MINOR PROJECT // BREAST PUMP
Hasnol Rafiq Bin Hasnol Raduan / 0356767
Minor Project / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's Design School
We were tasked with designing an efficient portable breast pump, We've been on a journey of innovation and problem-solving.
Proposal
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| https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12GpklwNvChSXZzP639E8Z9796i_EV6UQNXYB6BuP8x0/edit?usp=sharing |
Breastfeeding is a journey filled with both beautiful moments and significant challenges. Among the essential tools for nursing mothers, breast pumps play a crucial role. Yet, many existing breast pumps are outdated, bulky, and lack the convenience and modern features today’s mothers need. Enter **Project Soft Embrace**: our mission is to bring the technologies of the present to a product long left in the past, delivering innovative solutions to the breast pump market.
Bringing Innovation to the Forefront
At Project Soft Embrace, we are dedicated to reimagining the breast pump with cutting-edge technology and user-centric design. Our goal is to create a product that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of modern mothers, combining efficiency, portability, and smart features in one seamless package.
What Modern Mothers Want
Through extensive client-side research, including surveys and interviews, we’ve identified key preferences and pain points among breastfeeding mothers. Our findings show a clear preference for electronic, double pumps within the RM 200-500 price range. Additionally, mothers highly value data tracking capabilities, which help them plan their pumping sessions effectively and ensure their children are getting enough milk. Key features mothers look for include:
- Session Duration Tracking
- Milk Production Monitoring
- Average Milk Consumption Calculation
Beyond these features, mothers expressed a desire for consultation and alarm functions, indicating a need for built-in community features within the app.
Meet Our User Personas
To ensure our product truly addresses the needs of its users, we developed detailed personas representing our target audience:
Working Mom Siti
- Role: Marketing Executive
- Background: 31 years old, mother of twin daughters, full-time worker in Kuala Lumpur
- Wants: Portable, lightweight pump; quiet operation; app integration for reminders and tracking; long battery life
- Needs: Customizable suction settings; efficient pump cycles; easy sterilization and cleaning
- Frustrations: Bulky pump, noisy motor, lack of data logging
- Willingness to Pay: RM500 - RM1,000
Stay-at-Home Mom Nadia
- Role: Former kindergarten teacher, now a full-time mom
- Background: 28 years old, mother of a daughter, lives in Petaling Jaya
- Wants: Pump with massage mode, extended battery life, hands-free capabilities
- Needs: Simple setup, minimal components for quick cleaning, adjustable suction
- Frustrations: Long pumping sessions, limited mobility, nipple discomfort
- Willingness to Pay: RM400 - RM800
Busy Professional Zara
- Role: Regional Sales Manager
- Background: 35 years old, mother of a 9-month-old son, frequent traveler
- Wants: Advanced, innovative pump; app with wireless control; additional features like UV sterilization
- Needs: Ultra-lightweight and portable design; no moisture issues; long-lasting battery
- Frustrations: Bulky pump, cleaning issues during travel, lack of adjustable suction
- Willingness to Pay: RM1,500 - RM2,500
Bringing It All Together
Project Soft Embrace aims to create a breast pump that addresses the diverse needs of modern mothers, from working professionals to stay-at-home moms. Our focus on user-friendly design, innovative technology, and comprehensive data tracking sets us apart from existing products in the market. By listening to our users and continuously improving our product, we hope to support mothers in their breastfeeding journey, making it easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable.
3D Modelling Pump
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| Breastpump 3D Model |
As part of our portable breast pump development process, 3D modeling has played a crucial role in visualizing and refining our design. Here's an insight into this aspect of our project:
Initial Concept:
Our 3D modeling journey began with a simple yet innovative concept - an egg-shaped, two-part design that prioritizes both functionality and aesthetics. This unique shape was chosen to ensure comfort and discretion for mothers using the pump.
Components:
1. Upper Section: Modeled in a soft beige color, this part houses the control interface and likely the battery.
2. Lower Section: Rendered in a vibrant purple, this component serves as both the pump mechanism and milk collection container.
Key Features Visualized in 3D:
1. Compact Design: Our 3D model helped us visualize the pump's overall size and shape, ensuring it remains portable and discreet.
2. Ergonomic Fit: The curved shape of the purple section was carefully modeled to fit comfortably against the breast.
3. Control Interface: Small openings were incorporated into the beige section's 3D model, representing buttons or a touch interface.
4. Seamless Assembly: The two-part design was modeled to fit together perfectly, ensuring easy assembly and disassembly for cleaning.
Benefits of 3D Modeling:
1. Precise Measurements: 3D modeling allowed us to set exact dimensions, ensuring all components fit together perfectly. For instance, we could visualize how the 8cm diameter circuit board would fit within the casing.
2. Material Visualization: Different materials and colors could be applied to our 3D model, helping us choose the most appropriate and appealing options.
3. Iteration and Refinement: We could quickly make changes to our design and immediately see the results, speeding up the development process.
4. Component Placement: 3D modeling helped us optimize the internal layout, ensuring efficient use of space within the compact design.
Creating the Pump
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| Breast Pump |
Creating a breast pump that is both efficient and portable requires a delicate balance between functionality and compact design. Our goal was to develop a pump that mothers could easily use on-the-go without compromising on performance.
Key Components:
1. Compact Circuit Board: At the heart of our design is a circular circuit board measuring just 8 cm in diameter. This small but powerful component houses the pump's "brain," controlling all its functions.
2. Efficient Motor: We've incorporated a compact motor, likely the black cylindrical component measuring about 6 cm in length. This motor is crucial for creating the suction needed for milk expression.
3. Smart Control Chip: A small blue rectangular component, possibly a control chip or display, is integrated to manage the pump's operations and potentially provide user feedback.
