Feeding On The Go

A design thesis that aims to provide a hassle free experience for parents while feeding toddlers Tay En Qi Angela . U086626Y . Supervisor: Dr Yen CC . April 2012

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My heartfelt thanks to all who have helped made this thesis possible God for His faithfulness Dr Yen & tutors for their guidance The lovely parents and kids who have helped made this thesis much more valuable and real Huimin & little Nathan Peihua & little Javier Mothers from mothers cellgroup Lishan, little Joan & Family Selina & little chayenne Leona & mothers Experts who have helped greatly with critical feedback Maisie Cheryl Simon Sabino Family & Friends for your full support & lastly, all the lovely babies!

REPORT OUTLINE 1.

8.

Background

Feed Easily With One Hand

1.1 Abstract

4

8.1 Brainstorming

35

1.2 Motivation

5

8.2 Ideation

37

1.3 Aim of thesis

6

1.4 Value of thesis

7

1.5 User research methods

8

1.6 Case study on air travel

9

2.

Final Design Direction

9.1 Direction

38

9.2 Design requirements

40

10. Design Approach

Understanding the Family Air Travel Process

2.1 Process at a glance

10

2.2 Analysis of identified problems

11

2.3 Selected problem

13

3.

9.

Chosen Problem

10.1 Typology of platform

45

10.2 How feeding items can be secured

46

10.3 Concept 1

47

10.4 What is a bag?

48

10.5 Exploring method of securing feeding items

49

3.1 Parents unable to enjoy their meals

14

10.6 Hook

53

3.2 Pragmatic lack of space

16

10.7 Exploration of platform

55

3.3 Uncooperative child

18

10.8 Concept 2

56

10.9 Concept refinements

59

10.10 Integrated hook system

60

10.11 Refined hook

62

10.12 Form explorations

66

10.13 Platform concept 3

69

10.14 Refinements to feeding items

72

11.

Final Design

73

4.

On the go contexts

4.1 Car

19

4.2 Public train

20

4.3 Outdoor

21

4.4 Problem & Opportunities

22

5.

Potential Design Directions

23

6.

Target User Group

24

11.1 Feeding items

74

6.1 Characteristics of user group

25

11.2 Feeding platform

78

6.2 Weaning stages & patterns

26

11.3 Material selection

81

6.3 What is family mealtime?

28

12. Business Aspect

83

13. Future

84

14. Appendices

85

7.

Feeding On The Go

7.1 Factors

29

7.2 Objects

30

7.3 Packing feeding items

31

7.4 Feeding bag

32

1.1 BACKGROUND -

ABSTRACT

Feeding on the go started out as a problem seeking thesis to find out how travelling can be a pleasant one for parents with toddlers. In depth user research was done to understand, explore and to find out where the potential for improvement lies. From the myriad of problems discovered, the ability to do something well with one hand was realized as the best way to provide efficiency in the travelling experience. Feeding was the context to look into. If parents could feed easily with one hand, it reduces the hassle of juggling both child and feeding. Parents can also focus on their child better.

On-the-go Feeding Set was thus conceived after several design iterations, prototyping, refinements and testing. With specially designed feeding items that attaches securely onto a feeding bag, the bag serves as a convenient platform on the go. By securing the feeding vessels, parents do not have to hold it, children will not topple items accidentally and caps can be easily opened with one hand. With the bag, the entire feeding process reduces to a basic one hand operation, just as if someone is holding it for you. With simple affordances that allow single hand feeding, parents can now focus on having a happy mealtime with their child.

4

1.2 BACKGROUND -

MOTIVATION

pic 1.

pic 2.

pic 3.

It all began when a child started crying for 2 hours nonstop on my plane ride. All the passengers were really annoyed and I was just thankful that I was seated far from the child. I then started to think about how it actually felt to be a parent, to suffer the embarrassment and pain of a wailing baby. From that incident on, I started to notice the problems parents face on my other trips. Parents are always struggling to manage both children and luggage and I always notice a very tired family at the end of the plane ride. The plane ride can be summed up as Tired, Uncomfortable and Unpleasant for the entire family.

Upon quick online research, I noticed that what I’ve observed is very common. Some parents really do have a fear of bringing their kids onboard and many passengers just hate kids on their flights. I thus feel that there’s a strong need to be addressed here hence decided to use design as a platform to provide a Pleasant Family Travelling Experience.

