2021 Good Design Awards, USA

ClearSpace Safety Barriers
A Revolutionary Desk Partition System to Protect K-12 Students
How to reopen schools in the middle of a pandemic? How to keep our children safe in classrooms? How to reduce the risk of germs spreading in classrooms? These are some of the questions in the parent's mind when it comes to sending kids back to school.
ClearSpace wants to address these concerns by creating a protective barrier solution that reduces the risk of virus transmission and protects students. They collaborate with Bluemap Design to develop the ClearSpace Safety Barriers, a revolutionary desk partition system. It consists of three interlocking panels that safely and easily attach to desks of any size with screw-on clamps. It protects students at their desks and minimizes the need to wear masks. They stand up even if knocked into because they are securely attached to the desk with clamps. And they are easy to clean/disinfect.

The ClearSpace Safety Barriers consists of three main components: a curved "Sneeze Guard" front panel and two identical side panels. Each panel has two metal clamp fastened onto a transparent acrylic sheet. The design is modular. You can attach a various length of the front panel and side panels to create the protective enclosure that fit onto different desk sizes. All the exposed corners have generous radii for safety purposes. The panels are securely attached to the desk. It would not detach or fall apart; even the student bumps into it. The panels are made of hi-impact acrylic with a smooth surface making it easy to clean and disinfect. It is straightforward to install and take apart. Just slide the panels in place, tighten the thumbscrews on the clamp. No tool is required. Since the panels are attached to the desk's outside edge, students don't lose valuable desk space. The side panel's top edge is color-coded to help the teacher group and assign seats for students. We also include a nameplate on the front.