Drew Samtmann's Portfolio - Tinted Face Mask

Tinted Face Mask

After seeing Razer Project Hazel, a tinted plastic customizable face mask, get canceled before release, I wanted to try making my own version using the skills I learned making Helmet V3.

Project Type
Personal Project

Date
July 2024 - June 2025

Progress
Completed

In the height of Covid-19 during the mask mandate, it always seemed to be a struggle to have the idea of wearing masks appeal to everyone. The biggest reason to wear them was to do your part in protecting both yourself and those around you to slow the spread of the virus, but there would always be those that still refused to wear them. So, I thought would advertise it more as an accessory that also acts as a medical device as opposed to a medical device that is made to look like an accessory. Initial sketches for this idea were made in 2022 but I wouldn’t start making models and prototypes until 2024. Even though Covid had settled down since I had first come up with the idea, I thought it would still make for a fun accessory.

The initial design consists of 7 main pieces, the black plastic frame, the 2 large LED panels, the 2 swappable aesthetic plates (shown as wood in the picture on the right), the custom vacuum formed tinted acrylic cover, and the head strap.

Throughout the design and manufacturing process, I would reduce the scope of this project to ensure it could reach a final result in a reasonable timeframe, leading to a comfortable, sleek, opaque final result which gives the user a new canvas experiment with.