Faner
Integrating Modern Design and Compact Engineering Solution
Role
Product designer, strategist
Timeline
June 2024 - June 2024
Team
Product Team, Award App Team
Overview
Faner Aroma, a Guangzhou-based Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) specializing in bathroom dispensers, is developing a new product series for European clients, focusing on modernity and space efficiency. Feedback from clients and market trends indicate a growing preference for minimalistic, sleek designs suited to compact bathroom layouts commonly found in Europe.
In response, Faner aims to create dispensers that are clean, simple, and contemporary, with a compact form factor that aligns with these needs. Additionally, the company seeks to innovate the internal mechanisms of paper towel dispensers, requiring exterior designs that seamlessly integrate with and complement these advancements.
Problem
How might we design sleek, compact bathroom paper towel dispenser that balance modern aesthetics with innovative internal mechanisms?
Solution
Designing a form that efficiently contains the paper towel roll while integrating a compact, hybrid paper cutting system ensures functionality and innovation in a sleek, space-saving design.
Research
As the designer and strategist, I collaborated closely with the sales team to gather client insights, the R&D team to explore product innovations, and the design team to generate and refine ideas. Together, we set out to address a significant challenge: the absence of ultra-compact paper towel dispensers, due to the size of paper towel rolls and limitations in mechanism design. This gap presented a unique opportunity to innovate where compactness and functionality often conflict.
Client Insights
At industry events like Las Vegas ISSA and Amsterdam Interclean, we learned that clients—particularly European ones—and industry experts prioritize exterior design.
Market Trends
Rectangular shapes are viewed as outdated and fail to convey unity or comfort in bathroom spaces. Successful designs must balance functionality (smooth dispensing) with aesthetics (integration into bathroom layouts).
Benchmarking
We reviewed past designs and competitor brands to identify areas for improvement. Analysis of brands like Georgia-Pacific confirmed the lack of ultra-compact dispensers.
Team Collaboration
Cross-functional discussions led to creative strategies to overcome size and mechanism challenges, optimizing materials, mechanics, and usability.
Brainstorm
To brainstorm, I sketched multiple different form factors. The more I sketched, the more an idea and a question became apparent: What if the paper towel roll itself determined the size of the dispenser? This sparked our design exploration and led to a technical discussion about feasibility—how a dispenser of this scale would function and what mechanisms could support it.
Mechanism
One of the first considerations was the mechanism: Could we integrate an autocut system within such a compact design, or would it need to remain manual? We examined the position of the core and the tear-off blade, leading to the first iteration.
Autocut Functionality
To introduce autocut functionality, we allocated space for a cutting mechanism. This brought up new design possibilities, such as a double cylindrical shape or incorporating a smaller internal cylinder to house the mechanism efficiently.
Compactness
Then, we pushed the concept further: How can we make it even more compact? Instead of shrinking the mechanism or reengineering the cutting method, we explored an alternative approach—dispensing the same total surface area of paper while adjusting its dimensions. By decreasing the paper’s width and increasing its length, we maintained usability while significantly reducing the overall dispenser footprint—leading to the final iteration of the small model.
Design
After rounds of iterations with the design and engineering teams, the final designs become the P-Series, starting with the Auto Assist Paper Towel Dispenser that inspired the other dispenser designs in the same series.
Auto Assist Paper Towel Dispenser
Fit one regular size paper towel roll while incorporating the manual and sensor functionality
iF Design Award 2024 Winner
Red Dot Award 2024 Winner
Explorations of this model led to the following two models:
Ultra Compact Sensor Tear-Off Paper Towel Dispenser
Fit one regular size paper towel roll, pushed the double cylindrical design to be even more compact into single cylindrical design. Incorporating automatic tear-off mechanism.
Slim Compact Paper Towel Dispenser
Fit 370mm * 150mm paper, extended paper length while saving space.
HygieneKey
Another project at Faner is Hygienekey, the wifi-controlled dispenser management mobile application update, which was designed to match the new paper towel dispenser series as well.
My task is to collaborate with the team to assess the current application, devise redesign plans, and coordinate with cross functional teams in the product renewal process to address the existing problems of failed schedule delivery, maximize efficiency, and increase schedule success rate which further reduces device battery usage and prolong lifecycle.
Research
I conducted preliminary research by reviewing design ideation blueprints, mechanical implementations, and past design solutions. Engaging in meetings with the Sales department, I gained more insight about customer needs and desires as well as their demands for the update. Coordinating with the Engineering team enabled me to learn about restraints.
Synthesizing insights, I set out to resolve the following problems:
Information Overload for Single Device
-> Break down information in sequence from multiple devices to single device
Ambiguity with scheduling with no immediate feedback
-> Provide user action feedback and system notifications and confirmations
Uninviting user flow from unresponsive widgets and blocked paths
-> Clear user flow, design system redesign
Design
For more information about this project, please contact me at chiayu@seas.upenn.edu.
