How can we encourage kids(6-13 years) to wash their hands properly with soap on a frequent basis?
Washing hands is an important lifetime habit for staying healthy. It’s the first line of defense against spreading many illness. Yet many times somehow we excuse us for avoiding a good hand wash.
According to Center for Disease control and Prevention
Washing hands the right way
Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Observation and interview
Interviews with kids parents and observation of hand washing behavior of kids at home, schools and food courts gave better understand and good insights about the scenario.
Design for Surprise.
Initial interaction of the dispensing the soap triggers an imbalance, which settles down in 20seconds, communicating the sense of time in an interesting way.
Disruption of pattern - Breaking the flow
Grabbing attention
Visually engage them for 20sec (sense of time)
A nice diversion for kids, makes them not to rush with washing hands and move on to more exciting and fun activities. This helps them to engage in the hand washing activity for 20 seconds making it a perfect and joyful hand washing experience.
Mechanism design.
The product is designed to have a simple mechanism to perform the interaction needed, and the use of electronics were carefully eliminated as it increases the complexity in manufacturing, maintenance and also demands to replace battery or use of charging port. This might restrict the use case of the product.
