compacto
freshness simplified
6 days challenge
Compacto is an electric toothbrush concept with a streamlined form and optimized proportions. Its design language prevents waterlogging, stains, and aging, maintaining a clean and timeless appearance. The toothbrush features a simplified interface, replaceable brush heads for all ages, and a color palette and materials that resist dirt accumulation. Compacto harmoniously combines form, function, and style in oral care.
Day 1
Discovery
When time is limited, the quickest way to understand market trends and needs is by examining best-selling products and user comments. I gathered information on the main players in the market and reviewed their top-selling products. Then, I analyzed why these products are market leaders and what sets them apart from other brands. It is also important to understand the strategic decisions of these market leaders for new products in order to reverse-engineer market-driven trends
Leading Brands
Best Electric Toothbrushes in the Market (According to Cnet
Driving Trend
In the market of powered toothbrushes, recent years have seen a surge in innovation, with brands eagerly introducing an array of smart features, modes, and extra-sensitive options. Interestingly, though, some of the highest-rated toothbrushes appear to embrace simpler, more classic designs, suggesting a potential shift in user preferences towards less complex brushing experiences. This shift seems to be influenced by a desire for ease of use, a sense of trust in the reliability of older models, an appreciation for minimalist aesthetics, and a renewed focus on the fundamental role of toothbrushes – effective cleaning. As the industry appears to gravitate toward more user-centered design, it's plausible that the future of toothbrushes may prioritize superior brushing performance, ergonomic simplicity, and intuitive controls, all while cautiously integrating technology into daily routines, potentially making oral care refreshingly uncomplicated.
Day 2
Define
The next step is to put all the pieces together. Defining design fundamentals helps guide the rest of the project and build consistent concepts. Even though it may not address all market needs, it provides a clear direction for developing further solutions.
Day 3 - 4
Develop
Based on the design fundamentals, I began generating concepts and simple solutions to address user pain points, while aiming to create a consistent narrative around key themes. The concept I chose to pursue is centered around the keywords: Compact, Simple, and Intuitive.
Day 5 - 6
Deliver
Once the general outline of the concept was established, I moved on to modeling and refining the details. This phase involves significant decision-making and crafting a compelling story based on research findings. With limited time, it’s not feasible to test and justify every idea. At this stage, it is crucial to balance design decisions between safety and innovation.
Parts and Features
Explorations of oral care usage patterns have revealed that people generally prefer minimal adjustments when using simple products like toothbrushes. Most users find it overwhelming to determine the proper settings, which creates a cognitive load and leads to a frustrating experience.
Compacto is designed for today's modern user who values freedom in travel. It focuses on simplification, streamlining, and ease of use, embracing minimalism in both function and form.
Replaceable Head
The seamless, smooth surfaces of the replaceable brush heads prevent the accumulation of water and toothpaste residue, reducing the risk of stains or limescale buildup, while the design also eliminates neck-like forms, ensuring a consistently clean appearance.
The pressure feedback is provided by lights placed on the body of the toothbrush. To increase visibility on the replaceable head, the light is transferred through transparent add-on pieces.
Interaction and Feedbacks
The interaction of Compacto has been designed to be simple and intuitive. There is a easily noticeable power button on the main body for straightforward on/off control.
To enhance user grip and comfort, there's a soft-touch grip area on the upper part of the button. This area also allows for a three-level intensity adjustment.
Recognizing that many recent products rely on intensity settings, this area has been simplified to make it more user-friendly. Additionally, a pressure sensor will provide feedback by emitting a red light if too much pressure is applied to the teeth or palate. If the pressure is too low, a white light will appear, and if it's just right, a blue light will indicate proper pressure.
To enhance user grip and comfort, there's a soft-touch grip area on the upper part of the button. This area also allows for a three-level intensity adjustment.
Recognizing that many recent products rely on intensity settings, this area has been simplified to make it more user-friendly. Additionally, a pressure sensor will provide feedback by emitting a red light if too much pressure is applied to the teeth or palate. If the pressure is too low, a white light will appear, and if it's just right, a blue light will indicate proper pressure.
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Charging Unit
The charging unit and the parts of the product that connect to the charging unit have also been designed with smooth and wide surfaces, free from indentations and protrusions.
This design approach aims to prevent the accumulation of water and toothpaste residues over time, which can lead to stains or limescale buildup, ensuring a consistently clean appearance and facilitating an easier cleaning experience. Compacto can be conveniently charged using a USB Type-C connection
This design approach aims to prevent the accumulation of water and toothpaste residues over time, which can lead to stains or limescale buildup, ensuring a consistently clean appearance and facilitating an easier cleaning experience. Compacto can be conveniently charged using a USB Type-C connection
Future Developments and Opportunities
When designing under time constraints, it's inevitable that not every idea from the ideation phase will be implemented, and some aspects may require further development in the future. It’s important to prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively to achieve the best results for your project. I have added some ideas and highlighted some parts that need to be tested and improved in next phases.
