DryPort Portable Hamper + Drying Rack Paige Hendersen Making Things Winter 2021 When you live in an apartment or dorm without laundry in-unit, the task of carrying your hamper around to wash and dry your clothes takes a lot of effort. This product is a durable hamper designed with sustainable and cost- efficient manufacturing methods for young adults who need to easily transport their clothes and laundry supplies. Meet DryPort Portable Hamper + Drying Rack Dorm to Laundry Room The Hamper The Drying Rack Persona Abbey, 23, recent college grad • Lives in an apartment on 2nd floor, laundry machines in basement, no elevator • Has a had the same hamper for 5 years - is cheap, has flexible materials, decently portable, poor assembly • Hamper sits in closet, laundry supplies on shelf, drying rack folded in closet Mood Board Market Opportunity: User Research Highlights • Target audience members would pay between $20 - $60 for product offering • 8/10 target buyers were “very interested”, and 4/10 would “definitely buy” at $39.99 15 needs-assessment interviews "I live in a tall townhouse "Since I move a lot, my hamper and when I need to do needs to be easy to pack." "I wasn't about to spend more laundry, I have to carry my "My laundry bag must be than $50 on a hamper." hamper up 3 flights of stairs easy to hoist up and down a so I most definitely need to flight of stairs." have handles on the side! I "I like my lid + handles would love to have straps so I because I have to walk to my could toss it on my back and laundromat, but I also use a walk up the stairs instead laundry bag sometimes too of having to carry the whole so I don’t have to lug the thing with 2 hands!" rigid hamper." 10 concept feedback interviews "I love the fact that the frame serves as a drying "I like that it has the liners and rack, so genius." "I really like the backpack you don’t need to re-purchase "When I was living on straps on the basket, that any scented inserts. It makes the fourth floor I can see would be perfect to walk to it feel more low maintenance carrying laundry on the back the laundromat." and maybe even more would be much easier. I don't environmentally friendly with think the wheels would be not having to buy scent things." necessary as well then." Competitive Landscape Multi-function Stationary Portable Single-purpose Competitive Landscape Multi-function White Space Opportunity Stationary Portable Single-purpose Competitive Landscape Multi-function Stationary Portable Single-purpose Existing Patents Portable Hampers Drying Racks Manufacturing Requirements Hardware BOM 84 parts Costing • Selling Price: $39.99 • Manufacturing Cost Estimate: $10.00 • High production volume (100,000+ units) • Flat-pack optimization in corrugate for brick-and-mortar or e-comm • Off-the-shelf assembly materials • Standard aluminum tubing and finishing • Soft goods sewing + hardware assembly required Potential Retailers Product Additions and Expansion Potential Product Add-ons Swivel castors on drying frame rack - increases portability options Hamper liners - addresses bin cleanliness as hamper is lined with thin, easily washable fabric. There is an extra set of 2 clean liners that can be stored in hamper pocket. Hamper dividers - allows vertical partition of laundry for clean/dirty, darks/lights, clothes/towels, etc. Potential Product Line Expansion • High-end offering - bamboo frame structure, recycled fabric hamper • Odor mitigation concepts - Febreeze partnership • Various size offerings - expand length x width footprint and have multiple dividers, or have a compact offering Next Steps • File for a provisional patent highlighting the drying rack frame + portable hamper system • Evaluate CMF and aesthetic considerations with target audience • Further optimize BOM for low-cost, off-the-shelf parts in bulk • Further definemanufacturing and material considerations for a highly accurate cost estimate • Outline sustainability considerations and ethical assembly methods • Connect with soft goods engineers to understand hamper fabric material & assembly needs Appendix Product Requirement Document • Addresses the desires of a target user group: young adults who are living in college dorms or apartments and do not have laundry in-unit • Should have a standard capacity to hold a full load of laundry • Consider having multiple size offerings in a product line • Should have features that make the hamper portable - this may include but is not limited to: wheels, backpack straps, handles • Product should be easily transportable up and down stairs, through doorways, and in varying outdoor environments • Should have a storage component for laundry materials (such as laundry detergent, dryer balls, quarters, etc.) • Should have a feature that addresses odor mitigation • A product partnership could be considered, such as Febreeze for odor mitigation • Consider addressing laundry process needs traditionally outside of the hamper functionality, which could include but is not limited to: clothes separation, clothes drying • Should last over several years of heavy use • Manufacturing, production, and assembly processes should be environmentally sustainable and ethical • Manufacturing costs should allow the new product to be competitive in the market place • Material selection should consider environmental sustainability • Materials shall be appropriate to contain and protect clothing from environmental factors in outdoor transportation • The aesthetic considerations and CMF should be appropriate for all genders within the user group • The materials must have an easy cleaning method • Minimal (if any) assembly for the user • Minimal packaging must be used for selling the product in online and brick-and-mortar locations Concept Exploration Concept Sketches Portability Odor Mitigation Odor Mitigation Low Fidelity Prototyping Soft-goods Components.