Industrial - Bachelor
BreatheLite transforms the traditional asthma spacer into a discreet, user-friendly design for adolescents. Compact and modular, it encourages confident daily use while addressing the stigma of clinical appearance. Rooted in empathy and research, it bridges the gap between medical functionality and personal identity.
“Asthma affects around 2.8 million Australians, including over 315,000 adolescents aged 15–24 and 460,000 children aged 0–14 living with the condition.”
(Asthma Australia, 2025. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024)
My research focused on understanding the practical and emotional factors influencing adolescents’ use of asthma spacers. A combination of contextual analysis, user feedback, and secondary research provided insight into how stigma, portability, and aesthetics affect consistent use. These findings established a foundation for evaluating existing products and identifying key areas for design improvement.
To identify opportunities within the market, benchmarking was conducted to evaluate existing asthma spacers against key design criteria. This analysis revealed distinct strengths and weaknesses across current products, with some performing well in accessibility and affordability while lacking in ergonomics, comfort, and aesthetic consideration. The findings highlighted a continued emphasis on clinical functionality over thoughtful design, indicating an opportunity for a spacer that unites usability, visual appeal, and emotional connection.
Key opportunities lie in developing a spacer that combines clinical effectiveness with improved portability, comfort, and visual appeal to better support adolescent users.
Opportunity to create a spacer with a discreet, contemporary aesthetic that reduces embarrassment and promotes confident public use.
Development of a compact, collapsible, or modular spacer with options for personalisation to suit adolescent lifestyles.
Designing for improved comfort, secure fit, and ease of cleaning to enhance adherence and long-term satisfaction.
Building on these insights, primary research was conducted to further explore the real-world challenges associated with asthma management. A mixed-methods approach was used, including a survey of 18 participants and two observational studies, to capture both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. This stage focused on understanding the emotional, behavioural, and practical barriers influencing spacer use, as well as the needs and preferences of adolescents and other key stakeholders. The findings provided valuable first-hand insight into user experiences and informed the direction of subsequent design development.
The observations revealed key insights into how the spacer’s design influences user comfort and willingness to use it in public. Analysis identified recurring themes related to design aesthetics, social perception, portability, and functionality. These findings highlight that both visual and contextual factors significantly shape users’ attitudes toward spacer use.
“It’s just a bit awkward looking… the blue colour and the clear tube [of the spacer], definitely gives it that medical looking vibe.”
– observation participant 1
“It’s not coming with me, and I would just wait till I get home… to use it [the spacer], yeah, says a lot about society.”
– OBSERVATION PARTICIPANT 2
“It looks daunting and super obvious, like oh, she can’t breathe… oh, she needs help.”
– OBSERVATION PARTICIPANT 2
Through observational research, three key themes were identified to guide the development of the current design solution.
Participants consistently highlighted issues surrounding design and appearance, describing existing spacers as overly clinical and visually unappealing.
Social and emotional factors also emerged as significant influences, with feelings of stigma and embarrassment discouraging public use.
Finally, usability and practicality were recurring concerns, as participants found current spacers bulky, unhygienic, and inconvenient to carry.
Together, these insights emphasised the need for a redesigned spacer that balances functionality with comfort, portability, and aesthetic appeal, while supporting a more confident and stigma-free user experience.
Introducing BreatheLite. A redesigned asthma spacer that addresses the social, emotional, and practical challenges identified through research. The design prioritises portability, comfort, and visual appeal while maintaining clinical effectiveness. Its compact, modular form reduces bulk and improves convenience, encouraging users to carry it confidently throughout the day. By softening the clinical aesthetic and incorporating more personal, user-friendly details, BreatheLite transforms the traditional spacer into a discreet, empowering tool that supports consistent and stigma-free asthma management for adolescents.
Over the course of six weeks, a range of concepts were developed through an iterative design process. Initial sketching and ideation explored different forms, mechanisms, and user interactions, which were then refined through physical model making and rapid prototyping. These explorations informed the transition into CAD development, where functional details and proportions were resolved. The process concluded with the creation of an aesthetic model that captured both the technical and emotional qualities of the final design, demonstrating how form, usability, and visual appeal were balanced to create a cohesive solution.
The storyboard demonstrates the user journey of BreatheLite in daily use. The spacer is shown stored in its compact form on a keychain, then expanded through a telescopic mechanism to reveal the full chamber. The circular slider opens the inhaler port for insertion, while the mouthpiece cap is removed before use. After medication is taken, the device can be collapsed back to its original portable size, ready for easy storage and continued use throughout the day.
Recognising the importance of hygiene in asthma management, BreatheLite has been designed for easy cleaning and maintenance. The ABS outer shell provides a durable and wipeable surface, while internal components can be separated for thorough sanitation. The twist-lock chamber and detachable mouthpiece allow for simple disassembly, ensuring the device remains clean and safe for repeated use.
With a passion for human-centred problem solving, Alexandra is an industrial designer driven to create thoughtful, impactful design outcomes. She strives to improve the relationship between users and products through empathy, functionality, and aesthetic consideration. Her capstone project reimagines the asthma spacer for adolescents, enhancing usability, portability, and emotional connection.