Vaask: Winner of World Design Awards 2022. The pandemic exposed the design failure of traditional hand sanitizer — constant messes and drips, foul-smelling gels that dry out hands, a reliance on single-use plastics, and always-empty automatic dispensers. With so many issues, it’s no surprise that many people avoid hand sanitizer, even though our hands transmit 80% of illnesses.

It’s time for a better solution, so that our public spaces can be healthier for everyone. Lots of ideas have been proposed for ways to build healthier spaces, but touchless and attractive sanitizer fixtures like those developed by hand hygiene company Vaask are a superior solution that’s easy, cost-effective and significantly reduces germ transmission.

Vaask makes hand hygiene desirable, thanks to its minimalist design, inviting LED display, and elegant, cast-aluminum construction that looks at home in any space. Vaask’s features include:

• Customizable colors, metals and graphics
• Cast aluminum; 5-year warranty
• PalmPilot® sensor that precisely detects hands
• Large capacity; refillable with any sanitizer gel
• AC power or POE (no batteries required)
• Recessed, wall-mounted or freestanding options
• LED array attracts users and automatically notifies you when it’s time to refill

Behind each of these differentiating features is a focus on advanced technology, designed to create a reliable experience. Vaask incorporates a high-end stepper motor and peristaltic pump, ensuring that it dispenses the correct amount of sanitizer every time. Also, Vaask’s proprietary PalmPilot sensor accurately detects hands, eliminating mess. The PalmPilot technology measures the speed at which light photons leave the sensor and return. Because the component measures speed rather than light, the PalmPilot sensor functions even in spaces where dust can be an issue and detects hands of any shade that would otherwise flummox everyday infrared sensors.

Designed to be reliable, inexpensive to operate and simple to maintain, Vaask helps overworked maintenance staffs. No more batteries to replace. No more making the rounds to check each unit individually, as an online dashboard alerts staff when it’s time to refill. No more being locked into expensive supply contracts, since you can refill Vaask with any quality sanitizer gel, saving facilities up to 50% or more on monthly costs.

Built to last of cast aluminum, Vaask helps sustainably minded companies achieve their goals. The U.S.-manufactured fixture features durable all-metal construction and replaces the endless array of single-use plastic hand sanitizer bottles. Vaask’s sanitizer cartridges are also designed to be extra large (more than twice the typical dispenser cartridge size), because it’s less resource intensive to manufacture one large plastic container than numerous small ones.

Selected for its quality manufacturing and superior coating options, Vaask’s cast aluminum allows for customizable colors and graphics, so organizations can proudly brand their Vaask dispensers to showcase their sincere commitments to cleanliness.

The fixture’s endless customization options and eye-catching LEDs serve to attract users, and when a hand-sanitizing dispenser makes people want to use it not just to keep themselves and others healthy, but for the experience alone, then they’re going to use it whether anyone’s watching them or not. And that helps make every one of us healthier.

Project Details
Firm
Vaask

Designer
Jon Olsen

Project Name
Vaask

World Design Awards Category
Product Design

Project Location
Austin, Texas, United States

Team
Jon Olsen

Country
United States

Photography ©Credit
©Vaask

Inspired by the Norwegian word for “wash,” Vaask embodies today’s desire for a higher class of clean coupled with an emphasis on sophisticated design. The company is the work of the team behind Big Ass Fans’ Haiku®, the ceiling fan beloved by interior designers and architects that has won more than 75 design and technology awards.

Led by Jon Olsen, Vaask redefines manufactured products for today’s modern interiors. With a goal of designing and engineering enduring, endearing products, Vaask invests in real materials, develops customizable designs and guarantees their American-made craftsmanship.