But it makes a real difference in real lives, and it comes from a specific kind of attention to human experience that is itself a valuable form of intelligence.

Mary Kenner’s ability to design for human experience, across multiple product categories and multiple decades, is part of what makes her inventive career significant beyond the specific commercial success or failure of any individual product.

The Bathroom and Back Washer Patents: Practical Problem-Solving

The back washer patent and the bathroom tissue holder patent are, at first glance, less dramatic than the sanitary belt invention and the walker attachment.

They are simple, practical products addressing simple, practical problems.