Mask Design Research at the Time of COVID-19
Abstract
This position paper is about engaged, interdisciplinary, design scholarship and the road blocks in the journey. The research developed with the rise of COVID-19. Previously unaffected populations became aware that barrier face coverings were a useful tool to fight virus transmission. The work chronicles approximately a year in mask design research, which is situated at the interfaces of research, policy and practice. It observes the rise in mask use recommendations to the US and Canadian public beginning on March 31, 2020, and the key research on public masking available to policymakers before this time. It addresses the rise of improvised personal protective equipment (PPE) to alleviate the global supply chain crisis when demand for certified respirators far outpaced supply, early mask models posted on governmental websites and fit and filtration information published in academic articles. It proposes a DIY respirator prototype with an individualized fit and quantifiable removable filter.
Keywords: Rise of COVID-19, barrier face coverings, masks, mask research, supply chain crisis, personal protective equipment, PPE, DIY respirator, sustainability and masks, CDC mask intructions for the public, Canadian mask instructions for the public, non-medical masks, mask fit, eyewear use with masks, lack of standardization in household fabrics, no sew customizable personal respirator, self-tested face-mask seal, mask research interdisciplinarity
How to Cite:
Bissonnette, A. M., (2022) “Mask Design Research at the Time of COVID-19”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13476