Lauren Palazzi
Brand and experience-focused designer shaping how brands show up across product, storytelling, and physical space. I work at the intersection of strategy and aesthetics, translating research and business insight into thoughtful, emotionally resonant design.
With a background in Business Administration, I bring systems thinking to creative work. I am currently pursuing my MFA in Products of Design at the School of Visual Arts, where my thesis explores the decline of traditional heirlooms and reimagines how legacy, identity, and emotional context can be preserved across both physical and digital forms in an increasingly transient world.
Email
CV
Are.na
Project Type
Product Design
Art Direction
Branding
Team
Lauren Palazzi
Monty Preston
Haosen Zhang
Duration
2 months
Snuffy: Hiding Emergency Preparedness in Everyday Objects for Children
Snuffy is a comforting throw blanket that transforms into a fire-resistant evacuation jacket for children ages 6 to 11. The project was developed during a period of devastating wildfires, when evacuation became a lived reality for many families. As climate disasters become increasingly common, we asked how children might feel less afraid and more prepared in moments of sudden disruption. By embedding protection inside a familiar object, Snuffy turns safety into something children can wrap themselves in every day.
Designing for a New Normal
Photo by Isadora Kosofsky for The New York Times
Wildfires are no longer rare disasters. They are seasonal, expected, and increasingly severe. Global projections estimate wildfire growth could rise by more than 30 percent by 2050. For many families, evacuation is no longer hypothetical.
It is not easy being a child in this reality.
Research shows that young survivors of climate disasters report high rates of PTSD, depression, and sleep disruption. In the wake of the Los Angeles fires, The New York Times interviewed children about what they chose to save as they evacuated. One five-year-old grabbed her favorite dress. The objects children reach for in crisis are emotional.
At the same time, many everyday garments are made from highly flammable synthetic fabrics. Smoke reduces visibility. Embers travel unpredictably. Children are uniquely vulnerable both physically and psychologically.
When reviewing existing wildfire protection products, we found that most prioritize survival, not emotional security.
This revealed an opportunity: How might we embed emergency preparedness into everyday objects so that safety feels familiar rather than frightening?
From Insight to Product
From our research, three priorities emerged:
1. Protection Without Intimidation
Emergency gear often signals danger. For children, this can heighten fear. We needed a solution that protected against heat, embers, and smoke while maintaining a non-threatening presence in the home.
2. Familiarity Builds Readiness
In evacuation scenarios, families escape with what is nearby. Preparedness tools must live inside daily life rather than being stored away for rare emergencies.
3. Emotional Security Matters
Wildfire protection products focus on survival. Few address the psychological experience of displacement. We sought to design an object that offered comfort before, during, and after evacuation.
Form & Material Exploration
Snuffy was designed as a reversible system with two distinct protection and comfort states. Multiple full-scale prototypes were developed to test fit, transformation speed, and hood coverage.
The outer layer is constructed from wool, a naturally flame-resistant and temperature-regulating fiber. A bold red exterior increases visibility during evacuations, while retroreflective patches enhance safety in heavy smoke or low light conditions. A large hood with a securable face cover shields the head and neck from flying embers and reduces exposure to smoke. Hood depth and closure mechanisms were refined through wear testing to ensure coverage without restricting visibility.
The interior is soft and calming, allowing Snuffy to serve as an everyday blanket at home or while camping, or to be stored in a car. Its familiarity encourages children to engage with it long before an emergency occurs. Iterations focused on weight and drape so the blanket felt natural in daily use rather than technical.
Four integrated utility pockets support both physical and emotional preparedness:
- An N95 mask
- Identification and medical information
- A locator device
- A personal keepsake
Adjustable drawstrings at the wrist accommodate a range of arm lengths, reinforcing independence and adaptability for our primary user group.
Brand & Emotional Framing
Snuffy does not look like emergency gear. That was intentional.
Rather than adopting the hazard-driven aesthetics typical of protective products, the brand was designed to feel empowering and approachable. The goal was not to signal danger, but to help children feel capable in uncertain moments.
The name “Snuffy” balances softness and strength. It sounds cuddly and companion-like, while subtly referencing the act of “snuffing” a fire by cutting off its oxygen supply. The name carries protection without sounding tactical.
The visual language draws from primary and secondary colors rooted in childhood familiarity. Bold red communicates readiness and visibility. Blue introduces calm and emotional balance. Custom patches function as symbolic badges, reinforcing the idea of preparedness as a superpower rather than a warning.
Tagline exploration centered on duality and transformation. Concepts such as “A comfort blanket in more ways than one” reflect Snuffy’s ability to provide both emotional reassurance and physical protection.
Through its identity system, Snuffy reframes emergency preparedness as something children can actively participate in rather than fear.