1

5 pic1. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/08/article-2012440-0CE98DA700000578-769_472x482.jpg

pic2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2012440/Octomom-Nadya-Suleman-wits-end-airport-security-14-children.html

pic3. http://kautzfamily.blogspot.com

1.3 BACKGROUND -

AIM OF THESIS

HAPPY

FAMILY All Adults & Children

To provide a pleasant family travelling experience

Everyone should feel good!

EFFICIENT Streamlined Travelling Process

The aim of my thesis is to provide a pleasant family travelling experience. As I progressed through the thesis, this aim served as a backbone for me and I always make sure that my developments do address this aim and need. I have defined the word pleasant as efficient and happy. Efficiency is highly emphasised and desired in today’s travel context and is tough to achieve for child travel. I also do wish to emphasize the need and value of a Happy trip. So long as everyone in the family is happy and positive, even if things are not efficient, the trip will still be a pleasant one.

6

1.4 BACKGROUND -

VALUE OF THESIS

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT AND WHY IS IT WORTH LOOKING INTO?

By making the travel experience more pleasant for the entire family, it:

• Eliminates parent’s fear of travelling with kids • Increases child empathy and travelling with children on the same aircraft will be more acceptable to all passengers. A 2011 TripAdvisor Survey reveals that 27% of travellers would pay to sit in a child-free section of an airplane1 and in 2009, 13% out of 3000 US travellers actually think that airlines should prohibit parents from flying with infants. 2 This is a shocking number but it reveals how apparent the lack of child empathy on planes is.

• Today, parents choose air travel because it reduces travel time which keeps their baby happy. By making air travel more conducive for families, air travel would be a continued choice for transport.

• As children pay only a percentage of the full fare today, improving air travel for families is an economical benefit for the industry.

• Some airlines do acknowledge that it is difficult for parents travelling with kids and do make an effort to educate their cabin crew on how to attend to parents in need. 3 • The air travel context is one of the most difficult and complicated scenarios for a parent. By tackling the air travel context first, tackling any other travel context would be possible too.

• Lastly, it encourages Travel for all.

pic 4.

1. http://www.hospitality-industry.com/index.php/news/comments/tripadvisor_unveils_2011_travel_trends_forecast 2. http://www.tripadvisor.com/PressCenter-i208-c1-Press_Releases.html pic4. http://x2d.xanga.com/af1f331321635224908109/b176758844.jpg

7

1.5 BACKGROUND -

USER RESEARCH METHODS

I approached my thesis with three main User Research Methods. These methods helped me understand the problems, feelings and behavioural patterns of users. Speaking with the users frequently also serve as a check and balance for the development of my thesis.

1. ONLINE RESEARCH To allow a better understanding of the topic, much research was done online first before speaking to real life users. I started by reading online forums, diaries and browsing parental websites to gain a deeper understand of the issue. To my surprise, there were many self-created websites by parents themselves that encourage other parents to bring their child onboard air travel and tips were provided to help. Many parents also share their stories and seek help from parental forums. Videos were pic 5.

Jerblinn.com - An online blog with a featured blog post on tips for travelling with baby

also a great help because I could see first-hand the real-life problems parents face. The online resources were a great source of help to understand the bigger picture better.

2. INTERVIEWS Interviews were essential for me to understand the problems parents face better. Over the cause of my thesis, I had the opportunity to speak with several parents, cabin crew, design professionals in the child design field as well as the aircraft field. As I’m no parent nor an expert in the field, I find the insights from my user studies very valuable to the thesis. They enjoyed sharing and was happy that someone was listening to their problems. For me, my interviewees play a huge role in the completion of my thesis. As real users, their feedback was really powerful. The interview discussions can be found in Mothers Group Outing

Appendix A.

3. SURVEYS A series of surveys were done throughout the thesis. These surveys were done to facilitate my interviews and were also helpful to speak with parents who were difficult to contact. Questions pertaining to the air travel process were asked to understand their feelings as well as the problems they face. Another survey was also carried out to find out the behavioural patterns of parents. The survey questions and responses can be found in Appendix A.8.

