Deconstructing Product Design

Forehead Thermometer

Scott Henderson for Vicks, 2008

1. Consider the traditional mercury-in-glass thermometer. It is made of glass, takes an indeterminate amount of time to achieve a final reading, is difficult to read, and contains the highly toxic element mercury. Does this sound like a viable product? An instrument that should be inserted into a child’s body? These questions underscore the tendency of people to habituate to existing product norms, however unacceptable, until a new product comes along that highlights the deficiencies. The Forehead Thermometer is such a product. It not only addresses the many problems of mercury thermometers, it addresses the many problems of modern conductive thermometers — and does so in manner that pays ...