Kosen has been designed to cool the person in menopause down after a hot-flush while creating an empathic environment for the person in menopause and their partner. Menopause affects the intimate relations of couples; it creates a barrier between the person experiencing menopause and their partner. Menopausal women are often insecure about the changes they are going through because it's seen as a taboo topic. The cooling objects are used as tools for the couple to redefine what intimacy means to them.
Menopause is a natural part of a woman's life. It's accompanied by symptoms like hot-flushes, forgetfulness and a reduced sex drive, that woman suddenly have to deal with. The effects of this often don't just affect the person in menopause but also the people closest to them like their partners. Because menopause is still seen as a taboo topic for a lot of people, women often don’t feel comfortable talking about their issues and to feel insecure about the changes they are going through.
Kosen creates sensory experiences between couples to strengthen their relationship.
Large, medium and small terracotta shapes are design to coincide with different parts of the body. Different shapes and sizes give couples the option to explore their likes and dislikes together and not restrict them too much.
Experimenting with different shapes and forms for the cooling tools, also looking at ways of holding the tool without transmitting body-heat (left). Final hard model of the shapes, cup and the tray (right). Choosing a circular shape for the tray to contrast the organic forms of the cooling tools.
Consulting a woman in menopause and her partner about the forms and shapes of the product. More subtle shapes for the terracotta tools, cover more surface for cooling than massage and increase the blood flow. He favoured the simpler shapes for the tray and would like more subtle forms for the cooling tools.
