Zane Hoekstra

Polluted air in, fresh air out

Untreated air is pulled in through the front slot and exits as fresh, clean air out the back.

Clear communication of air quality

Horizontal pill LED’s distinguish filter health and dust level from the fan speeds. Round LED’s represent fan speeds and connectivity.

Buttons control power and fan speed.

A useful piece of furniture

An architectural approach to the form helps create an object that doesn’t feel out of place in a home.

The white shield presents a sleek “face”, while the grey colorway pushes the weight of the housing backwards, visually lightening the gesture.

A friendly companion that cleans your air

Designed to be moved between rooms and placed on top of tables, floors, and anywhere else that it’s needed.

Success Criteria

Potential Solutions

Solutions were quickly distilled into 5 product stories which were shown in test panels.

The winning concept was then optimized for production and cost savings.

ID Development

The development was centered around usability such as incorporating a handle, nailing down proportions, setting the correct angle for a UI panel, optimizing venting holes for airflow, and wrapping various sizes of electronic internals until the right balance of beauty and performance was achieved.

UI Development

To save on cost as well as not cannibalize the hero product, SKY, I designed an analogue user interface with just two buttons.

The UI is broken into two sections: communication (only sight) and interaction (sight and touch).

Part Reduction

To save on tooling and assembly costs, the amount of tooled parts was reduced to five. SKY, the hero product, has eight.

Making it real

I traded CAD files with the mechanical engineer and redlined and reviewed until everything I could control was correct.

On the factory floor

I was fortunate enough to have the chance to see the parts molded and witness the assembly of the unit firsthand.

Healthy air. Healthy life.

© Zane Hoekstra 2024