Case Study · Sexual Wellness Device
Designing an Adult Toy You Don't Have to Hide
Adult toys are more common than ever, yet still awkward to keep in plain sight, and hard to keep clean.
Owning an adult toy is more common than ever. Yet it still feels awkward to leave one out in your room. In 2019, we designed My Pod to change that image, for CalExotics.
Overview
Hard to leave out, hard to keep clean
Most adult toys look like adult toys. That makes them awkward to keep in a bedroom, and even harder to take on the road.
Cleaning is a second problem. A toy needs washing after every use, and it is easy to skip. We wanted a product that solves both: discreet enough to sit in plain sight, and clean every time you put it away.
Key successes
- Reframed an adult toy as everyday tech that can sit next to a laptop
- Built UV-C light into the case, so storing the vibrator also sanitizes it
- Used magnets to seat the vibrator in the case and keep it from falling out
- Built mock-ups with real electronics inside to test how well the sanitizer worked
- CalExotics launched My Pod in 2020, with seven vibration functions and an about 10-minute UV clean
Approach
Borrowing the language of everyday tech
We started with shape. We looked at simple consumer electronics, such as wireless earbud cases, for proportions and details. A slim vibrator in a smooth, rounded case reads as a gadget, not a toy.
Then we explored how the case should open. We sketched lift-off caps, rotating sleeves and flip lids, each holding the vibrator upright inside. For function, we built UV-C light into the case, so putting the vibrator away also sanitizes it.
Sketches only go so far. We built mock-ups to find a better size and shape, then put the electronics inside them. That let us test how well the sanitizer worked before the design was final.
The solution
A case that does the work
- UV-C light inside the case→the vibrator is sanitized every time it is put away
- Magnetic dock→the vibrator snaps into place and does not fall out
- Charges in the case→no cable to plug into the toy itself
- Breathing light on the case→shows battery status while charging over USB
- Smooth, rounded form in soft colors→looks at home next to a laptop or in a bag
Impact
From concept to CalExotics' shelf
CalExotics launched My Pod in late 2020. The trade press called it a massager with built-in sanitizing, sold with a wireless charging case.
The launch kept the core of our design: a slim vibrator, a charging case, and UV light that cleans it in about 10 minutes. It added seven functions, a waterproof body and a travel lock. The same pod system later carried a second product, the My Pod Enhancer Ring.
