hello! My name is Mahsa Haddad, Industrial Design Master graduate from the Technische Universität München, Germany. I have traveled to numerous parts of the world and had the opportunity to live in Iran, Japan and Germany so far, where I could experience various cultures, meet fascinating people and become bilingual. This endowment had a very positive, crucial influence on my personality and did definitely shape my character. I’m passionate about creating meaningful products that build emotional relationships and exceptional experiences that make a difference. I’m often inspired by rituals and traditions. For me the best part of design is when you dissolve in human behaviour, look at people and go through the steps they go through, identify their needs, understand what motivates them and find out how you can improve their complex lives by making simple changes. I’m driven by curiosity and always looking to learn something new.
education
15-17/6/2015 XDi – Experience Design Instituts - Certified UX Design Specialist 9/2010 - 7/2013 Industrial Design (design research & strategy), Technische Universität München, Master of Science 9/2004 - 8/2010 Industrial Design, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Diplom 8/1996 - 6/2001 Bonn International School, IB Diploma (A-Level)
experience
since 05/2016 Designer at neomind, Munich product design, ux/ui design 8/2015 - 11/2015 Summer of Thinx project at denkwek, Cologne digital products & sevices, textile design, product design 7/2012 - 9/2012 2 month internship at neomind, Munich product design, ux/ui design, market analysis 10/2011 - 2/2012 Bosch Home Appliances co-op project, Technische Universität München home heroes 9/2009 - 3/2010 6 month internship at f/p design, Munich product design, corporate design 4/2009 - 8/2009 Braun co-op project, Bergische Universität Wuppertal male grooming product 4/2007 - 7/2007 3 month internship at Designatics, Cologne communication design, exhibition design 1/2004 - 3/2004 2 month internship at Iran Khodro Industrial Group, Tehran design prototyping languages farsi, english, german skills Solidworks, Rhino, KeyShot, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, brand development, ideation, design thinking, user analysis, sketching, model making & aspiring foosballer!
projects
modular - kitchen scale exfoliate - braun male grooming chai set - tea and ceremony imperfekt - prison project km 2012 - bosch home heroes familienbande - luggage system for a patchwork family allergo check - allergy test kit SKARV - sensual messenger
International Marianne Brandt Contest 2013 - Nominee
tea and ceremony chai - set 2010
a tea ceremony in the 21st century In our fast living world having a ritual is very important. Rituals slow us down and connect us to the moment: here and now. Rituals allow us to both forget ourselves and our worries, and to escape into a peaceful state of mind. As Ghandhi once said: „there is more to life than increasing its speed.“ My goal was to devalope a tool which could allow consumers devalope their very own tea ceremony and optimise the preparation process.
Based on the insights of the research I crated a number of concepts. Cardboard and foam models where helpful for testing the functionality and the proportions. An online survey and qualitative interviews with selected people, were essential to understand how different people spent their free time, how they relaxed and what role a cup of tea played in their lives.
The final concept „Chai-Set“ creates a fun relaxing environment without degrading the tea quality. The stainless steel serving tray, which convinces by its simple and practical design builds the center of this concept. Here the tea warming, storage and transport are perfectly combined. Around this key element an elegant porcelain teapot with strainer, tea cups, sugar & cream dispenser, a strainer tray and a ceramic container for all necessary items for a perfect ceremony such as tea lights were added.
The functional ensemble can comfortably be transported to the desired place; may it be the preferred couch next to the bookshelf or in the garden with friends and family. Now you can enjoy your tea ritual and relax anytime and anywhere.
co-op project with
home heroes km-2012 2012
21%
21%
38%
how can we stop our food resources from going to waste? Every year 82 kilogram food per person goes to waste in Germany - more than 50% percent could have been eaten. This not only causes economical problems, but is also an environmental nightmare.
Interviews and observations showed that a large portion of food waste not only results from spontaneous purchases, wrong storage and inadequate knowledge, but also from a lack of respect for our food resources.
The goal of this project was to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste in private households.
In order to create real, sustainable change we decided to focus on children and provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills.
Our goal was to playfully motivate children to enter the kitchen in order to raise their awareness for our food resources. By educating children about healthy choices, providing them with necessary skills and increasing their self-esteem at an early stage we would set them up for life.
observations
model making
Different concepts were sketched and evaluated on the basis of the problem areas identified during the research stage. We finally decided to devalope a manually operated mechanical food processor, that guarantees absolute safety and fault tolerance.
