Page 23 - Designing Ways 256

scarce regions. It is known that almost 60% opportunity to bring financial security to
of female refugees suffer period poverty refugee women who can be paid livable
problems rather than spend financial wages for pad manufacturing. dw
support on food or baby diapers. Most
of them come from strictly religious Technical sheet
countries that see inserting tampons • Location: Greece, Jordan, Lebanon,
as taboo. This inspired her to design a or Ethiopia
product that can protect fundamental • Year: 2021 • Typology: Product
human rights to water, sanitation, and design
health for menstruators from 12 to 24 • Status: Completed
years old, who suffer language and culture • Designer: Cheuk LaamWong
barriers and have limited financial ability. • Render Artist: RubyMaky
At first, Cheuk Laam studied elements like • Pad Makers: Rose Wei, Larry Turner
a yoyo, pseudosphere, perpetual motion, • Partnership: Phoenicia Finesse
gyroscope, and centripetal acceleration.
Then she found out that buoyant force www.waveeedesign.com/work-1/
will reduce water usage depending on the looopcan
size of an object immersed in liquid. This
inspiration actually comes from observing
how her British flatmates soaked their
teastained cups. Seeing them overlay a cup
on another cup for soaking the inner wall
with less water. Washing paddle alteration
and tin can adaption are suggestions from
her beloved tutors KC and Mike.
The pad design came through
researching the material used in reusable
pads that are less likely to cause skin
allergies. Cheuk Laam designed the pad
with separable layers so that they dry
quicker regardless of the weather. The
quick-drying bamboo fabric is an ideal
option as it takes half a day to dry indoors
regardless of the temperature in winter
or summer. A rectangular-shaped design
reduces fabric owaste offcuts, and is less
like menstrual-related products thus
reducing gender stigma in refugee camps.
The Pad can be made by volunteers and
distributed to refugees. Or it can be an

dw • Issue 256 23