Good health and hygiene are the number one priority for everyone these days. Think of thorough hand washing taking 20 to 30 seconds, or regular airing of a room every 20 minutes. Although staying healthy has always been essential – it is the coronavirus pandemic which shed new light on how we think about hygiene and sanitation in both public and private spaces.

This makes design products that answer to those needs more relevant than ever. And unlike other industries that are paralyzed by the pandemic, designers in the field of sanitary, hygienic and healthcare see themselves in an advantage. They are finding new solutions to keep spaces clear of the virus, at home and in public. Clean air and hygienic surfaces are at the top of the agenda. For this, innovative technologies are paramount, offering unexplored possibilities to ensure everyone’s safety.

Among this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD winners in the category of Medicine / Health are many offering tools that improve healthcare services and outcomes both patients and medical staff. "PURO" is a touchless faucet best used in public spaces, as is the "Tap Hand Dryer" for the least possible contact. It is no longer possible to imagine healthcare without AI and automatization, as "Blue Ocean Robotics with UVD Robots" exemplifies. This robot autonomously moves around while disinfecting. Another example is "Lumitester Smart", a hygiene monetary system which enables ten-second detection utilizing various contamination indicators.

"Professional health products get even clearer and exact in shape for a crisp focus on functionality," says designer and iF Juror Claudia Friedrich and continues: "The trend towards measuring body data and optimizing one's life accordingly continues unabated."

Short interview with Claudia Friedrich

iF: What current trends do you see in terms of hygiene and health?

CF: Artificial intelligence and automatization were already an upcoming topic in product development. Professional health products get even clearer and exact in shape for a crisp focus on functionality. The trend towards measuring body data and optimizing one's life accordingly continues unabated. Common hygiene and health products used in daily life are becoming more emotional as consumer products: for more everyday acceptance and to avoid stigmatization - or even to use them as fashionable wearable.

iF: What is something you have learned about good hygiene in the last year?

CF: Beside new products, it is always the responsibility of people to act hygienically. Products support people by measuring the environment such as air quality. They should provide users with very clear information as well as options for their own behavior.

iF: How has the pandemic shaped product design?

CF: A lot of new products have popped up to help disinfect surfaces of various personal handheld products or to prevent the distribution of the virus. Masks, for example, were designed as modular systems to change filters and allow air exchange.

As the mantra goes, "safety, technology and comfort", the combinations of clean and hygienic as well as inviting and stylish continues to making an impact on people when decorating their homes. The air purifier "BESPOKE Air Purifier AX9500N" and the air purifying lamp "Airluna" are gold award-winning products designed with both health and elegance in mind.