Perry Burke

When you spend every day walking across steel beams and shaky scaffolding, fall protection is an indispensable element of your wardrobe. In the historically male-dominated construction industry, life-saving safety equipment has been designed for men, by men. The Equa Fall Harness is designed to comfortably support and protect the bodies of all construction workers. During our primary research, we identified ill-fitted personal protective equipment and inability to easily remove a harness to use the restroom as struggles women working on construction sites have learned to live with. Beyond aggravation, these pain points also compromise the safety of the workers. For example, when an uncomfortable chest strap is adjusted upward, it becomes a choking hazard if a fall should occur. With weight-distributing chest security and boots-on-the-ground leg strap removal, Equa is a step toward fall protection equipment that embraces all bodies. Harnesses are flawed but necessary. Although they save many lives from falls, the trauma inflicted by the harness itself through groin injury and restriction of leg circulation asserts its own risks. Fellow innovators in the personal protective equipment market have experimented with alternative ways to absorb the force of a fall and Equa aims to push this trend. Shock webbing attached to an anchor point contracts the internal corset structure of the leg straps during a fall, distributing the pressure across a greater surface area. This removes the single point of groin impact experienced with typical harnesses and reduces the risk of compartment syndrome, a life-threatening condition in which blood may flow into the legs but is prevented from flowing out.

Pika is an ultra-light backpacking pack that is inclusive of body shape, no matter the gender. Featuring adjustable shoulder height and lumbar support, Pika allows for ease of use by being adjustable while the user is carrying the pack. Pika's bag is also removable from the frame allowing for customizable pack sizing.

Groove is a versatile stool for fidgeting and storage. The name “Groove” alludes to the kerfing technique of long, narrow cuts used to achieve the smooth rocking bend. The playful personality of the piece invites the user to find movement in traditionally sedentary activities. Whether you choose to sway from side to side or rock back and forth, Groove adds motion to any meeting or study session. The stool’s lightweight portability allows the user to reconfigure a workspace as they see fit. When not in use, the seats stack together for space efficiency and extra storage.

Type 1 diabetics face challenges while packing for and during travel, particularly due to the cumbersome supplies they must carry to properly treat their condition. The T1 Traveler aims to improve the experience of traveling with type 1 diabetes supplies so that the users can fully experience new adventures. This holistic design consists of 4 main components: redesigned Medtronic Diabetes supply packaging, a lifestyle case to carry the supplies, a temperature controlled insulin chamber and a companion app for ease of packing. This project won a Gray Magazine Design Award in 2018. ​