Our project was about travel, and we began by looking at things that people take with them when they go away. What we discovered was that a lot of women wash their underwear while away. So then we focused our attention on the traditional wooden Japanese washboard. Formed over time, the design of the traditional Japanese washboard can be described as "an accumulation of functional beauty". While paying deference to this design, the size, shape and material selected for this new washboard were derived after a thorough reconsideration of its uses. It now meets the needs of today's traveler, fitting into luggage pockets and to the shape of sinks and basins. It's just right for using with small amounts of washing, such as underwear and other small articles that don't merit using a washing machine, or for cleaning spots.