The science of comfort

I worked closely with the ergonomist at Casper to develop a series of tests to understand spinal alignment for side sleeping and back sleeping. We measured various body types and tried to see if there was any correlation in pillow preference to body size (shoulder width, measurements around the head and neck, weight of the head and body).

Design and Development

After the research phase, I quickly went into concept. As this was a materials forward project, I focused on physical prototyping with foams and fabrics. I explored different types of foams and fabrics, and focused heavily on breathability and making sure that the pillow looked plush with a hint of technology.

Function vs. Emotion

Always having function vs. emotion in mind from my research, I designed a pillow with an exterior with soft plushness but with an interior engineered for high performance.

The outside looks like a marshmallow. It looks inviting and cozy, but the overly rounded corners, the emphasized seams along the gusset is inspired by the look and feel of domesticated technology.

The outer shell is also a highly breathable spacer knit fabric. Designed and developed specifically for this pillow, it has a soft, stretchy knit surface with structural micro filaments inside to create tiny channels for air ventilation.

In the interior, there are three layers of foam. A low density plush layer on the top and bottom with a center supportive layer designed with a curve to cradle the head and neck. There are horizontal air channels all throughout the molded top and bottom layers and all three layers are punched with vertical channels. These channels allow for maximum ventilation which results in the best form of temperature regulation and cooling for sleep.

User needs, wants, and expectations

After completing research around pillows where we identified sleepers based on material preference for pillows, we began a comprehensive study into what foam pillow users were looking for in their pillows. We had in-person interviews where we did a series of activities to facilitate conversation around their preferences for pillows. We discussed everything from sleep habits, bodily pain, to hand feel of fabrics.

There is a balance that foam pillow users are looking for. They want the pillow to feel plush like a regular pillow. But they also want the technology: ergonomics and temperature regulation. There is also the factor of “what they’re used to.” For some, having their spine perfectly aligned was actually uncomfortable to them which resulted in poor sleep. We needed to balance all these factors and create a pillow that could adapt to different comfort needs.