4. Ergonomic Casing: The entire assembly is housed in a cream-colored plastic casing, designed for comfort and ease of use. The total length of the main component assembly is approximately 12 cm, making it truly portable.
5. Customizable Breast Shield: We've designed a clear, circular breast shield measuring 8 cm in diameter. Its multiple indentations allow for a customizable fit, ensuring comfort for different breast sizes.
Design Considerations:
Throughout the development process, we've paid close attention to several key factors:
1. Size and Portability: Every component has been carefully selected and arranged to minimize the overall size of the pump.
2. Efficiency: Despite its small size, we've ensured that the pump delivers effective suction for efficient milk expression.
3. User Comfort: The ergonomic design of both the casing and the breast shield prioritizes the user's comfort during pumping sessions.
4. Easy Assembly and Cleaning: The modular design allows for easy disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly.
Mobile App
At our company, we believe that technology should simplify the lives of new mothers. That's why we've dedicated ourselves to creating a smart breast pump app that combines ease of use with powerful features. Let me take you through our development process and the key features we've incorporated.
The Heart of the App: The Control Menu
We started with the main control interface, which we lovingly call "Soft Embrace." This central hub allows mothers to start and pause pumping with a single tap and adjust suction strength using an intuitive slider. We wanted to ensure that even sleep-deprived moms could operate the pump effortlessly.
Timing is Everything
Next, we integrated a precise timer. This feature lets moms track their pumping duration down to the second, helping them maintain consistency and monitor their sessions closely.
Keeping on Schedule
To help moms maintain their pumping routine, we developed a versatile alarm system. Users can set multiple alarms for different scenarios - work, exercise, or feeding times - ensuring they never miss a crucial pumping session.
Data-Driven Insights
We know how important it is for mothers to track their milk production. Our data tracking feature provides a monthly average and daily breakdown of milk volume. This information helps moms identify trends and ensure their baby is getting enough nutrition.
Understanding Patterns
The "Time of Day" heat map is one of our most innovative features. It visualizes when pumping occurs most frequently, helping mothers identify their most productive times and optimize their schedules.
User-Centric Design
Throughout the development process, we focused on creating an interface that's both beautiful and functional. The soft pink color scheme creates a calming atmosphere, while clear icons and buttons ensure easy navigation.
Privacy and Customization
We understand the sensitive nature of breastfeeding data. That's why we've included robust privacy settings, allowing users to control data sharing and ensure their information remains secure. We've also added personalization options, including language settings and theme choices, to make the app feel uniquely theirs.
Constant Support
Lastly, we've integrated easy access to support resources, FAQs, and a community forum. We want our users to feel supported every step of their breastfeeding journey.
Developing this app has been a labor of love. We've strived to create a tool that not only connects seamlessly with our electronic breast pump but also provides a comprehensive support system for new mothers. As we continue to refine and improve the app, we remain committed to our goal: empowering mothers through technology.
Reflection
After months of dedication, research, and innovation, we are proud to announce the successful completion of Project Soft Embrace. Our revolutionary breast pump, coupled with a smart, intuitive app, is finally here to support modern mothers in their breastfeeding journey. This reflection takes you through the milestones, challenges, and triumphs of our journey, offering insights into what it took to bring this innovative product to life.
From Concept to Reality
Project Soft Embrace started as a vision to revolutionize the breast pump market with modern technology and user-centered design. Our goal was to create a product that seamlessly integrates into the lives of breastfeeding mothers, offering convenience, efficiency, and smart features. With a clear understanding of our target audience, thanks to our detailed user personas, we embarked on a journey to make this vision a reality.
Key Milestones
Conducted extensive surveys and interviews with breastfeeding mothers to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points.
Developed detailed user personas to guide our design and development process.
Design and Development: Created prototypes of the breast pump, focusing on portability, lightweight design, and ease of use.
Designed the accompanying app, ensuring it offered customizable suction settings, data tracking, and community features.
User Testing and Feedback: Tested the prototypes with a diverse group of mothers, gathering valuable feedback to refine the product.
Iterated on the design based on user feedback, enhancing features like quiet operation, battery life, and ease of cleaning.
Final Product and Presentation: Successfully developed the final version of the breast pump and app, incorporating all the innovative features we envisioned.
Presented Project Soft Embrace to stakeholders, receiving positive feedback and validation for our efforts.
Challenges and Learnings
The journey was not without its challenges. Balancing the need for advanced features with the simplicity and ease of use required by our users was a constant balancing act. We faced technical hurdles in integrating UV sterilization and ensuring long battery life without compromising portability. However, these challenges taught us the importance of iterative design and the value of user feedback in creating a truly user-centered product.
The Impact of Project Soft Embrace
The response from our user testers and stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive. Mothers have appreciated the innovative features, particularly the quiet operation, customizable settings, and comprehensive data tracking provided by the app. The built-in community feature has also been a hit, offering mothers a platform for support and consultation.
Looking Ahead
The successful completion of Project Soft Embrace is just the beginning. We are excited to continue refining and improving our product based on user feedback. Our journey has reinforced our commitment to innovation and user-centered design, and we are eager to explore further enhancements and new features that can support breastfeeding mothers even more effectively.
Conclusion
Reflecting on our journey, we are immensely proud of what we have achieved with Project Soft Embrace. Our breast pump and app stand as a testament to the power of innovation and the importance of listening to and understanding the needs of our users. We look forward to seeing the positive impact our product will have on the lives of breastfeeding mothers and are committed to continuing our mission of supporting them in their breastfeeding journey.
Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey. Stay tuned for more updates and innovations from Project Soft Embrace. Together, we can make breastfeeding easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable for mothers everywhere.
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