Description:

For many Kiwis, visiting the beach is a customary part of New Zealand summer culture. Despite the fondness that we have with this lifestyle, the sun poses a serious threat to our health in the form of heat stroke, as well as melanoma skin cancer if we are exposed to its harmful UV rays for too long.
Our design targets two primary user groups in New Zealand. The first is young adults, as statistics show them to be most at risk to the sun due to a lack of both awareness and a sense of accountability. The second is moderate to large families, as they have multiple people of varying maturity to protect, especially young children.
UVADE is a digital management tool that measures temperature and UV levels from the sun to help people manage their personal sun safety. The system includes a set of four ‘Sun Stone’ units that work in conjunction with a mobile app.
The stones function as towel weights that remind users to reapply sunscreen. They can be assigned to individual user profiles that are managed simultaneously through the app. Data is gathered from built-in UV sensors, as well as personalised skincare information from user profiles to measure UV exposure and indicate when sunscreen should be reapplied throughout the day to prevent sunburn. This is communicated through live updates and notifications on the app, as well as coloured tops of each unit that rise over time; providing a visual indication of how long each user has been exposed to the sun and emphasising the suggestion to reapply sunscreen once fully risen. This design is inspired by traditional shade umbrellas.
A second sensor measures ambient air temperature to provide localized tips around heatstroke prevention. This includes recommendations around how much time users should be spending under shade as well as their water intake throughout the day.
To set up the system, users first assign themselves a ‘Sun Stone’ on the app. Users hold down a button on the corresponding unit to connect and set the device before applying their first coat of sunscreen. This enables users to manage their personal sun safety while enjoying their time in the sun without the stress of forgetting to reapply sunscreen and getting burnt.
This product also has an additional affordance as a beach bowls game. Each unit can be rolled on the sand to simulate a game of lawn bowls. This encourages younger children to become more interactive with various means of sun safety, therefore creating a mental association between sun safety and playfulness.
For general transportation, the stones can be stacked vertically on top of a base and held together with a strap. The base acts as a charger that generates power from solar panels lining the inside of the straps. The design of the stones and assembly takes inspiration from pumice stones commonly found on New Zealand shores, as well as the art form of stone stacking.