An online survey I carried out to understand Parents Feeding Behavior better (Appendix A.8)

1

pic5. http://www.jerblinn.com/2011/09/traveling-with-baby-tips.html

8

1.6 BACKGROUND -

CASE STUDY ON AIR TRAVEL

The family travelling experience would be approach from a case study on air travel first. Air travel was chosen as the study because it is one of the toughest context and scenarios to handle a child. With maximum constraints such as space, air pressure, confined aircraft etc, it would be a great context to start tackling from. From the user research methods mentioned earlier, a general word cloud was done to understand and identify the air travelling process. The word cloud generated served as a starting point for the thesis. It provided a clearer understanding of the problems, the items needed during travel and users involved as well. The cloud also summed up the air travel process, which is stressful and a hassle.

9

2.1

UNDERSTANDING THE FAMILY AIR TRAVEL PROCESS -

PROCESS AT A GLANCE

Travel to the airport Children under 2 years pay only 10% of adult fare & taxes3

Outlined here are the steps parents take

Packing baby’s necessities

during the Air Travel Process, including

Booking of baby bassinet

important facts to take note when travelling with a child.

Child has to be strapped to parents lap with a second seat-belt during takeoff & landing

3&4. http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Singapore_Air/infants.php

No meals will be served to baby unless requested

pay extra seat to put your baby seat

pay nothing for baby to sit on your lap

Baby can rest in bassinet but only during the cruise period of flight Max Weight: 14kg Dim: 768 L x 298 W x 158 H 4

Parents would commonly pack their own baby food onboard

10

2.2

UNDERSTANDING THE FAMILY AIR TRAVEL PROCESS -

ANALYSIS OF IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS

• Most parents have a fear of bringing child onboard flights due to embarrassment & stress some would rather wait.

Because most parents already find it difficult to handle their child at home, they rather avoid the trouble at 35,000 feet above ground.

• Lack of child empathy from other passengers. A survey in March 2011 revealed that 31% of USA Travellers said they would shell out for a seat in a child-free section of an airplane5 This is just 1 out of the many complaints other passengers have against babies on the plane.

• The overall fuss and hassle on the airplane leads to a lack of stress for parents on the plane.

• New parents are not familiar with the baby items to pack and the amount that is needed for the trip.

• Some parents are unsure of where things should be packed and this usually results in a huge mess of child items on the floor of the plane.

• In a survey, 24% of parents find packing to be a major cause of stress. 6

• Most babies do not enjoy being restrained by the safety belt and would start to wail loudly in the plane. This is a common experience parents have on planes 1 and is one I have observed several times. Parents attribute this to children’s need to move about and the tight space in the plane seat restricts them, moreover a safety belt.

• Very commonly, children experience ear discomfort due to pressure differences and start to cry or wail to ease their pain. This is a problem parents cannot solve but can only prevent by nursing their child during take-off.

• There are many occurrences where child would cry or wail in the plane. This wailing and crying is a big problem of distress for parents, child and other passengers on the plane.

5. http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/tripadvisor/42945 6. http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/travel/services/travel_services.asp#little

11

2.2

UNDERSTANDING THE FAMILY AIR TRAVEL PROCESS -

ANALYSIS OF IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS

• A separate safety seat is strongly recommended by Professionals for children under two years of age. 7 However, most parents do not bring a seat up because of its weight and the need to pay for an extra seat. Hence, parents would rather have their baby sit on their laps for free.

• The economy class seats are too cramped for an adult and a baby hence restricting movements and activities of both parent and child and child gets upset being restricted in a tight space.

• A lap child is heavy and uncomfortable for any long duration of a flight. pic 7.

• Bassinets are generally only suitable for children under 18months due to its length and weight restrictions.

• It is mandatory for child to be taken out of bassinet during turbulences. As child is usually asleep in the pic 8.

bassinet, parents are usually very reluctant and unhappy to remove their child from the bassinet.

• Due to their unfamiliarity with the bassinet, a foreign bed, not all children feel comfortable resting in it hence getting child to rest can be an issue.

pic 9.

SELECTED PROBLEM • Parents have to attend to their child during mealtimes hence have difficulty enjoying their meals.

• Due to the lack of space, the tray cannot be lowered and food cannot be put on it while child is on parent’s pic 10.

lap. Parents thus usually have to take turns to have their meals.

• Children have a tendency to touch things near to them, especially food that is served.

pic 11.

