. As the smoke goes through space in between the glasses, it punches through the web holes at the bottom of the inner glass and generate a larger pressure near the mouthpiece. The inner web bottle creates generous space for the smoke to contact with water. Using the double-layer structure allows the travel path of the smoke to be doubled while maintaining a smaller shape form.
Final Design
A hygienic choice for sharing
The replaceable mouthpiece means that every user can bring their own mouthpiece while sharing. This is a more hygienic choice for the users to avoid unnecessary risk of infection. The soft material mouthpiece also bring the users a comfortable and ergonomic user experience. The top channel is filled with refrigerant gel, which can be frozen before use and provide a smoother smoke.
Final Design
Modular design for cleaning and replacement
Unlike the traditional water pipe design, the final design adopts the modular design concepts. The product consists of multiple parts that can be easily disassembled for cleaning. The glass parts are minimized for damage replacement.
Final Design
Designed for modern style and daily usage
The product is designed with modern and minimalist aesthetics. By utilizing PES material, the product introduced multiple colors for personal styling. The portable cap can be used to stop spilling and easily carried around in public spaces. The smaller size can fit in almost any kind of bag or backpacks.
Result
Surpassing our objectives and celebrating a successful launch
The product was successfully produced and launched in Q3 2019. Our main objective in the future is to drive continuous growth in the product and made revisions based on community feedback.
"I love the design and it is so easy to use and clean. I am bringing it everywhere."