Heliopora
Wellness perfected: the air purifier and diffuser designed with 'home' in mind.
Why I made this
Consumer and market research revealed an overlap in needs and wants for air purifier and diffuser owners and a gap for well designed offerings that fit seamlessly with one's home.
Heliopora was designed to fit in with and compliment one’s home furnishings to unobtrusively provide the benefits of air purification and diffusion.
Problem Identification
User research including market analysis, user interviews, journey mapping, and secondary research were used to develop and implement a color, material, and finish strategy to address the following goals:
Goals:
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Make functionality more transparent
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Improve feedback when user interaction is required
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Minimize waste products
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Increase use of sustainable materials
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Minimize interaction beyond ritualistic moments
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Improve water refill and filter change processes
Final Design
Based on the design goals, a strategy was divided into three categories, communication, integration, and sustainability.
Communication
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Create unobtrusive indicators when interaction required
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Provide visual feedback of product functionality
Integration
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Incorporate into the home environment
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Simplify
Sustainability
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Reduce waste and use sustainable materials
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Minimize need for filter replacements
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Increase efficiency
Purify
Heliopora offers a five-stage air purification system that removes bacteria, dust, allergens, mold, and smells from your home.
Users can choose between two filter options:
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‘Organic’ filter system uses purely biodegradable and organic components to maximize sustainability
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‘Pure’ filter system uses a HEPA filter to provide the maximum air purification
Scent
Heliopora’s diffuser system vaporizes essential oils to provide a variety of benefits to the user such as inducing calm or energy. The diffuser can be easily filled by carrying your Heliopora to the sink and pouring water direction into the top spout. When empty, the diffuser will automatically shut off.
Sound
Heliopora’s fan system is tuned to reflect the natural rhythm of ocean waves, a rhythm that has been shown to natural relax listeners through activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Sight
Water caustic patterns illuminate on the bottom edge of Heliopora to notify the user when filters are due for a change. As a subtle nod to its coral inspiration, the filters of our oceans, the PPG Fresh Start finish mimics coral texture. In addition, the soft steam-like appearance of the diffused air provides a visual indication the Heliopora is running. Heliopora will be offered in five ocean inspired colors to fit in any home.
Sustainability
The prefilter structure in Heliopora helps to catch large debris such as pet hair to prolong the lifespan of the filters. In addition, the pre-filter is dishwasher safe allowing it to be cleaned and reused. The primary filters can be sent back after use allowing the organic materials to be composted and the AirCarbon filter frame to be processed and reused in new filters. Users can participate in a subscription service to automatically receive new filters and easily return their used ones.
Materials
The body of Heliopora features the Nissha Ceramic Surface material which provides the cool touch and ceramic weight of traditional ceramics with the durability of plastic. The PPG Fresh Start Finish provides a subtle visual coral texture brought to life as light reflects on the surface. The primary internal structures are made with Newlight AirCarbon, a carbon negative bioplastic material that can be reprocessed and reused.
Heliopora's seamless design hides the internals when in use but remains easy to access the filters when needed. When notified to change the filter by the water caustic pattern, the user can follow the easy steps shown here to swap in new filters.