1. CONCEPT
Vulva Measurer aims at showing data, trends and obsessions towards beauty standards. It is also is a postindustrial product that can exist simply out of a social critique.
The encountered problem is the rise of surgical genital operations for purely aesthetic reasons. It is not the choice itself of undertaking such an operation that is denounced here, but the absurdity of having models into which is it necessary to stick because of aesthetic ideals, represented by mass media communication, pornography, etc.
The project's strength lays in showing a complex and very contemporary subject thanks to a simple object: a real measurer for vulvas.
2. IDEA
The idea comes at first from data and articles which show the rise of this tendency of manipulating one's own body for purely aesthetic reasons.
What is it actually there is a huge story which is apparently hidden, but it's completely represented by this problematic object.
The Vulva Measurer stands as a denounce against the obsession towards standards, while being at the same time an object which, judging from the appearance, could be sold as an industrial product in any shop, to anyone.
The instruction manual included inside the packaging supports also a clearer intention and dystopian vision of the product.
3. FORM
The aesthetics the Vulva Measurer is industrial product and user-friendly and it look familiar to other objects.
At first it may look like a familiar object, or quite an innocent object. What this Vulva Measurer wants to highlight with its neutral outlook is the absurdity of its function, which you can understand better once you look at it a second time, or once you read the instruction manual.
The objects looks so simple and neutral, which is also its strength. This simplicity helps to make the clash between ideal beauty and reality even bigger.
The Vulva Measurer is made out of Plexiglas 3 mm thick, and fabricated thanks to laser cut.
The product uses waste material from a workshop that is very present in this specific historical period, i.e. the leftover Plexiglas used in shops as a Covid-19 protection between the staff of the shop and the clients.
4. FUNCTION
The use of the object is easy and intuitive because the shape helps the user to understand how to hold it, where to position it, and how to orientate it.
The drawing on the Plexiglas also reflects the anatomy of the female genitalia, so as to help the user measure their vulva in a more intuitive way.
The user benefit is very simple and direct, which is also reflected inside the name of the product itself: to measure their vulvas.
5. INNOVATION
The product has a big potential to open a debate on various subjects, such as ethic, aesthetic, standards, norms, industrial products, and so on.
Its shape and function are inspired by face measurer used for make up and other beauty needs, but vulva measurers are still not existing in the market, at least before this one.
In order to create the average and perfect measures I took into consideration many articles, many representations, illustrations and pictures that tell and show how an ideal vulva should look like.
I took this information and translated it into this very dystopian object, which can be used in our daily routine as any other care or hygiene object.