The blades are magnetic and only open up once pushed into the food processor. While closed the plastic frames on each side cover the sharp knifes making the handling child proof. The Diameter of the knob at the handle is small enough to be hold tight by a child, yet big enough to be held comfortably by a grown up.
frame c over ing shar p blades
The surface of KM-2012 is out of a soft touch material increasing the grip and control over the processor while being comfortable in use. Gripping and work direction are freely selectable, to make the particular activity performed as comfortable as possible, and to individually determine the positioning of the device on the worktop or even on the lap.
peephole t o fol low mechanical movement crank hand le
lid t o feed-tube
The peephole at the top cover allows the kids to follow the mechanical course of movement while operating the device. They can choose between two speeds by changing the crank position.
The simple wooden unit provides safe, convenient, and attractive countertop storage not only for the food processor, but also for the blades and discs, the beater and the crank. Illustrations makes finding the right tool easy at all times.
KM-2012 is not purely an emotional children's product. Trivializing elements were deliberately abandoned. Instead the focus of the design was rather to be easy in use, intuitive and part of every kitchen for all ages.
BraunPrize Competition 2015 - Shortlisted
allergy kit Allergo Check 2013
20-30 Mio.
suffer from allergies
10%
detection and treatment of allergic rhinitis The term allergy is used to describe an overreaction of the immune system to relatively harmless substances in the environment. An allergic sensitization develops when the body produces a type of antibody, immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight off the allergen, like it would incase of an infection. This reaction results in an inflammatory response which can range from uncomfortable to dangerous. Allergic rhinitis is an allergic inflammation of the nasal airways. It occurs when an allergen, such as pollen, dust, or animal dander is inhaled by an individual with a sensitized immune system.
Rhinitis is often trivialized, however studies have shown that it severely affects people’s quality of life and has a major Impact on their performance and productivity. A lack of appropriate diagnosis and treatment may lead to irreversible damage to the lungs and cause asthma. Respiratory allergies are increasing dramatically. According to WHO Allergic rhinitis affect approx. 400 million people worldwide and it’s prevalence is increasing, especially among children. This development will create substantial socio-economic costs and new healthcare challenges.
adequately treated
what is a prick test?
what is the best technique for skin testing?
how precise is the method?
which tools are used?
how do patients perceive the procedure?
what are the problems?
Skin Prick Testing is the cornerstone in allergy diagnosis. It is recommended as the primary method for the diagnosis of IgE mediated allergies. Prick test has been used for over 100 years and can provide confirmatory evidence for a diagnosis made on the patient’s history and clinical condition. It is minimally invasive, low cost, shows good tolerability and offers a clear demonstration of allergies to patients. However, when improperly performed, prick tests can lead to falsely positive or negative results. There have been criticisms that protocols for skin testing have been lacking. The procedure is often left to nurses and technicians with no additional training. There has been little attempt at standardisation of methodology for the technique and interpretation of the results.
Preparation 1
Test 5
Apply allergen drops onto the skin. Don’t allow the extract to run onto the next prick site.
Evaluation 11
2
Put together the allergens required for testing. Allergen bottles should be clearly labeled, refrigerated and left out for as short as necessary to conduct the test. Check expiry dates prior to testing. 6
3
Disinfect the skin site.
7
Mark the skin to identify the allergens without confusion. Skin prick tests should be placed ≤ 2cm apart to avoid overlapping reactions and false positive results. 8
9
Unpack the prick device. Each prick should be done with a new lancet. Using one single lancet, wiped between each test, is faster and lower in cost but may induce false-positive results.
To avoid contamination with other allergens or bacteria, open one bottle at a time. Don’t touch the droper against the skin.
12
4
13
Reactions are assessed by the degree of erythema (redness) and the size of wheal (swelling) produced.
14
10
Prick the skin through the drop of allergen extract using the tip of a lancet allowing the solution to enter just below the surface. There should be no bleeding.
15
After talking to numerous allergy experts, conducting patient interviews and observing the testing procedure, different concepts were sketched and evaluated on the basis of the problem areas identified.
