Charlie Andrew
My name is Charlie and I am a Final year Industrial Design Student at Loughborough Design school. I am extremely passionate in inclusive design, user experience and empowering women by designing meaningful experiences.
My name is Charlie and I am a Final year Industrial Design Student at Loughborough Design school. I am extremely passionate in inclusive design, user experience and empowering women by designing meaningful experiences.
There are currently 15 million women just in the UK that are of age to be experiencing periods. 1 in 3 of these women suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding, this is where women will on average have to change their menstrual product every 2 hours due to severe heavy bleeding. It has been reported that almost 50% of the female population in the UK have admitted to flushing their menstrual products down the toilet due to a lack of appropriate facilities.
FemmeFreedom is designed to tackle all these problems that women face whilst menstruating. FemmeFreedom is split into three products. Firstly the travel carry case. This is a period friendly, waterproof, leakproof and odour free travel case for women to use whilst they are on their period. The carry case is comprised of three individual pouches that are connected by magnets. This is so the user can add or remove as many pouches as they desire, and use the pouches for different purposes such as storing unused and used menstrual products. The carry case includes a removable strap and a magnetic ring mechanism that allows the user to hang the carry case securely in a bathroom. FemmeFreedom provides reassurance for women when they are in situations where they cannot dispose of their used menstrual products.
The second product within FemmeFreedom are reusable and biodegradable menstrual pads containing sensory technology to monitor the users period flow. The reusable pads are made from bamboo fleecing and towelling due to bamboo having a much better absorption than materials disposable pads use. To make the users experience seamless and easy for the user, the reusable pads have magnetic fastenings instead of poppers. On the back of the reusable pad is a back pocket, this is where the sensory technology is stored. Once the user connects the transmitter and sensor strip together it will be active and monitor the users flow. This data will be transferred to the FemmeFreedom app where the user can monitor their flow.
The third and final product within FemmeFreedom are flattering, breathable and comfortable underwear made from a cotton-nylon blend in order to fit a variety of body shapes and sizes. Through user testing I have developed a pair of underwear that can fit women ranging from a size 6 to size 14.
As my chosen specialism was branding I did a lot of research on logo’s, branding and how certain images, animals and themes can reflect your brand ethos. After a slight branding re-direction I decided to centre my logo around the animal of a Kangaroo. A Kangaroo is a symbol of survival, adaptability, and resourcefulness. Its ability to thrive in the harsh and arid Australian landscape has made it a revered and respected animal. Kangaroo’s are also known for being extremely maternal animals as they carry their babies in their pouch. This inspired me to use a Kangaroo for my logo, as they embody all the qualities I want my design to have. They also quite literally have a pouch, which is the main embodiment of my carry case design.
The finalised logo including the chosen colour scheme.
Although my chosen specialism was branding, I also wanted to focus on UX and develop and app to compliment my products. Through initial wireframing and research on existing apps, I created a high level flow for the FemmeFreedom app. This app will include four main services. Firstly, the user will be able to track their period flow through the ‘check my flow’ page. Next, the user will be able to read about recent news updates on menstruation, find links to podcasts, articles and facts focusing on menstruation. This will all be found on the ‘learn about menstruation’ page. The third service will be a calendar view of your menstrual where you can upload your symptoms. There will also be an option to sync your symptoms with your GP, this will all be on the ‘Calendar’ page. Lastly, there is the ‘Community pinboard’ page. This is where women will be able to express any thoughts, questions or opinions on menstruation. Depending on how you set your account you will be able to send messages to other women who also have the FemmeFreedom app.
SEPTEMBER 2022 — AUGUST 2023
During my transformative placement year, I had the privilege of acquiring invaluable experience that significantly enhanced my professional skills. Throughout this enriching journey, I actively engaged with a variety of client projects, serving as a direct liaison with clients to discern and address their unique needs. I was given the opportunity to take on the role of a project manager, orchestrating a multitude of internal events with both individual initiative and collaborative teamwork. This experience not only honed my interpersonal and project management skills but also underscored my capacity to navigate diverse challenges.
This was a summer job in order to gain valuable experience in a design led manufacturing environment. Jacon ltd has a long-standing reputation built up over 3O years of supplying a range of sewn components to carry, cover and protect a vast range of equipment, from military hardware to delicate medical instruments. I worked in the RDD department alongside the designers generating concepts for a variety of products from safety harnesses to dog toys.