A clothes steamer designed to survive carry-on luggage
Client: Trevor, travelling CEO
Built for a client who lives out of a carry-on bag, this steamer's brief was longevity and portability above all else. A detachable handle lets the whole unit collapse into a smaller footprint, while a hinge-and-latch mechanism opens the body on a single screw — letting my client clean and repair it on the road with tools he'd already carry.
HDPE keeps the shell light without sacrificing strength-to-weight, finished in a dark grey with a textured, ergonomic grip so it stays secure in the hand mid-steam. Every design decision was tested against the same question: does this survive being packed, unpacked, and used by someone with five minutes before a meeting?
I explored several colourways and finishes at concept stage — navy and silver, a clear water tank, a fully chrome shell — before settling on the darker, more understated palette that best matched the final brief.
Sketch development
From initial idea sketches exploring portability, size and cordless operation, through developed concepts, to the final product sketches and a dimensioned general arrangement with sectional view.
CAD development & renders
Prototyping
Card prototyping from first rough models through to the final resolved prototype — testing the collapsible handle, hinge-and-latch access and how the form sits in the hand.
