ebb.
Purpose:
To bridge the gap in period education, erase the stigma of periods through education, and to lower user intimidation that comes with tampons.
Conceptual Project
Group Project with Nora Figueras, Sydney Lapp, and Thomas Stevenot
Mission:
ebb. is for anyone who wants to try using tampons, but doesn't know how to start. Tampons can be scary and tricky to use, ebb. understands that. ebb. helps you have the smoothest period possible, feel confident with your period care, and makes periods more sustainable.
Personality:
ebb. is your friend.
Tampons and periods can be scary, and that’s okay. With thorough and clear instructions, practice guides, motivational words, and a few liners thrown in just in case, ebb. can help you become a tampon pro. ebb. is your older sibling who you love to play around with, they give the best advice, and they’ll always have your back.
ebb. is inclusive.
People of a variety of ages, sizes, and genders can have a period, and ebb. respects that. ebb.’s friendly, upfront, and gender neutral language makes sure that anyone can learn from, and feel seen by our brand.
Product Context
Place: In-store and online major retailers (Target, Walmart, Amazon, CVS)
Anywhere you buy tampons, you can buy ebb.
Competition: Tampax, Playtex, Cora, Lola, L. Tampons, Honeypot, Flo
Category Research
Shelf Analysis & Brand Positioning
Pain Points
Competitive Advantages
Competitive Advantages: Education
Competitive Advantages: Sustainability
Competitive Advantages: User-Friendliness
Competitive Advantages: Inclusivity
Audience
Preteens:
Starting menstruation is already a confusing and chaotic experience. Difficult to use products, like tampons, can add to this stressful time. ebb. seeks to address this by providing educational materials as well as a practice training kit.
People New To Tampons:
Some people have not tried tampons, perhaps because they find them intimidating or hard to use. ebb. seeks to make tampons more accessible to those hesitant to make the switch. By creating custom storage and comprehensive instruction, ebb. endeavors to remove any barriers for newcomers.
User Journey
Name and Brand Attributes
“ebb and flow” is the root of the name, which is inspired by euphemisms for “period.” The period of “ebb.” adds humor and icon inspiration. The name is simple, just like the product. ebb. is unashamed, educational, and sustainable when possible.
Form Inspiration
The form is inspired by bento boxes, with rounded edges for friendliness and ease. Fold out compartments were included for easy access and organization.
Materials Inspiration
Recycled, eco-friendly plastic is used for the outer container. Bamboo fibers are used for the tampons.
Final Moodboard
Encouraging, friendly, bold. Colorful & fun but not chaotic. A retro-inspired look to appeal to the mostly young consumers, and adult customers.
Preliminary Graphic Ideation
Prototypes
Final Nets
Outer Wrap
Tampon Refill Boxes
Liner and Tampon Wrappers
Final Product System
You can purchase the ebb. Tampon starter kit anywhere you normally buy tampons. Contained in the kit are four compartments: one for light tampons, one for regular, one for super, and one for the tampon training kit. Once you need to restock your tampons, you can purchase the ebb. refill boxes.
The tampon starter kit box is made from durable recycled plastic and is intended to be used as your permanent period care storage/organization unit. The elegant and minimal design will complement any home’s aesthetic. This container will keep the different absorbencies of your tampons separated from each other, so you never have to dig for the right tampon again. The container will also protect your period care products from any damage, contaminants, or moisture.
The refill boxes have one absorbency level each, so you can customize how much of each type of tampon you stock your kit with. The boxes slide in perfectly to the storage container for a seamless restocking process.
The tampon training kit contains thorough and intuitive instructions with detailed illustrations, a travel pouch so you can take your tampons wherever you go, some liners to ease your transition to tampons, and our training tampon. Once you’ve become a tampon pro, you can use the compartment containing the training kit as additional period product storage. ebb. will grow with you.
The training tampon is for you to get comfortable with the action of inserting a tampon, and the feeling of having a tampon inside you, before you need to use a tampon for real. The training tampon is not meant to be used during menstruation. The applicator has an elongated opening so the training tampon can slide in easier, is a bit narrower than a normal tampon for a more comfortable insertion and has added affordances to create a stronger grip and show you where to place your fingers. The training tampon itself is made from body-safe silicone for increased comfort when practicing insertion, and an additional cue that this is not a normal tampon.
