Elvie Trainer

Client

Chiaro

Year

2014

Type of Work

Design development

Engineering

Prototyping

Design for manufacture

Ergonomics

Problems with the pelvic floor muscle are common; they can affect a third of all women and up to 80% of expectant and new mums. Elvie Trainer is the solution: an innovative device to help women exercise their muscles discreetly and effectively. The pod is inserted like a tampon with the tail resting outside. Communicating directly with the smartphone app, it allows women to visualise both their muscle contractions and improvements over time. The Elvie Trainer has won a number of awards including the prestigious Red Dot design award.

Elvie Trainer held between fingers and thumb demonstrating its compact and discreet design.

Elvie Trainer on cupped hands of a woman, showing its discreet human-centered design

Elvie Trainer on pastel plinth with accompanying smartphone app showing UI and UX

Its simple form belies the technical sophistication hidden inside: within tight spatial constraints we’ve created a new force transfer mechanism to ensure accurate readings for a broad range of women time after time. Through countless prototypes and form studies, we developed a device that is comfortable and simple to use.

Many prototypes showing the innovative product development process for the Elvie Trainer ergonomics and patented mechanism

By using induction charging (via its discreet charging case) there are no cables to plug in and that means it’s also hygienic and easy to clean.

The design process has been guided throughout by women. Indeed, over 100 women were involved in the testing and influenced the design decisions we’ve made for both the pod and the dock. Their needs have been central to the evolution of this intimate product.