“I always wanted to live in a city with an ocean around it,” says Areef Shaik, as he expresses his love for the seaside. But the Wellington resident’s affinity to water is full of dichotomy.
The years he spent living in the southern Indian village of Kalidindi in Andhra Pradesh, which was prone to flooding, inspired him to design his latest creation–a special life jacket for Indian disaster rescue personnel.
“These personal encounters fuelled my dedication to design life jackets that address the limitations of traditional designs and provide enhanced safety and protection for both responders and affected communities.”
Shaik moved to New Zealand in 2018 to pursue a doctorate in design at the College of Creative Arts, Massey University, where he says he has been trying to solve a complex problem.
“My Slot N’ Slide life jacket aims to address the fit and comfort challenges when individuals of different sizes require life jackets. My life jacket has sliding crossover panels on the front which allow it to accommodate a diverse range of body sizes in a one-size-fits-all solution,” Shaik says, pointing out the design is inspired by the Indian traditional clothing sari and dhoti.
“Having a one-sized life jacket eliminates the need to carry multiple sizes of life jackets for rescuers during evacuation. The design also provides better fit and comfort when compared to existing life jacket designs while performing sitting, bending, rowing, swimming and lifting activities.”
Shaik, who is currently a Teaching Fellow at the Victoria University of Wellington department of Fashion Design Technology, says he is already working closely with India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to test his designs, and a few of the life jacket he has designed have been tried out.
“After completion of my PhD, I went back to India to meet flood rescue personnel to obtain their feedback. I incorporated the new feedback and developed an updated version.
“I have also delivered a small order of the updated version to NDRF headquarters in New Delhi.”
Shaik, who turns 30 this year, says he has filed a patent application for his life jacket design and he wants to start large-scale manufacturing in India.
“As of now, there are no major updates regarding the availability of the life jackets. I plan to release more information closer to the time when I receive clarification from the patent office and manufacturing companies.
“Once I have a clear understanding of the production process and distribution channels, I will provide details on where the life jackets will be available.”
Growing up in a flood-prone region, Shaik witnessed the devastating impact floods have on communities, including his own. He has travelled to affected areas across India and neighbouring countries like Cambodia and Myanmar.
He says the heartbreaking stories of loss and despair he heard fuelled his passion. “After three long years of designing and developing life jackets, going through endless iterations, trials, and tests, I finally did it!
“I gotta say, it's a huge weight off my shoulders and I couldn't be more stoked. Not only am I super proud of the product I've created, but I also aced my PhD exam.”