Showcase 2025 Student Spotlight: Maisie Beardwell
Student Spotlight featuring BA (Hons) Product Design student Maisie Beardwell and her project 'B Hair 4 U'.
By Jon Duckworth | Published on 20 May 2025
Categories: Student Showcase; School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment;
The Project
Maisie Beardwell's B HAIR 4 U is a hairbrush brand designed to support women experiencing hair loss by transforming the emotional experience of brushing. The curved, palm-held brush encourages users to start detangling from the bottom up, a key technique to prevent breakage. With flexible, vegan-friendly bristles, an ergonomic grip, and custom shades that help camouflage visible hair shed, the product is engineered for both emotional reassurance and physical care. It is a product built around well-being, usability, and empowering personal rituals.
The curved brush has an ergonomic grip and vegan-friendly bristles.
The inspiration behind the project
This project was inspired by the emotional toll hair loss can have on women. As Maisie says: "Brushing (which should be a simple act of self-care) often becomes a stressful reminder of hair shedding. I wanted to reframe that moment, to design a product that feels gentle, soothing, and reassuring. The brush became more than a tool; it became a comforting ritual. Through user research and material exploration, I focused on creating a design that supports wellbeing on both a physical and emotional level, from encouraging healthier brushing habits to reducing visual triggers of stress. The goal was to empower users to feel more in control and more at ease with each use."
Maisie sought to create a product that felt "gentle, soothing, and reassuring".
The project experience
Maisie found the design process deeply rewarding as it allowed her to explore emotional design in a meaningful way while developing technically sound components. She says: "From selecting materials that balance flexibility and durability, to engineering a wire mechanism that bends and holds its shape, it’s been a journey of combining empathy with problem-solving, where every decision was made with both user experience and functionality in mind."
Every design choice was made with user experience and functionality in mind.
Being part of NTU
Maisie believes her time at NTU has helped her grow as both a designer and a critical thinker. Over the course of her studies she has developed skills in CAD modelling, material testing, user research, and storytelling through design.
"More than anything," she says, "NTU taught me how to design with purpose whether through emotional wellbeing, sustainability, or functionality."
For Maisie, working on the project was a real high point of her NTU experience.
"Seeing the final prototype come together, from the colour-matched bristles to the working bend mechanism, was a surreal moment," she admits. "Holding the finished brush and knowing it reflected my values, my research, and real user needs was genuinely fulfilling."
Maisie Beardwell - BA (Hons) Product Design
Closing remarks
Maisie offers the following advice for aspiring students of Product Design:
"Push your ideas further than what’s expected. This course gives you the freedom and support to create work that’s truly meaningful. Choose a project that feels personal, when you have a real connection to what you're designing, it shows. That passion and purpose are what make your work stand out."