OVERVIEW
The Eargo cleaning tool effectively removes earwax from Eargo devices without damaging them and also comes in handy for cleaning other earbuds.
ROLE
Industrial Design: Concept ideation, formgiving, 3D CAD, photorealistic rendering, prototyping, user research & user testing
Mechanical Engineering: DFM, design of experiments, reliability testing
BACKGROUND
Hearing aids need to be cleaned periodically to prevent earwax buildup. Unfortunately, the generic hearing aid cleaning brush Eargo had been shipping with its products did not effectively clean Eargo Neo’s minuscule microphone ports. As a result, some customers were resorting to other haphazard tools which could damage their devices.
the challenge
Design a custom cleaning accessory for Eargo that
How might we design a cleaning accessory that is effective at cleaning both wet and dry earwax?
ideation
prototyping, testing, and iteration
Multiple iterations of 3D printed prototypes were tested with users to determine the best form factor and grip size. Once the best grip and tip form had been identified, the winning version was outfitted with casted TPU tips of varying durometers and brushes with different bristle diameters for further user testing and reliability testing.
result
Users praised the custom cleaning accessory for its comfortable grip, thoughtful design, and effectiveness at cleaning earwax. The custom cleaning tool was shipped in the box starting from Eargo 5 onwards .
