Camille Ann Snyder

Industrial Design, 2018

Risk of injury is an inherent part of outdoor recreation. When injuries do occur in the backcountry Wilderness First Responders serve as a vital intermediary service, providing medical care when patients are two or more hours away from treatment. Current medical kits are designed without proper and consistent organization making medical supplies difficult to find and easily dirtied. This undermines the skills and knowledge of Wilderness First Responders, leading to less effective injury responses.

WILDkit is an assistant to Wilderness First Responders. As needs change WILDkit adapts, with interchangeable storage sections, allowing the medical kit to honor current personal habits and a range of trips. Defined, color coded sections reduce wasted time looking for supplies and corresponding integrated information supplement training in frantic moments. More frequently used sections are presented first, while retaining quick access to emergency supplies. An easily deployable clean working surface creates a space to place tools and supplies during the response. Throughout the process WILDkit is there to help WFRs better help patients.

In her designs, Camille Ann Snyder attends to the specific challenges faced by people in her communities, locally and at large. She combines her interest in storytelling and curiosity about the world to fuel her design research. Her work demonstrates the capacity of co-design to create real, lasting, community-driven change. She has always loved learning, problem solving, and creating—she looks forward to a career informed by her longtime interests in health, education, and the outdoors.