SAFE System
Position: Lead Designer
Client: USADA/MLB
Agency: Boombang Inc.
After Russia defeated the Olympic anti-doping system by breaking into the secure sample collection bottles, USADA & MLB sought to rethink and redesign doping control.
I led the design team at Boombang, considering not just the physical security of the bottles, but the experience of all stakeholders in the process, from athletes to lab techs.
The bottles used in Sochi were opened without leaving a trace, easy to counterfeit, and hard to fill (and, believe me, you don’t want a spill)
The lock could be defeated by sliding a thin strip of metal under the cap and depressing the four locking tabs. The glass bottles themselves were off-the-shelf glass containers and the one-inch opening led to a lot of ‘sample’ ending up on the table.
Moving the locking mechanism below the cap threads was an epiphany
It makes filling the bottle easier for athletes, allows the bottle to be used for both urine and blood samples, and makes the lock inaccessible without leaving evidence. It also makes the outside of the bottle co-cylindrical, so additional security seals can be applied.
Sample Collection
The Collection Cups were elongated for ease-of-use by all genders and the cover included an integrated spout to aid pouring.
Every touchpoint was considered when designing the system,
from the packaging used by the Doping Control Officers, to the bottles used by the athletes, to the opener used by the lab technicians.