The project is a collaboration between Clayco, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and 14 designers, comprised of industrial designers, graphic designers, design management,and equestrian students.

The objective was to redesign the hardhat to offer a new experience for the user. We chose to focus our attention on improving the comfort, aesthetics and user experience of the helmet to promote safer practices on job sites

Research

We visited SCAD Atlanta’s housing construction site to gain primary insight through observation and interviews.

Some of our primary observations were:

The abundant use of stickers, whether certification, regulation and safety stickers, or personal stickers
The source of the discomfort the workers experienced revolved around the sweatband and ratchet system
The importance of being able to decipher between the different kinds of workers present onsite
The lack of proper ventilation in existing hardhat designs
The importance of being able to weather proof the helmet, allowing the workers to continue working no matter the climatic conditions

We also conducted a large survey where we got results from 188 people all across the United States. It demonstrated that people do see hardhats as an element of safety in the workplace, though many still felt as though improvements in neck protection could be made. The majority of our responses also pointed out that the lack of ventilation caused a great deal of discomfort and should be addressed.