Interactive - Transition Strategies
Sleep-Play-Go
A transformable infant sleep and play system to make family travel easier. Sleep-Play-GO combines functions of both a bassinet and a play mat. The main features of Sleep-Play-GO are storage and carry out.
Sleep-Play-Go
SLEEP
PLAY
GO
Introduction:
I began with a very simple idea to design a crib for first-time parents who have small apartments. After months of observational research and interviewing caretakers, nannies and parents, I have come to realize I am not just designing a crib. I am designing a series of interactive transition between parents, babies and baby products. I will be focusing on how to better convey the value and importance of these interactions to the consumer market.
Where the problem is:
Transitioning between baby products such as cribs, strollers, high chairs, car seats, bouncers, and bassinets is currently an awkward, dangerous and constantly repeated task. Making a seamless system to integrate these interactions would help both babies and parents.
Examples:
Anna, age26, nanny
“It is always a big fuss transitioning from the car seat to the stroller, really transitioning between everything. Anytime I have to pick the child up to walk around is a burden. I never have my hands free!”
1. The most difficult part of dealing with kids under 3 is understanding their needs. They often have little in the way of communication.
2. It varies. Everybody uses strollers and car seats for travel. Backpacks are not as common because they can be awkward to put on and take off when the child needs to be tended to.
3. Really small babies are fairly easy because they are compliant. Ages 1-3 start to become stronger and more active, often uncooperative. Also, picking up kids that don't want to be picked up is almost impossible.
Parents’ problem - Interactive transitions :
On this topic, here are some main problems:
Clutter - Baby accessories (toys)
Limited space - Bulky products
- New parents feel frustrated because their infant products are:
1. Completely taking over their homes
2. Unfit for public transit and crowded places
Most of new parents really want to have their own space when they have to share the bedroom with their babies.
-anecdotal evidence suggests that, while parents love to be able to see their children, having children with them all the time with no respite can make parents uncomfortable. Parents need a break, but they want to know their kids are safe.
Decision and information overload
- For the first-time parents, they really want to make sense what they need to have for their babies.
Misinformation fuels overdrive to provide
- Too many baby stuff at home. Most of them are unuseful.
Another Parents‘ Problem - Price
Integrated system of infant products.
baby is a handful
No privacy in public
Entire home becomes baby room
Babies climb out of the crib
Multipurpose and modular system saves on materials, money, and space at home
Features
Fold, stack, nest, and retract
Multipurpose
Integrated
Modular
Hard shell
Minimalist, fun, modern designs
Benefits
Smaller footprint on lifestyle
Smaller footprint on environment
Savings
Seamless transition home-to-street
Safety
Style
What is missing on the market:
The existing cribs on the market focus on being:
1. Multipurpose
2. Space saving/ folding
3. Adjustable from baby to toddler
4. Comprehensive crib functions
Over the years, I feel like cribs have been designed with modest success. Many cribs still have a heavy wood frame where the corners of the crib can lead to the baby re-breathing and possible Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Many cribs also are not adequate to prevent babies from climbing out. Finally, cribs do not give parents the option of having privacy from the baby when sharing a room.
The most important aspect missing in the current market are interactive transitions. How can a baby be moved from a car seat to a crib and then into a baby carrier? Or how can a baby be moved from a crib to a highchair and then into a bouncer? This may be an individual product or a part that would interact between the car seats, cribs and carriers or the highchairs, cribs and bouncers.
? ? ?
? ? ?
Solution
Key points to consider:
1. Multipurpose: one single product at least have two functions.
2. Transformable.
References：
Final Concept Design
Fold Sleep-Play-Go from the front, it is a bassinet.
Re-falt Sleep-Play-Go, turn it over, it is a play mat.
Fold Sleep-Play-Go from the back. You can carry it to anywhere you want.
Simple paper model of Sleep-Play-Go
Why the combination of bassinet and play mat?
New babies spend a good portion of their time sleeping, a quality baby bed is an important baby furniture investment.
Baby bassinets offer many benefits over traditional baby furniture. Bassinets is more portable than cribs and other baby beds, and they allow you to keep baby close night and day. They also offer fun and different style choices.
Infants need stimulation and playtime to help develop their growing bodies and expanding brains. play mats are great educational toys and can be enjoyed by a baby of any age. Baby play mats are great for entertaining an infant and giving them sensory experiences at the same time. Though play mats are perfect for infants and babies, toddlers and older children can appreciate baby gyms and the different toys and sensory experiences they offer. An infant and a two-year-old can enjoy a baby play mat together and entertain one another, whether young couples or young parents are at home or camping by the lake.
How to fold Sleep-Play-Go?
The color pattern provides folding cues.
A simple paper model of Sleep-Play-Go to show how to fold to take anywhere you want.
A simple paper model of Sleep-Play-Go to show how to fold it from a play mat to a bassinet.
Size
1850mm x 1850mm，in which a 500mm x 500mm area can be used for infants
I looked through current bassinet size in babyRus and the smalles resting area was 400mm x 400mm. Therefore, I choose somewhere in the middle as the size for my Sleep-Play-Go.
what age?
This product is designed for babies up to 6 months.
Regarding what is an appropriate time to use play mat，there is no conclusive answer. there are al lot of discussions over the internet. The questions are, when to use play mat and start tummy time；When should you start using a baby play mat/gym or When do babies take interest in play mats. Most babies develop an interest from as early as 1,2 weeks after given birth and no later than 1-2 months.
Color：
Bright colors with other different hue colors to help users to understand how to fold to become a bassinet.
Bright colors attractive baby’s attention. Bright colors also make people happy.
This fold-able design is different from the usual boring box-like appearance, which is more interesting and attractive.
Final model
Bassinet side colors and patterns.
Play mat side colors and patterns.
Material and Manufacturing
Made of durable yet lightweight polypropylene, so Sleep-Play-GO can transformed from a single flat pack piece to a curvaceous bassinet in less than a minute by simple folding.
For storage, just re-flatten and place it inside a closet or a storage room.
Fabric
+
Foam
+
Polyporpylene
+
Fabric
Removable fabric to wash easier.
A polypropylene sheet with molded in living hinges.
What are the next steps?
1. User testing and improvements based on the model;
2. Consider more on the safetyness so that bigger babies can use it too.
3. A Sleep-Play-GO made by right materials.
