Creatives, designers, makers and architects are all being invited to submit fresh ideas for hydroalcoholic gel and soap pumps to the "Fountain of Hygiene" competition organised by the British design studio Bompas & Parr. The various projects will go on show at the Design Museum in London from April 9 to May 7 next, health crisis permitting. There will also be an auction of the top-10 projects, organized by Christie’s, the proceeds of which will be donated to the British Red Cross. If necessary, this sale may also be held online.
"The competition seeks to explore the aesthetic, functional, social, gestural and experiential possibilities of enhanced hygiene. It is hoped that this will accelerate the establishment of new behavioural norms which benefit the ongoing health of global society," explains the design studio.
Contestants have until March 29 to submit their creations. A shortlist of projects will then be selected by a panel of judges. If conditions do not allow for an exhibition at the Design Museum, the entries will be shown online.
Contestants are free to "design or enhance sanitizer pumps, sprays, wipes, dispenser units or even gestures and rituals."
Bompas & Parr aims to use the means at its disposal to reduce the physical, social and economic impact of the virus. It also wants to highlight initiatives such as the LVMH group’s use of its cosmetics production lines to produce hydroalcoholic gel, or the Washyourlyrics.com website by @neoncloth, which generates instructions to wash your hands accompanied by the song of your choice.
Museum director Tim Marlow pointed out, "Design has an important role in helping to solve many of the challenges that we face in daily life including some of those raised by the recent COVID-19 outbreak. We hope that the shortlisted entries of the Sanitizer Design Competition will demonstrate the importance of research and innovative thinking."
