When people first hear about HapeeBum, one question comes up surprisingly often.

"If your wrappers are so colourful... why don't you print the games and pictures directly onto the toilet paper?"

It's a fair question.

In fact, when we first started developing HapeeBum, we explored all kinds of ideas.

Printing on the toilet paper itself was one of them.

But the more we researched it, the more we realised it wasn't the right direction for us.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should

Our philosophy has always been simple.

We wanted to create a product that families could feel good about bringing into their homes.

That meant asking ourselves a lot of questions.

Not just:

"How can we make this fun?"

But also:

"How can we keep it as simple as possible?"

For us, adding colourful images directly onto something that comes into contact with your skin every day didn't align with that philosophy.

Even vegetable-based inks are still inks

People are often surprised to hear this.

Vegetable-based inks are commonly used because they're considered a more environmentally friendly alternative to many traditional inks.

That's a positive step.

But they're still inks.

They're still an additional material being applied to a product that's designed to come into direct contact with your skin.

For HapeeBum, we decided we'd rather leave the paper itself as simple as possible.

It's not about suggesting printed toilet paper is unsafe.

It's about making a choice that reflects our own philosophy: if something isn't necessary, we'd rather leave it out.

So where did the learning go?

This was the fun part.

Instead of putting games and activities on the toilet paper itself, we moved them to the wrapper.

That decision turned out to be one of the best we made.

The wrappers stay clean and dry before the roll is opened.

Parents and children can look at them together.

They spark conversations, encourage curiosity and create little moments of learning—without changing the toilet paper itself.

The wrapper became more than packaging.

It became part of the experience.

We wanted the product to stay... toilet paper

It might sound funny to say, but we actually wanted the toilet paper to do one job really well.

Be soft.

Be strong.

Be comfortable.

Break down appropriately after flushing.

And avoid unnecessary extras.

The wrapper could do everything else.

That's where the colours, activities and imagination live.

Sometimes the simplest idea is the best one

Building HapeeBum taught me something I didn't expect.

Sometimes innovation isn't about adding more.

Sometimes it's about knowing what to leave out.

That thinking shaped every decision we made.

It's why our toilet paper stays simple.

And why our wrappers do the talking.

Elyse's Thoughts

When we first started designing HapeeBum, I was so excited about creating something fun that I nearly overlooked something more important.

The product itself.

I kept coming back to one question:

"Would I want extra ink on something my family uses every day?"

For me, the answer was no.

I'd rather keep the toilet paper as simple as possible and let the wrapper be where the creativity lives.

Looking back, I genuinely think that decision made HapeeBum better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't HapeeBum print directly on the toilet paper?

We wanted to keep the toilet paper itself as simple as possible and avoid adding unnecessary materials. Instead, we put our educational activities on the wrapper.

Are vegetable-based inks safer?

Vegetable-based inks are widely used and can be a more environmentally friendly alternative to some traditional inks. However, they're still an added material, and we chose not to print directly on the toilet paper as part of our product philosophy.

Why are the wrappers educational?

We wanted to transform everyday bathroom routines into opportunities for conversation, curiosity and learning, without changing the toilet paper itself.

Final Thoughts

When people see HapeeBum for the first time, they often notice the colourful wrappers.

What they don't always realise is that what isn't on the toilet paper was just as intentional as what is on the wrapper.

Sometimes, creating a better product isn't about adding more.

It's about knowing when less is more.

 

What do you think? Would you rather have games printed on the toilet paper itself, or on the wrapper? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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