Innovative Wipes for a Greener Clean
The team at Biom reached out to Doris Dev to design, engineer, source, and manufacture Biom’s Wipes Container. Biom was founded by Will Gahagan and Hank Schellenger to inspire consumers to live and embrace better habits through sustainable, thoughtfully designed wipe solutions.
The intention behind the Wipes Container was to create an elegant, functional wipes container which could be proudly displayed in the home and serve as an anchor point for the brand’s line of wipes.
Services Rendered
Industrial Design
Engineering
Manufacturing
Freight
Biom I
Wipes Container
ID Foundation
The industrial design process started with a deep dive into brand voice, the product category, and the competitive landscape.
Research revealed that while people buy sanitizing wipes for easy and convenient cleaning, the packaging they come in often discourages users from storing wipes in an easily accessible location. Most wipes products are sold in cheap, disposable plastic containers, which users often hide in a cabinet or under the sink. Through observing people use the product, we discovered that most wipes containers are frustrating to use, failing to tear the wipe cleanly off the roll with a one-handed pull. Most wipes containers require a two-handed operation to successfully seal. If the user fails to completely close the lid after use, wipes are exposed to direct air contact.
Sanitizing Packaging Design Hinders Accessibility
The vessel shape is designed to blend seamlessly into the designed home environment. Soft geometries refer to the canister typology in an elevated execution. A variety of colors were chosen to fit a range of interior design schemes. The dispenser’s weight and spout were designed to make wipe dispensing easy and fun. The vessel’s lid was designed to feel like an airpods case – a pleasing tactile feel, smooth spring open and secure shut. Additionally, a closed lid needed to create an air-tight seal to ensure the wipes wouldn’t dry out over time.
Sleek Design for Seamless Home Integration
Design Development
Engineering
The engineering team worked to implement the industrial design intention through iterative cycles of CAD Design and Prototype Fabrication. Key engineering challenges included dialing the spout geometry to ensure a clean tear every time, employing a bi-directional hinge to offer an easy open and airtight close, and engineering an assembly that could introduce enough weight to the walls and base for a solid, weighty feel.
Engineering Triumphs for Weighty Feel and Easy Dispensing
Manufacturing
Selecting Partners for the Wipe Dispenser
The Doris Dev Sourcing Team identified a long-list of manufacturing partners who had capabilities well-suited to the project requirements. After conducting audits with a down-selected group, a “dual-path” of two manufacturers were chosen to produce Engineering Validation Test (EVT) prototype samples. EVT samples work as a physical quality standard guiding the production development and serve as a critical component of the vendor selection decision.
Key challenges that we encountered in manufacturing development included creating a cost-down solution to the original stainless steel material that didn’t compromise on durability or elegance, finding a quick-turn solution to cosmetic issues caused by tooling that allowed the program to launch on schedule and generating samples to accommodate a custom color finish.
After several modifications to tooling, improvements in assembly processes, and dialing in the quality control program, the Wipe Dispenser went into mass production.
The Results
Biom’s wipe container successfully launched in March, 2022 and is praised by customers for it’s beautiful look and user-friendly interface. The product serves as a proud representation of Biom's commitment to thoughtfully designed, sustainable products.
“Cleaning Just Became More Attractive With biom Planet-Friendly Wipes”
Design Milk
Image credits: Biom and Doris Dev
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