UV Indicator Patch

Skin cancer is on a rapid increase in Sweden due to increased sun exposure to the population. 40,000 Swedes are struck annually and more than one percent of the cases are lethal. Pre-mature sunburns are identified as extra hazardous and children should therefore be very cautious when spending time in direct sunlight.

The visionary aim of this master project was to enhance social and economic sustainability by reducing sunburn among children. The goal was therefore to develop a device which indicates when children have been exposed to a recommended maximum daily amount of UV adiation and hence should avoid additional exposure. An industrial partner and their disposable UV indicator wristband served as starting point for the project which focused on user experiences and usability. Characteristics of intended users and use contexts were investigated through surveys, contextual studies, interviews and observations. A user test with a prototype of the wristband was furthermore performed in order to explore usability and user experiences. The collected data was analyzed where after a product concept was developed according to insights and accommodated to the industrial partner’s market position and strategy.

The end result of the project was Solplåster, a UV indicator patch which incorporates the industrial partner’s patented ink technology. It targets Swedish families on holidays abroad and should be used by children below 12 years old. A final user test implied that Solplåster has etter usability qualities and is more agile and flexible than the existing wristband. A final conclusion is thus that Solplåster stands a chance of reaching out to users and fulfilling its aim, if the industrial partner chose to commercialize it.