This Lavabo project is by Moritz Steiner, a Product Design student at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Steiner designed and fabricated a colorful handwashing station for kindergarteners.
LAVABO: From grooming ritual to haptic adventure
LAVABO explores how an everyday moment like handwashing in kindergarten can become a truly engaging experience.
Instead of a silent, touchless faucet, this wash station makes technology visible rather than concealing it. Exposed pipes, mechanical levers, a clear color-coded system, and tactile tools make the flow of water tangible and transform hygiene into a playful learning experience. Instead of an anonymous black box, it offers an analog counterpoint to invisible sensor technology.
The project fosters self-efficacy, curiosity, and responsibility, demonstrating how design can instill in children an understanding, joy, and appreciation for water and technology.