By Healthymagination Team | Posted May 21 2010
Guest blogger Jessica Floeh is a human-centered designer interested in the intersection of technology, health and creative solutions. She started the company Hanky Pancreas, a fashion line created for people who use insulin pumps for Type 1 Diabetes. The current collection is for women and represents a series of design solutions that better integrate the machine with the body and mind.
The woman who trained me on how to use my first insulin pump showed me how to work the device: how to fill it with insulin, what buttons to press to deliver boluses and change basal rates, how to insert it into my body. She told me to detach it when I was showering, and that some people do so when working out and during “intimate situations.”
What about the rest of time? What will people think and how can I hide it? While adjusting to the new mechanic creature on my body, I put it into my pants pocket. This was an awkward set-up, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I have a slight aversion to the type of pants that would normally have pockets and be made of less than 90% nylon. I made do until a friend of the family told me that she put hers in the front and center of her bra. Having a hard plastic rectangle in my cleavage felt strange at first, but it was worth it to have freedom (a.k.a nylon) back in my wardrobe.
I called it my “boob-bot” and struggled with social situations where I needed to reach down into my bra to take insulin. Coming up with ideas for clothing that could better integrate the pump was a natural progression for me. And from interacting with other Type 1 Diabetic women, I discovered this was a common place for them to keep pump as well. Many even changed their clothing based on the pump, preferring those with lots of pockets and shirts that were not as low-cut. Wearing dresses is also huge concern: my family friend told me that she would even switch back to injections when she wanted to wear a tight dress. Some women don’t place it in their cleavage because of their chest size. And one woman actually got breast enhancement surgery to hide her pump better. It was incredibly depressing, and gave my work a new sense of urgency.
I began to think of solutions that to alleviate or bring awareness to these issues, from the functional and practical to the outrageous and highly conceptual. I began exploring materials that allowed the pump to be secure, watertight, comfortable and usable. Conceptually, I began investigating designs that referenced and embodied transformation to foster positive internal changes and improve overall health.
My first prototype consisted of an elastic band with long pieces of cloth and a fabric flower attached at the top. Once placed into the bra as normal, the insert was too extravagant to remain hidden, thus overflowing out over the shirt or dress. Not only did it transform the insulin pump into an accessory, it also changed the look of my outfit. It combined the functional with the decorative; the designs compliment the device and act as an empowering accessory and, ultimately, a fashion statement. They function by creating a dynamic community to encourage the sharing of stories, spread awareness, and develop new relationships with medical technology.
The current collection consists of an external casing for the pump that has a sturdy (yet comfortable) clip on the back, a window in the front for easy access to the buttons and screen, and an elastic strip at the bottom to keep the pump from falling through. The casing also has two locations where snaps of interchangeable accessories can be attached. The five different accessories I’ve created so far are related in theme and color palette based on transformation in nature and mythological stories. The pieces incorporate feathers, fabric flowers, beads and various metal objects. While collecting the materials, I picked them to be symbolic of metamorphosis, healing, and hybridization.
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