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Whale (not the final name) is a product that I have designed with the end goal of production and sale. It was created to create companionship and help ease menstrual pain. The design came about from the complaints that my friends had with the current plushies available and the desire to create one that is better.
Tools: Sewing Machine, Pen and Paper
problem
The current market dose not have a weighted heated plush that hit all the criteria that was wanted among my friends. The design had to use a fabric that felt nice to the touch, include the ability to generate heat and have a comforting weight and size to it.
solution
I created a whale body pillow with weighted flippers that simulate a hug and a weighted belly with an insert for a hot water bottle.
process
The fabric used was an important factor as the feeling of the plush was one of the key points identified. After getting feedback on fabric samples a faux fur was chosen of which two shades of blue and a white where available.
With the color limitations, a whale was settled upon as a shape that would best fit the use. A small scale fabric model was then created to create the initial patterns.
The small model was then taken apart and the pattern scaled to size and a one to one scale model was created. This allowed for initial user testing and for further refinements of the pattern.
Using the finalized pattern, a working appearance model was created. This model is currently being user tested with the plan to either go on sale or kick starter in the near future.
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