SHIELD LA PPE
Shield LA was a deeply collaborative effort to design, mass produce and donate thousands of face shields during the PPE shortage of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
During the first couple of weeks after lockdown, I saw a global maker movement emerge and share designs for 3d printing face masks and shields and I was immediately inspired to jump in. An extremely talented colleague reached out with a similar interest and we kicked off the massive effort from our living rooms.
First, we first educated ourselves on the technical aspects required to make a hospital accepted face shield. We ran around Los Angeles prototyping with a shortage of resources and materials.
Then, in order to get these shields in the hands of healthcare workers, we developed a GoFundMe campaign to help us pay for materials and fabrication. We found an incredible amount of support from our friends, family, colleagues and others all around the world. As the design of the shield achieved positive reviews from healthcare workers, we built a website, designed the brand ID, and implemented a tracking system for hospitals' shield requests and deliveries.
During my time working with the group we facilitated the shipping of 20,000+ shields to Los Angeles and all over the world.
The trick to our success was a mass production mindset from the beginning. We spent two weeks designing the shield, an adjustable, lightweight, a most importantly, hospital approved design that we could stamp by the thousands a day. We had an experienced team that pulled together crucial aspects of fabrication and importing to make this possible.
We persevered through social distancing, material shortages, medical requirements, and shifting legal expectations to help our friends on the front lines.
Thank you to the healthcare workers!
