The Molecule Project is a New York City based company focusing on water filtering solutions for both home and commercial use. By exploring research that indicates that the level of chlorine in a typical household can cause or aggravate serious health risks such as dry skin, probiotics in our intestinal tract, respiratory conditions, even breast cancer; The Molecule Project set out to create a top-of-the-line custom shower filter to reduce the amount of chlorine in the water.
The Molecule Project approached Tomorrow Lab with a desire to utilize its success with KDF in other filter products to develop a new shower conditioner of its own that could fit in most shower plumbing with ease. The product features had to include uncomplicated installation, effortless filter changing, clear indication of filter life cycle, and a look that would fit into any shower decor. Other optional features we explored included aromatherapy, and customizable pipe collar to attach the filter.
Mechanical Engineering
Industrial Design
Product Design
Prototyping
Market Research
Branding
Packaging
The shower filter had a set of functional requirements built around the water-conditioning medium known as Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF). First, a sufficient amount of KDF must be housed in the product. Second, we must be able to monitor the usable life of the KDF in the product and indicate to the user when the filter needed replacement with a new KDF cartridge. Lastly, the user needed an easy way to change the KDF cartridge yet maintain a water-tight design.
To create a new, on-brand shower filter to help reduce the amount of chlorine that streams into your water, we reviewed extensive data on the use of a high-purity, zinc, and copper-based water filtration compound KDF. With the use of this material, the shower filter we developed (and tested on in-house shower system jigs) is able to remove chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, heavy metals, and iron from your water. In addition, KDF reduces some inorganic contaminants and inhibits the growth of algae, fungi, and bacteria creating a shower conditioner rather than just a classic filter.
Given the simple lines and beautiful design of the product, we wanted to introduce subtle branding to the filter life indicator window on the device. In this case, the form of a water droplet created a flexible form linking running water, the product's water conditioning filter. We also designed and developed the product's packaging to match this style.
