Press Release
Marimask Biodegradable Mask by Yawen Chen Receives the A' Design Award in Disposable and Single-Use Product Design
Yawen Chen recognized for disposable and single-use product design by the international grand jury of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2023 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Marimask Biodegradable Mask by Yawen Chen has been granted the A' Design Award in the Disposable and Single-Use Product Design category. The result belongs to the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the A' Design Award Means
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Marimask Biodegradable Mask
Marimask is a disposable face mask with straps that can be cut easily. A push button on the mask cuts the straps as the mask is removed, which reduces the risk of marine animals being entangled. The mask and its package are made of seaweed based materials that biodegrade in soil or seawater. The seaweed fiber also gives an antibacterial effect, and the filter efficiency meets the KN95 standard. The package explains why cutting the straps protects marine life. The design responds to the many discarded masks that reach rivers and oceans.
About Yawen Chen
陈亚文，华南理工大学设计系大学生。她于2021年加入MTX设计工作室，开始与队友一起创作作品，并报名参加设计比赛。她赢得了几个进球，并正在尽最大努力为整个社会创造更有意义的想法。
Award Record
With this recognition, Yawen Chen is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Disposable and Single-Use Product Design Award
The A' Disposable Product Design Award is an international competition recognizing good design in disposable products by leading designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to single-use product designers, disposable product designers, industrial designers and product engineers from all countries. Typical entries include single-use objects, disposable products and one-time use tools. The awarded disposable product designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/single-use-product
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/150054
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/150054
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!150054
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/343004
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
###
Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Marimask Biodegradable Mask
- Function
- Biodegradable Mask
- Category
- Disposable and Single-Use Product Design
- Discipline
- Product Design
- Industry
- Packaging & Retail and Sustainability
- Colors
- Light Gray, Steel Blue, Cornflower Blue, Light Steel Blue and White Smoke
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Yawen Chen
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2022 - 2023
- Design ID
- #150054
Credits
- Team
- Xiaofeng Wu, Lixuan Zhao and Angchi Huang
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Marimask is a face mask with easy-cutting straps. It guides people to click the button, which can easily cut off the mask straps, aiming to reduce the risk of marine life strangled by masks. Being made of Biodegradable Materials, it can be degraded and composted later after use.
- Inspiration
- Every month that the planet faces the coronavirus, an estimated 200 billion disposable face masks are being disposed of and entering rivers and oceans. These synthetic PPE items can hurt marine life by entangling them with straps, polluting the environment with their Non-biodegradable material. Cutting straps is a proper way to discard the masks. However, only less than 20% of people know it.
- Research
- Abstract Research types- Interpreting research. Purpose- The pollution of discarded masks has become a huge threat to marine life. However, little design has provided a practical way to solve this problem. This work aims to remind people to cut the straps when discarding masks and make this behavior more natural and efficient. Design/methodology/approach- Primary research, secondary research, Focus Groups, User Journey Map, etc. Findings- Every month that the planet faces the coronavirus, an estimated 200 billion disposable face masks are being disposed of and entering rivers and oceans.
- Challenge
- The most difficult part of the design process is selecting the appropriate structure to enable people to cut the straps in a natural and efficient way. Finally, we chose the Push-button structure, which makes the action of cutting the straps consistent with that of removing the mask, which is easy and convenient. Additionally, we innovatively use the seaweed-based materials that can be degraded and composted later after use to add more value of environmental protection.
- Realization and Technology
- Marimask and its package are made of seaweed-based materials, which can be biodegraded in soil or seawater. The seaweed fiber added to the mask has an antibacterial effect because it will form a weak acid environment rich in sodium and calcium ions, where bacteria cannot survive. Additionally, the filter efficiency of the mask reaches the standard of KN95.
- Operation and Interaction
- People can learn the significance of cutting mask straps to save marine life from Marimask’s package. When they run out of the mask, they can click the button and the mask straps will be cut off. And then they can throw it in a dustbin. The mask will be biodegraded in soil or seawater, which is environmentally and sustainable.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in December 2022 and finished in February 2023 in Guangzhou.
- Keywords
- Face mask, Ocean protection, Marine life, Degradable materials, Sustainable design
