A nifty toilet aid designed by a Caringbah businesswoman has won a Good Design Award for its innovative style.
PROPPR is a foot stool that aims to "unkink" the colon when going to the toilet.
Zhenya Gerson and Jacqueline Weiley from Gerrigong are the brains and co-owners behind PROPPR.
Their foot pedestal won its category (product design) in the national design and innovation awards this year. The awards celebrate the best new products and services on the Australian market.
The product was described by judges as functional, honest and unique in enhancing health and well-being, and acknowledged the product's use of Australian timber and toxic free varnish.
Ms Gerson is a gut health nutritionist. She says in many cultures where squatting is the norm, common bowel problems are extremely low.
She said it was important the products were environmentally sustainable and looked good.
"I've been encouraging clients for years to use a footstool in the bathroom to help alleviate or prevent gut and bowel issues," Ms Gerson said.
"However many clients complained that other stool designs were just too ugly or cumbersome".
Ms Weiley said the rise in gut health as a more open topic of conversation across both mainstream and social media meant now was the time to really turn up the news on proper bathroom visits.
"The use of a footstool in the bathroom can help alleviate or prevent health issues by unkinking the colon and letting gravity take over," Ms Weiley said.
"I knew about this and had travelled in Asia and used squat toilets before.
"An American product was pretty much the category creator about 10 years ago but their main stool is made of plastic which I didn't like.
"When I went into Zhenya's clinic about 18 months ago she had this beautiful footrest in the bathroom and I went "WOW that is a stool I would put in my bathroom".
Ms Weiley said the Good Design Award recognises the elegance of the PROPPR as a functional and beautiful piece of bathroom furniture.
The name comes from the design to replicate the proper squat posture while sitting comfortably on a pedestal toilet.
The Good Design Awards jury described it as "a really neat example of good design making a difference to product.
They said it was "an honest, intuitive and no nonsense design approach has created a unique product that will enhance our health and wellbeing".
The awards attracted a record number of submissions this year, with close to 700 design projects evaluated.
