alaia is a smart, running headband that motivates women to go running regularly in order to improve well-being, especially during the winter months. alaia’s personality is designed to create a comfortable and supportive relationship that feels like an encouraging friend. The branding for alaia has also been developed to portray a sense of youthful energy, warmth and good-humoured sisterhood.
My initial focus at the beginning of this project was Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This evolved into an aim of alleviating the symptoms of SAD amongst women by encouraging them to be more active, particularly during the winter but also in periods of isolation – such as during pandemic lockdown.
As running in the winter is a key aspect of alaia’s objective, the headband addresses concerns raised by female runners/ women who want to start running regularly. The cold and dark were frequently raised as reasons to avoid running during the winter. Therefore, the headband is lined with fleece material and covers the user’s ears. Safety was also a major consideration as women described feeling uneasy when outside alone, especially in the dark. alaia comes with a telephone safety feature that will help the user to feel more comfortable when out alone.
I developed characters in order to visualise the interactions between alaia and her user. The user is dressed in dark blue clothing that represents her mood prior to beginning her journey with alaia. Over the period of running regularly with alaia, the user begins to feel happier and more energised, the change in the colour of her clothing reflects this as it gets brighter and happier. alaia’s character is dressed in pink and red. It mirrors the values presented in the branding. alaia’s mood is consistent and uplifting so her clothing does not change.
