Crowd-sourcing a mold-free shower! Help me brainstorm a seamless, silicone-free joint system for a design project.
Hi everyone,
I’m a design student currently working on a project to fix a universal domestic nightmare: unhygienic shower mold and gross dirt buildup in enclosure channels.
I want to completely redesign how a shower enclosure seals, moving away from traditional porous silicone sealants, plastic door strips, and narrow metal tracks. I am testing two specific design directions (problem statements) and would love to crowd-source some creative, out-of-the-box ideas from this community to push my brainstorming session further:
• Direction 1 (The Self-Draining Joint): How might we eliminate mold by creating a self-draining shower joint where water naturally sheds away without needing sticky silicone or deep channels? (Think overlapping layers, magnetic connections, or sloped surfaces).
• Direction 2 (The Seamless Enclosure): How might we design a completely seamless enclosure where the walls, base, and glass meet with flat, easily wiped surfaces? (Imagine how automotive seals or architectural glazing channel water without trapping it).
How you can help:
No idea is too wild or too simple! I’m in the initial free-thinking ideation phase, so please drop your random thoughts, technical suggestions, or examples of clever water-tight joints from other industries (aerospace, automotive, marine, product packaging, etc.).
If you have a quick pen-and-paper sketch or a photo of a detail you think works, feel free to link it!
Thanks so much for helping a student out! I look forward to seeing your ideas.