The Design Museum in London is set to host an exhibition of shortlisted entries in the Fountain of Hygiene; an innovative sanitiser design competition run by the museum and London-based design duo Bompas & Parr, in support of the British Red Cross.
The competition invited the creative community and those with a good idea, to design inspired interpretations on sanitiser pumps and hand washing rituals, currently being explored across the globe. Ultimately, the aim was to explore how people can safely re-enter the public realm. The winners were announced in May and all shortlisted entries will now be shown in the exhibit, from 31st July to 31th August 2020.
With more than 190 countries and territories affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, hand washing and enhanced hygiene has been identified as one of the most effective ways to prevent and slow its spread.
The project sought to explore the aesthetic, functional, social, gestural and experiential possibilities of enhanced hygiene. It is hoped that this will accelerate the establishment of new behavioural norms which benefit the ongoing health of global society.
Harry Parr, Director of Bompas & Parr, said: “Design has a crucial role to play in helping to solve many of the challenges that we face in daily life, including some of those raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. Creatives, designers and makers were invited by Bompas & Parr to develop inspired takes on sanitiser pumps and hand washing rituals, with the competition raising funds to support the work of the British Red Cross.”
All designs will continue to be showcased online in a curated digital exhibition at www.fountainofhygiene.com until the launch of the exhibition.
Successful projects, chosen by the jury, will also be auctioned by Christie’s at the display’s launch to generate further funds for the British Red Cross.
The Fountain of Hygiene sits within the wider context of the creative industries using the means at their disposal to reduce the physical, social and economic impact of the virus. Many of the entries presented are now moving to production, set to have an impact on how we navigate the world. Others are looking for partners to go to scale.
Bompas & Parr, the British Red Cross and Design Museum would like to thank all who have contributed and participated in the project. The Fountain of Hygiene has generated a huge number of inventive and innovative concepts that demonstrate the effectiveness of design while raising funds for an important cause.
The winners in each category were, Industrial Design: Steve Jarvis ‘The Bubble Party’ – a sanitising bubble machine; Luxury Design: Sally Reynolds ‘Step One’ – a pedal activated sanitiser dispenser unit; Sustainable Design: Terry Hearnshaw ‘Seaweed Capsule – a unit dose dispensing system; Gesture and Ritual: Line Johnsen ‘Hygiene Friendly Visits’ – a sanitising doorbell; Awareness and Communication: Zoe Lester, Beth Thomas, Emma Chih, Erin Giles & Kris Murphy ‘Buggy’ – a mobile user experience app; Child-Directed Design: Kate Strudwick, Amos Oyedeji, Alexander Facey & Nicole Stjernswärd ‘Paint Your Hands Clean!’ – a colour changing hand sanitiser brush; Cadet Designer (Entered by adult on behalf of under 18 participant): Bo Willis ‘Handle Sanitiser’ – tactile sanitiser dispenser systems; and Hygiene Innovation Beyond the Sanitiser: Conrad Haddaway, Twomuch Studio & Inga Ziemele ‘Centrepeace’ – a mealtime centrepiece for mobile phone sterilisation.
Each entry was evaluated using the following four parameters: innovation, functionality, social impact and aesthetics by a select jury made up of designers, journalists, managing directors and business professionals.
Fountain of Hygiene Judge, Jules Chappell OBE, Managing Director of the Mayor Of London’s Promotional and Economic Development Agency, London & Partners, comments: “This competition has been a ray of sunshine at a time when many of us will be feeling anxious about what the future holds. It has shown the power of creativity to help us visualise new norms and to adapt, with ideas that are ingenious, fun and thoughtful.”
Harry Parr, Director of Bompas & Parr added: “Developing widely adopted strategies for safely socialising is essential for the continued dynamism of the global economy. Humans are social beings and the right artefacts have a role in getting us through.”
The ‘Fountain of Tongues’ wishing well will also be exhibited alongside the entries – the fountain was originally part of a larger immersive installation of sculpture, performance and moving image exploring the fetishism of anthropological objects exhibited at Bosse & Baum in London in 2017.
Visitors can cast a coin in the fountain for luck and to donate to the British Red Cross, then head up the stairs for the display of Fountain of Hygiene: Sanitiser Design Competition.
For further information and to buy tickets for the exhibition, please visit https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/fountain-of-hygiene
You can continue to support all entries (including those not shortlisted) in the People’s Choice Award, by visiting www.fountainofhygiene.com
