Lucy Lin
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What If I Am Alone - EmergenSee
Exhibition:
2014 ECA Degree Show.
2014 New Designer Exhibition.
2014 London Design Week
Awards:
iF Design Award 2016
Design Council
Have you ever thought what you would do if you cut or burnt your hand seriously by accident when you were alone? As the very first line of action in the event of an accident, first aid is important. Although first aid is generally thought of as being applied by others rather than the casualties themselves, it is also needed when the casualty is alone. Based on a report by UK National Statistics, a growing number of people live alone, and this means that there is more chance of them being alone when they have an accident. “One hand, and you can do almost everything.” This phrase characterizes EmergenSee, a First Aid kit designed to help people administer first aid themselves. In situations when one hand is wounded, the tools are easy to operate using only the other hand. The kit not only benefits users who need to treat wounds when they are alone but also makes first aid easier to administer by all.
Instruction
The instruction designed in the kit is for guiding users the First Aid treatments. In the cut section, there are the explanations about the materials and the instructions for basic but important steps. In the burn section, the instruction tells users how to identify their burn wounds and what treatments they should apply. In both sections, the designer uses some drawing to show the content of First Aid instructions. The contexts are shown beside the materials.
The Boxes
EmergenSee is composed by three individual First Aid boxes. Two of them are basically for cut wounds treatments and the other one is for burn wounds treatment. Customers can purchase two boxes for domestic purpose whilst can purchase three boxes for workplace display. The full kit meets the BS 8599 British Standard of First Aid kits in Workplace. The boxes can be displayed in the public places by hanging on the wall with a stand. When using it, people not only can take it down to the tables or floors, but also can open the boxes on the wall.
The Materials
The materials designed in this project are all armed to improve the functionality to make the one-hand operation possible. The tools are including cleansing wipes, plasters, dressing pads, dressing rolls, tape dispenser, triangular bandages, eye pads, gloves, safety pins, and cling film. There are instructions showing users about the steps of treating the wounds.
Cleansing Wipe
Purpose: Cleansing wipes are used for cleaning the skin around the wound.
Design: The cleansing wipe is at the back of the package. When users tear one off and turn it back, the material will appear.
Plasters
Purpose: The plasters are applied to minor wounds, including cuts and grazes.
Design: The pads are set as memo stickers, and when one is torn out, the other will also emerge.
Adhesive Dressing Pad
Purpose: The adhesive dressing is applied to small wounds, including cuts and grazes.
Design: The pads are set as a tissue box, and when one is torn out, the other will also emerge.
Adhesive Tape
Purpose: The adhesive tape is used to secure dressings or bandages.
Design: The tape dispenser has a cover to protect the tape from dirt. The roller can be used to apply it to the surface where needed.
Roller Bandage (with pad inside)
Purpose: The roller bandages are used to give support to injured joints or applied to big wounds to put pressure on them.
Design: An elastic rope is added to the edge of the bandage to help users to place it on the wound and secure it.
Sterile Eye Pads
Purpose: Eye pads are used to protect eye injuries.
Design: The eye pad has two extra adhesive wings for securing it on the eyes.
Triangular Bandage
Purpose: Triangular bandages can be used as bandages or slings.
Design: The two rings on the two points of the bandage can help users to secure the bandage or sling.
Adhesive Gloves
Purpose: Disposable gloves are used to protect the wound from dirt and also protect the hand from the bacteria on waste materials.
Design: A seal is added at the mouth of the disposable glove and the glove is folded into itself. When using it, it is easy to find the mouth and there are no extra packages to be managed.
Dressing Pad
Purpose: The adhesive dressing is applied to small wounds, including cut and grazes.
Design: Put the cleansing wipe at the back of the package. When users tear one off and turn it back, the material will show up.
Safety Pin
Purpose: The safety pins can be used to secure the bandage.
Design: An extra triangle on the edge of the pin will make it stable when using it.
Cling Film
Purpose: Cling Film is used to protect the burn wounds from infection and moisture loss.
Design: The cling film is made like a glove. The injured hand can be put in and the cling film closed gently.
First Aid is about taking action before the ambulances arrive. It has a role in the workplace, as well as being used for domestic purposes. However, people seldom pay attention to first aid before they need it, and although a First Aid kit is a small thing, making this small thing better can save lives in real-life emergency situations. EmergenSee is the result of asking the question, “What If I Am Alone?”. It provides a solution to an existing problem the designer found during the observation and research stage. For example, clear and direct instructions printed in the box where the materials are stored is a solution to a lengthy first aid manual, which users rarely read before they are injured. Moreover, the packaging of the materials in EmergenSee is designed to save time when unwrapping them, and time is of the essence in first aid treatment.