7. http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/carseat2011.htm pic7. http://peculiaris.net/russias-lost-heroes-nation-mourns-a-sporting-tragedy pic8. http://tivole.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/hk2010_009_400x267.jpg pic9. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LTlGrsbYtTQ/S0FNhtz_3rI/AAAAAAAABCA/Uvej_Rpvi_E/s320/bassinet.jpg pic10. http://www.oureverydaythings.com pic11. http://www.jerblinn.com/2011/09/traveling-with-baby-tips.html

12

2.3

UNDERSTANDING THE FAMILY AIR TRAVEL PROCESS -

SELECTED PROBLEM

SELECTED PROBLEM

Through understanding the myriad of problems parents face with a child on the go, we can identify that the overall travelling experience with a child can be a tiring and unpleasant one. It is impossible to solve every single problem parents face, hence after much deliberation and consideration of the problems, I have decided to focus on improving the Mealtime Scenario on the plane.

The mealtime scenario is one that parents would commonly face on the go, even at home, and not only in the airline context. Choosing this problem area would allow more flexibility and breadth in the eventual design outcome, as compared to the other problems that are very specific to the airline context.

I hope that through the provision of a pleasant mealtime experience on the go would bring about an overall pleasant family travelling experience.

To provide a pleasant family travelling experience

Providing a pleasant mealtime experience on the go

13

3.1

CHOSEN PROBLEM -

PARENT’S UNABLE TO ENJOY THEIR MEALS

Let’s investigate deeper into how we can provide a more pleasant mealtime experience. Identified below are 3 main problems parents face with mealtimes on the aircraft.

1. ATTENDING TO CHILD DURING MEALTIMES PREVENTS PARENTS FROM ENJOYING THEIR OWN MEALS

While having a child on one’s lap, it is unavoidable that one has to constantly attend to the child. Parents, thus, face a problem eating while having a child on the lap. The common solution that parents take today would be to take turns to eat. The cabin crew would commonly ask parents if they would like to have only one meal served first. If yes, one parent, say the father, would eat first, while the mother attends to the baby. Once father is done with his meal, the mother would call for her meal to be served, and the father takes over the task of attending to the baby. In some scenarios, parents feed their child the same food the adults eat, hence would feed the child at the same time too.

Ideally this plan seems perfect. However, fathers have commented that they feel they are rushed through their meals it’s very unpleasant, and mother’s feel that father’s are eating too slowly. Also, if parents take a long time to feed or appease their child, mothers end up eating their meals too late. By that time, food has already turned cold or as commented by a cabin crew, parent’s do not feel like eating anymore.

Table 1 below illustrates the time parents spend during mealtimes on the plane. As shown, parents spend a huge amount of time attending to their child as compared to eating.

Eating, thus, becomes a rushed and unenjoyable process. The target improvements I wish to address would be to reduce parent’s feeding time for baby.

14

3.1

CHOSEN PROBLEM -

PARENT’S UNABLE TO ENJOY THEIR MEALS

Timings given are an estimate from a interview with a parent

Table 1: Time spend during mealtimes on the plane

TARGET AIM

The targeted aim would be a shorter feeding time for parents. With a shorter feeding time, parents can have more time to enjoy their meals and will be less pressured to eat quickly.

I wish my husband and I do not have to rush through our food.

15

3.2

CHOSEN PROBLEM -

PRAGMATIC LACK OF SPACE

2. PRAGMATIC LACK OF SPACE IN SEAT DURING MEALTIMES 2.1 DURING PARENT’S MEALTIME Having a child on your lap restricts parent from eating normally. Below are 3 scenarios that illustrates the problem and solutions parents take during mealtimes.

In scenario 1 below, due to space constraints, the tray is unable to be lowered down. This is the most common scenario for all parents. As such, most cabin crew suggest parents to take turns for their meals. However, this is not ideal as discussed earlier. For scenario 2, if there’s enough space, parents are able to eat over their child. However this gives rise to a common unseen problem, which is that child would tend to touch and mess up the food on the table. Due to the close proximity of items, babies tend to be curious and touch anything that is near them. In this situation, touching of food is dangerous. I will explain this problem more in the next section. Lastly, in scenario 3, if possible, moms would put their food tray on dad’s tray and eat from there. This scenario, however, is less common.

