A portable plastic sink developed in Cambodia and Vietnam and aimed at encouraging children to wash their hands is among three finalists vying for the biannual International Council of Societies of Industrial Design award, the council announced on Tuesday.
Phnom Penh-based Watershed—which helps develop water and sanitation products in Cambodia and Vietnam—describes its HappyTap sink as a “unique device [bringing] soap and water together in an all-in-one, kid-friendly package to make washing hands convenient and enjoyable for families.”
Commercially available in Cambodia since July, the sink retails under the name of Labobo for $15 to $20.
While the HappyTap was designed by American Jeff Chaplin, Watershed communications manager Julia White stressed on Wednesday that the look and function of the sink had been tested and developed with strong regional input.
“A local team in Cambodia [did] market research and testing of the product here to further inform the design,” she explained.
The sink is already being trialed at a Kompong Thom hospital and Kompong Speu school. The winner will be announced in Taipei on March 18.
