Putting The Pillow Into Pillow Cube

The Foam-o

Problems

• Needs to be cube shaped and hold it's cube form

• Foam gets hot, making it hard to sleep.

• Foam can't be washed, which meant germs were free to multiply.

• One size does not fit all. When laying on their sides, different people's heads come to a different height.

Solutions

• Infuse foam with cooling gel

• Bamboo charcoal blend infused in the memory foam

• Have a pillow 6” high as well as 4” high to ensure comfort for varying sizes of people

Process with foam

I researched different ways to solve the heat and germ issues, landing on a process to infuse foam with antibacterial charcoal and a cooling gel to help with the heat issues. I tested different shapes and sizes to help people's heads be aligned properly on their sides, I found that between 4" and 6" covered nearly every person we tested.

Next, I researched to find comfortable foam contacting over 80 foam factories in America, ordering as many samples as possible. I tested the densities and narrowed down the options, finding one who could infuse foam. The final product was a charcoal-colored foam with light blue flecks, which nicely matched our quirky and loud branding.

Cover Me!

Memory foam pillows have a thick, washable cover to protect the foam. I was tasked with designing one.

Problems

• Small budget

• Inexpensive zippers break easily

• Needs to be easily removed

• Needed to help the foam keep it's square shape

Solutions

• I decided to use Ykk zippers for their reliability

• To make up for the higher cost I opted to shorten the length of the zipper, the pillow could still be easily be removed, despite not following a traditional opening of 2 sides.

Just In Case

Since the pillow cube is proudly “cube-ular”, your everyday pillowcase only made the shape depressingly understated.

Problems

• Pillow cases kill the shape of the foam

• Getting the pillow in and out of a tight design was annoyingly difficult, people need to wash the case frequently so this needs to be simple.

Solutions

• Used a stretchy material to preserve the shape of the foam

• The stretchy material and an envelope opening made getting the pillow in and out easy.

Process

I purchased my first sewing machine and taught myself to sew (thanks YouTube and mom!) so I could create a pattern for a case that accentuated the boxiness. I learned about pattern making, sewing techniques, and how to solve the problem of a sewing machine that seemed to not want to sew (thanks again YouTube). After many basic iterations, I began experimenting with an envelope opening. I found a way to put an opening with a hem all on one end using a stretchy fabric so that the pillow could still be removed and reinserted without a hassle. It gave a nice finished look and successfully maintained the shape of the foam.

As you sew, so shall you rip

I worked to develop additional products to help our company remain future forward.

Highlights

• A napping pillow for camping and travel

  • Researched waterproof materials that are also soft

  • Tested different materials for parts of the pillow more prone to getting dirty.

  • Designed one soft side for the face to rest on.

• Different shapes of pillows for different types of sleepers

  I used a handy electric kitchen knife to iterate many other types of pillows. Here are a few we were experimenting with:

  • Long and tube-shaped for back sleepers

  • Wedge shaped pillow to reduce snoring

  • Small, fun shaed pillows for kids

  • Very thin pillows for stomachs sleepers

• Material variations

  I've experimented with different pillowcase materials for a more upscale option, the silk option I designed sold out really fast.

• Custom Fragrances

  I purchased over 50 fragrances for testing to understand preferences and keep the scent gender-neutral and designed a bottle to go with it.