Since face mask will be the new normal, it is worth exploring different mask designs that will make us less “distance,” so to speak. Protect Your Face is one such mask design exploration.
Created by industrial designer Noah Wangerin as part of the Masters of Design program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, this mask is a response to the 2020 global pandemic.
You may have already noticed that this mask actually drew its inspiration from 16th century plague doctor mask. But obviously, this is way less sinister-looking. The mask is both a face shield and a, well, face mask.
The face shield extends downwards and to the front like the plague doctor’s and it is made of transparent material which allows facial expressions to be seen. At the end of the cone-like face shield is a cotton filter that mitigates virus spread.
The design is both functional and provocative – just as the designer intended it to be. It is not for sale. However, in the spirit of the maker movement response to COVID-19, this mask, along with the designer’s other two projects, explores the design as an idea rather than a product.
As such, the plans are freely shared and made available to anyone who may be interested in making their own.
If you are interested, you may find plans of Protect Your Face, the 16th century plague doctor-inspired mask, HERE.
Images: Noah Wangerin.
Source: designboom.
