DPMD 003

Problem: Developing a new health ritual—like taking a probiotic for gut health—can be difficult to implement into an already established routine. Aside from pill boxes, we so rarely think of objects and design as mechanisms for compliance.

Experiment: The Seed DPMD Series. DPMD (Defecation Postural Modification Devices) is the scientific name for toilet stools and have been studied and proven to support healthier bowel movements. But so often, toilet stools are clunky, plastic, utilitarian objects in the bathroom. Many people hide theirs away when guests comes over, as if removing the toilet stool removes the idea of poop even though the toilet itself remains.

Poop is one of the most important (and visible) biomarkers of your gut health. It’s also surprisingly complex—a watery mixture of bacteria (living and dead), cellular lining, fiber, fats, proteins, mucus, bile, and other compounds your body couldn’t digest.

Many of us sit on the toilet, casually scroll TikTok or Instagram, flush, and move on with our lives without ever examining what we are eliminating. But for many, it’s not that easy. In America alone, nearly 70 million people are quietly living with digestive issues (nearly 50 million experience chronic constipation). Almost 15% of the population is suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in addition to other chronic conditions like Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, and GERD. 

The need for understanding, studying, and destigmatizing this critical aspect of our health has never been more urgent. 

But luckily, poop is at an interesting inflection point. It’s on the cusp of a renaissance after decades (even centuries) of misunderstanding (specifically by Western society). And while it remains widely taboo—a hushed affair we do quickly and flush away without so much as a backwards glance—it is actually being revealed (and revered) as a piece of biological data alive with information. 

New advancements in the microbiome, innovations in precision probiotics, metagenomic sequencing, and experiments done in fimo (or the experimental study of stool) have ushered in a new frontier of study, understanding, care, and even medicine.

How can we infuse design and biomaterials into the bathroom in a way that beautifully reminds us of our gut health and reiterates the importance of consistent, daily routines for our health?

Our mission was to reimagine DPMDs as high-design objects, exploring unique and sustainable materials, as well as varying shapes, to explore form and function in the bathroom, as well as create a visible reminder of gut health. In short, our first foray into DPMDs opened the door for ‘Objects of Compliance’—beautifully designed objects and materials that are almost the ‘remora’ to our core product portfolio.

In partnership with our industrial design studio NUOVA, we created a series of DPMDs. The one shown on this page—DPMD 003—was made with BLOOM.

BLOOM uses toxic algae blooms and seaweed to create innovative materials harvested directly from marine algae and then fabricated into pieces for everyday life.

This DPMD (003) is our third iteration in a series of design explorations. Our mission was to use our creativity, industrial design capabilities, and love of modern design to create a Squatty Potty people would obsess over, rather than one they would hide away when company came to visit. 

DPMD 001 was crafted from a green anodized aluminum with the text DON’T LOOK BACK etched into the top of it. 

DPMD 002 was carved from green marble from Italy with the text IN FIMO WE TRUST etched into the top of it. 

DPMD 003 is a new exploration using biologically sourced sustainable materials.