Field Report

CoDesign Student Challenge
Summer 2025

We have all used hand dryers. They are permanent fixtures in restaurants, airports, and coffee shops, with no need for consideration beyond their intended purpose. We shake off the excess water from our hands and go on with our lives. This summer, over the course of two Fridays in August, we witnessed how fresh thinking and an engaging and collaborative design process can transform even the most ubiquitous objects into special experiences.

In partnership with Massachusetts-based company, Excel Dryer, CoDesign Collaborative engaged eight Boston-area high school students with a seemingly simple ask: Help Excel Dryer design vinyl “wraps” that give new life and vibrancy to the high-powered hand dryers sprinkled throughout offices and public spaces in the city of Boston. As the lead Design Educator for this hands-on design challenge, I came away with five observations that left me inspired and energized about the future of design in the hands of the next generation.

It’s All About The Process
Rather than prescriptive instructions, the workshops began with a charge for the students to “use design to tell your story.” As a result, each student brought their complete selves into the design in impressive and inspiring ways!

Mistakes Encouraged
When you make a mistake, step away and come back to it… you may be surprised where that path will lead you. A few students discovered that limitations in their medium or art tools actually led to deeper experimentation and unexpected results.

Analog Still Matters
In a world where the digital screens and lately, AI, seem to be creeping into every aspect of our lives, there is something novel about starting with an actual, physical piece of paper and a scattering of art tools. While the students’ designs were eventually digitized for the final hand-dryer production, they started sketches, markers, and paints. This allowed students to break out of the “screen” and have a refreshingly tactile experience as they explored their designs.

Bring It Together (Location, Location, Location)
I noticed that the students who sat in proximity to one another tended to share and riff ideas in such creative and unique ways. In a world where we are often siloed, and meetings have to be “scheduled”, these impromtptu exchanges are fewer and far between. Proximity and sharing promote innovation, and its much more fun!

We Need Joy and Laughter
Finally, a few of the students explored humor as a means to engage and tell their story. When was the last time a hand dryer left you smiling as you walked away?

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Alfred Byun, 2025 CoDesign Student Challenge Design Educator
Senior Designer | Bio
Gensler