// Allergo Check Lancing Device The lancing device’s 1-click action enables a quick and less fiddly testing. Two handling steps, priming and releasing, are combined into a simple 1-click action. The motion and pressure applied are precisely controlled to ensure reproducible results.
// Lancet Drum The drum integrated in the lancet cap, contains 12 preloaded lancets. There are no individual lancets to see or handle. Once used, the lancets disappear inside the drum and can be disposed in the household bin. // Allergo Check Patch The patch contains a standardised panel of 10 most common allergens and the negative/positive controls. The areas containing the extracts are slightly sunken. The lancing device will automatically align with each test area. The patch reduces the number of steps involved enabling a fast testing procedure.
Preparation 1
3
2
Disinfect the skin.
Test 7
Hold the Lancet firmly against the patch, letting the device fall into the sunken test area containing the test extract.
Evaluation 9
x12
4
Unpack the Allergo Check package consisting of Allergo Patch and a drum preloaded with 12 lancets.
8
Press the plunger all the way in. This will release a lancet through the patch into the skin. Continue to the next testing area.
10
11
12
5
Apply Allergo Patch on the skin.
6
Slide the lancet drum on the lancing device to get it ready to use.
Current testing process: 1
2
3
x12 4
5
6
7
8
Preparation
9
10
11
12
Test
1
2
Preparation
x12 3
4
5
6
7
Test
< 2 min
8
14
Evaluation
> 15 min
Allergo Check:
13
9
10
11
12
Evaluation
15
The data drawn from the online survey with 114 participants showed that a lot of people suffering from allergies are often not educated well enough about the cause of their allergies or have even forgotten what their test results were. Allergo App will arm patients with personalised information about their allergies. Along with forecasts, the app comes with a symptom tracker and a diary that lets you record your symptoms and their severity over time.
Patients undergoing a Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) can keep track of their allergy shot appointments and document the process. The aim of Allergo App is to inform, motivate and improve the communication between patients and doctors.
Allergo Check offers a clear standardised testing technique. It is characterised by reproducibility and reliability. By reducing the number of steps involved, the procedure is much faster and less of a hassle. Allergo Check makes skin testing more comfortable and comprehensible for the patients. The device used is easy to handle, reducing the margin of error and making the method feasible even in areas with a lack of specialists.
sensual messenger SKARV 2015
Summer of Thinx is a programme where three young designers are invited to take part on the work carried out by the creative laboratory at Denkwerk in Cologne during summertime. This year the focus was put on functional textiles and social media. The Summer of Thinx 2015 team decided to approach this topic from the broader perspective of social networking and how we establish connections in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world. As the boundaries between the digital and the physical world have became blurry, the appliances and devices we have and use on a daily basis tend to move towards an integrated digital interaction; the possibilities are vast. There are indeed negative aspects of an increasingly connected life but what about the positive ones and their projections?
SKARV is a sensory design project. It is a soft wearable device with the intend to bridge the gap between digital connectivity and the physical world around us. By utilising textiles as a means of communication SKARV brings the concept of togetherness and simultaneity down to a concrete physical level, allowing its users to put their phones away and seize the moment through the sense of touch.
On the scarf, three different levels of textures will enable the user to interact with the device, playing with tactility instead of he need of making visual contact with the object to operate it. From soft to rough, easily perceivable by the user with his/her ngertips and hands.
For the user test video please visit: https://vimeo.com/160826795
The ergonomically shaped neckpiece integrates the main electronic components and is responsible for translating the commands received into subtle vibration patterns, which then can be felt all through the sensual messenger. The lowered lip of the neckpiece can discreetly slip under the garment, assuring a constant contact with the skin.
Concepts as simultaneity and connectivity are understood within the digital realm, but have no echo in the always more complete and undeniable physical world we inhabit. The challenge was then to build a bridge that filled this gap between digital connectivity and physical interaction. The outcome is a wearable device made in collaboration with the Textiel Lab at Tilburg. As SKARV uses textiles as a starting point, it aims to become part of a wardrobe or a regular ensemble just as a piece of cloth would do. With this object, one should be able to swap visual contact for tactile interaction allowing SKARV to be integrated to activities in an unintrusive way.
For the promo video please visit: https://vimeo.com/163565508
thank you! Horscheltstr 2 80796 - Munich Germany Mobile: (0049) 173 2929622 Mail: mahsa.haddad@gmail.com