PDMA Chicago Whitespace Competition 2023
1st Place
Project Summary
Over the past 15 years, knowledge and information about neurological differences have become accessible to the general population thanks to widespread access to the Internet. Psychological terminology and conditions like ADHD, autism, neurodivergent, depression, and anxiety, frequently circulate in casual conversation. With greater awareness of neurological conditions, there has been an increase in demand for products that respond to the needs of these niche demographics. Our project initially focused on autism, as symptoms of autism vary greatly and include symptoms of several other conditions. In particular, hypersensitivities to sounds and textures. People with autism experience physical senses much differently than most people. Sounds and textures can be perceived as painful. Despite not causing physical damage and harm, these experiences with perceived pain can cause anxiety, depression, and prevent a person with autism from doing tasks that are essential to life. The most common physical sense that causes overstimulation is noise. There are many ways people have found to cope with auditory stimulation (earmuffs, ear plugs, some headphones), but none of these solutions were designed for this demographic. None of these solutions empathize with this user. None of these solutions are ideal.
Caps are our proposed solution. In a nutshell, Caps are just a pair of earmuffs, without any electronics. Caps is explicitly designed for people with auditory and texture sensitivities. They come equipped with a mechanical noise toggle that opens and closes the ear cup to increase or decrease the level of sound blocked. They also have magnetic ear cushions that can be exchanged with various textures that meet the users' specific needs. They can even be washed! But the most important aspect of this device is the visual design. This is where Caps stands out.
There is not a single pair of earmuffs designed as streetwear fashion. Many people who consider buying earmuffs for their daily route to work, walking to and from class, going out shopping, going to a party, or any other activity that would subject them to higher levels of environmental noise, would prefer to wear earmuffs over earplugs and headphones because they are the most comfortable and effective sound reduction option - not on the sole basis of fashion. Children with autism stop wearing earmuffs to school for the same reason. Wearing industrial-looking earmuffs in public settings makes you stand out in a stigmatizing way. Caps seeks to break this social barrier. With a simple modern design that blends in with current headphone fashion trends, Caps can be worn confidently anywhere.
To align our project without teams environmentally conscious beliefs, we took a look at production sustainability. Petrochemical foams used for insulation in earmuffs are "forever chemicals" that wreak havoc on the environment both during and after production. To remove these materials from our project, we have researched and conducted product testing on mycelium. Mycelium is an effective acoustic insulator that competes with the best synthetic foams. It can be produced with a negative carbon footprint and can be molded (like synthetic foam) into any shape. Given the proper investment into infrastructure and startup costs, we firmly believe that mycelium can be a highly cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for insulating materials.
Caps are our proposed solution. In a nutshell, Caps are just a pair of earmuffs, without any electronics. Caps is explicitly designed for people with auditory and texture sensitivities. They come equipped with a mechanical noise toggle that opens and closes the ear cup to increase or decrease the level of sound blocked. They also have magnetic ear cushions that can be exchanged with various textures that meet the users' specific needs. They can even be washed! But the most important aspect of this device is the visual design. This is where Caps stands out.
There is not a single pair of earmuffs designed as streetwear fashion. Many people who consider buying earmuffs for their daily route to work, walking to and from class, going out shopping, going to a party, or any other activity that would subject them to higher levels of environmental noise, would prefer to wear earmuffs over earplugs and headphones because they are the most comfortable and effective sound reduction option - not on the sole basis of fashion. Children with autism stop wearing earmuffs to school for the same reason. Wearing industrial-looking earmuffs in public settings makes you stand out in a stigmatizing way. Caps seeks to break this social barrier. With a simple modern design that blends in with current headphone fashion trends, Caps can be worn confidently anywhere.
To align our project without teams environmentally conscious beliefs, we took a look at production sustainability. Petrochemical foams used for insulation in earmuffs are "forever chemicals" that wreak havoc on the environment both during and after production. To remove these materials from our project, we have researched and conducted product testing on mycelium. Mycelium is an effective acoustic insulator that competes with the best synthetic foams. It can be produced with a negative carbon footprint and can be molded (like synthetic foam) into any shape. Given the proper investment into infrastructure and startup costs, we firmly believe that mycelium can be a highly cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for insulating materials.
