Redesigning the Clothes Hanger

If I were to redesign a clothes hanger, what would I think about?

The look?

Wood looks nicer, but plastic cheaper to manufacture. Most plastic hangers compact tightly compared to wooden hangers.

Most of the clothes hanger is hidden, or partially obscured by the clothes that are hanging. The most visible section is the top hook. Perhaps the hook could be crafted from wood or a thicker metal and the remainder could be plastic. It might look tacky.

Thickness?

The advantage of a thicker clothes hanger is that it’s sturdier, and provides more support to heavier clothing like coats and jackets. Is sturdiness important? After all, a simple plastic hanger should be able to support a heavy coat.

Cost?

Clothes hangers are relatively cheap. you can buy a nice set of a couple hangers for under $10, and a cheap set of many hangers for even less than $10.

Shape?

Clothes hangers have strange shapes. They don’t pack into a suitcase. Bags for suits or formal clothes have little holes at the top for clothes hangers to stick out. In other words, clothes hangers are not meant to fit nicely or neatly. Could we design a set of clothes hangers that nest into one another?

Feel?

Should they be smooth like plastic, or should they be velvet or smooth like wood, or smooth like metal.

Other?

Thin wire hangers can poke holes in plastic bags. They also often have a smell. However they are very compact. They are generally sturdy. You can add flaps to a metal hanger for special items like a sport coat or a paper tube at the bottom for hanging pants. Could we create clothes hangers that are thin and sturdy like metal? Ideally, they wouldn’t poke holes in bags or have any smell.

What are some problems with clothes hangers?

• can be too bulky: may not compress well on a clothing rack
• can take up too much volume
• wire ones are too thin to hold weight
• poke holes in plastic bags
• not mobile, don’t fit nicely in a suitcase — strange shape, not compressible, can be bulky, can poke holes
• good for hanging up your clothes, but of no help when you are transporting your clothes.
• require a rod to support clothes
• takes time
• need clips, other add-ons to hang pants without getting wrinkled

What are some positive attributes of clothes hangers?

• easily see all your clothes at once — rather than digging through a drawer
• keeps clothes from getting wrinkled
• come in different sizes and shapes — could use sturdier wooden ones for suits, thin wire ones to hang a button down shirt
• the hook is valuable — it can be supported by a number of objects — a horizontal pole, a tree, a grid with holes and even things that aren't round like an i-beam or a flat wooden shelf
• allow clothes to air dry , air out

Redesigning the shape:

Would a rectangular-shaped hanger be possible? Perhaps better for transporting. Can clothes be hung on a rectangular hanger without becoming wrinkled?

How about an upside-down “T” shaped hanger? The horizontal piece of the upside-down “T” would hang the clothes. The vertical piece of the upside-down “T” would be inserted into an existing hole. A good example from an existing product is a metal bead chain. The chain locks into place when you place a bead into the metal clasp. While these clothes hangers might have a more compact shape, they lose the benefit of versatility that the hook affords for where you can hang clothes.

Could the traditional clothes hanger be redesigned to allow the hook to fold into the triangle? This would compact the hanger for transport, and provides the user with the advantages the user may get from having the hook.

The first words that come to my mind when thinking about an ideal clothes hanger is: sturdy, compact and easy to transport. (More broadly, I’d use these words to describe the ideal object.)

I would do a user survey to inform my redesign and ask these questions:

1. Do you like your clothes hangers?
2. What do you like most about the clothes hangers you use?
   What clothes do you put on a clothes hanger and what clothes do you put in a drawer?
3. How many clothes hangers do you have in your closet right now?
   Do any of your clothes hangers have attachments like clips to hang items like pants?
4. If you were to go on a personal trip, would you bring any clothes hangers with you? Why not?
5. How would you store your clothes if you didn't have any clothes hangers? How troublesome would this be for you?