Exo Duo Women's Lacrosse Headgear
As a former lacrosse player, the problem I decided to tackle for my senior thesis project at SCAD was that of head injuries in women's lacrosse. Unlike male players, female players are not required to wear helmets, only protective goggles, despite the high injury risk associated with the sport. I knew there had to be a way to help encourage headgear usage by meeting players where they are at.
Individual Project
Completed at SCAD | 2021
Defining the Problem
1 in 10
Athletes participating in a contact sport will sustain a concussion this year and women are more susceptible to concussions than men.
Headgear is not currently mandated in women's lacrosse and is instead an optional piece of equipment.
Research
Interviewing
To start off, I spoke with an athletic trainer to get a better understanding of head injuries and how female lacrosse players are affected by them.
Benchmarking
I also spoke with the industrial design team at Tool Inc. that developed the Cascade LX women's lacrosse helmet to gain insight into helmet design and important criteria to keep in mind.
Defining the Opportunity
There is an opportunity to create a helmet/goggle combination to better facilitate the transition to helmets in women's lacrosse.
Protective
Prevents head injuries for female lacrosse players.
Lightweight
Removes the bulkiness found in men's helmets.
Convertible
Allows the user to adjust their level of protection.
Ideation
Sketching
After conducting my research, I experimented with different ways to enhance the protection of women's lacrosse goggles without compromising aesthetics.
Prototyping
Iterating
Using materials ranging from foam core to 3D prints, I created multiple rounds of wearable prototypes to test out different features and fits and to develop a unique style.
Experimenting
I 3D printed a variety of patterns in TPU to experiment with flexible padding for the helmet interior.
Testing
Halfway through the project, I tested my semi-final prototype to determine what adjustments needed to be made moving forward. I also consulted a women's lacrosse coach and goalie to collect user feedback.
Final Design
Ventilation & Usability
For the final helmet design, I focused on improving ventilation and usability with the goggle strap wrapping around the back of the helmet.
Discrete ventilation
Silicone goggle pads
Goggle strap is secured around helmet
Upper ponytail slot
Lower ponytail slot
Ponytail Slots
Two ponytail slots allow players to wear their hair how they want without interfering with the functionality of the helmet.
Helmet/Goggle Interface
The goggles can be worn by themselves or snapped into the brim of the helmet to offer more protection.
Materials
In accordance with ASTM standards for women's lacrosse headgear, the outer shell of the helmet will be made of a soft, flexible material such as TPU.
Internal Structure
When it comes to protection the internal structure is just as important as the exterior. I designed these hexagonal pads with a flexible pattern to help absorb shock upon impact.
