Sarah Tulin is the creator of Oxie, the next big thing for preventing the side effects of air pollution. Oxie is a personal air purifier that wraps around the back of a person’s neck, as opposed to masks which covers almost all of a person’s face. It is extremely effective in purifying air while still being unobtrusive, sleek, and and comfortable. Additionally, it connects to the wearer’s smartphone to give information about the concentration of various pollutants in a certain area. This information can be collected and used to understand modern pollution and how to combat it. It’s very possible that this product will become a staple in modern cities with middle to upper class people as the target demographic.

Oxie serves as a great example of design being a product’s point of differentiation. Masks have been around for years to improve an individual’s air quality, but they are just plain ugly. In contrast, Oxie almost looks more like an accessory for an outfit than an air purifier. People might not be willing to cover their face with a big ol’ mask, but it seems like consumers are more than willing pay for purified air when they look great, too.