The pragmatic lack of space, thus, is an issue to be addressed. If space constraints can be maximised well to its fullest potential, then perhaps parent and child can have mealtimes at the same time and it can be an enjoyable one.

Food For Thought: What if I can eat without lowering the airline tray?

SCENARIO 1

SCENARIO 2

SCENARIO 3

Tray is too close to baby that it is impossible to lower it

Mom reaches over child to eat food

Mom puts food tray on dad’s lap and eats from there

16

3.2

CHOSEN PROBLEM -

PRAGMATIC LACK OF SPACE

2.2 WHEN FEEDING CHILD The problem with space exists too when feeding a child on the plane. Shown below is a common scenario observed while feeding baby on the plane. This is the most common scenario when mom travels with a partner. In this scenario, the mom holds baby securely while the grandmother helps to prepare milk for baby. Having someone to help you during feeding is always more efficient than doing it alone. Though this scenario illustrated is quite perfect, parents do not always travel with a companion. This is when feeding is really tough and a struggle. Highlighted below are several other problems identified.

It’is impossible to travel alone with baby!

FOOD TURNS COLD With the cold wind blowing on the plane, any food activity has to be done quickly

NO PROPER PLACE With the lack of space, items are randomly placed at times

OCCUPIED HANDS Mom needs both hands to hold squirmy child securely hence help is needed to prepare milk

TURBULENCE Feeding a child on a plane is tough as it is always moving and shaky. This is worse during turbulences

17

3.3

CHOSEN PROBLEM -

UNCOOPERATIVE CHILD

3. UNCOOPERATIVE CHILD Having a young figidtive child on your lap is difficult to handle and this is especially so with a child on your lap. Toddlers tend to touch anything within sight to explore. For example, the spoon when they are being fed. No doubt this is a great natural learning process for them, but, this is extremely disruptive when feeding in a tight space. Parents thus constantly prevent them from messing up any food items or even worse, touching food. Touching of food is dangerous, undesirable and is an issue parents would love to prevent. The problem with an uncooperative child is also present in everyday feeding. Illustrated below are two such scenarios.

DID NOT NOTICE

FOCUSED

Mom does not notice that child is touching a knife

Dad is focused on his task, i.e. feeding

LACK OF HANDS One hand holding baby’s hand, one hand holding spoon = no hand for other things like preventing baby from touching other items

Mom holds baby while dad feeds.

A common method of feeding

PUSHING FOOD BOWL Babies tend to touch things close to them & this is terrible in a tight space like the aircraft

THROWING FOOD KNIFE Inquisitive child touches food knife, which he later throws on the ground

ALL 4 HANDS USED UP With all 4 hands in use, who will stop baby from touching the knife?

1 HAND USED Mom uses 1 hand to hold figidtive baby tightly

18

4.1

ON THE GO CONTEXTS -

CAR

The problems face during mealtimes on Air Travel can very well be translated to other contexts on the go. As I do not want to limit my design scope to just the aircraft, I broaden my scope to investigate general on-the-go mealtime contexts as well. Below are 3 other main on the go contexts I aim to address.

1. CAR

FOOD TURNS COLD HANDS ARE FULL Mom’s hands are fully occupied & is difficult to do anything else such as picking up a cloth to wipe baby’s mouth.

Feeding has to be fast lest food turns cold

LACK OF PLATFORM No place to put feeding items.

UNSTABLE CONDITIONS While car is on the move, feeding a child in the car can be difficult when it’s shaky.

NO PROPER PLACE With the lack of a proper platform, items are randomly & insecurely hooked or placed on laps.

19

4.2

ON THE GO CONTEXTS -

PUBLIC TRAIN

2. PUBLIC TRAIN I once witnessed a lady preparing milk for her crying baby on the train. She was commuting alone and it was such a tedious process for her. The action of preparing milk at home is such a simple everyday task. But when transposed to scenarios on the train and plane, it’s no easy feat. Shown below is an illustration of the problems identified while making milk in a public train.

By the time I managed to open the bottle, my son has already spilled something.

WAILING BABY!

WAILING BABY

LACK OF PLATFORM

DIFFICULTY OPENING BOTTLES

Time for milk I need to prepare milk Now!

Balancing the milk bottle on whatever she can make use of

When hands are full, it is difficult to open a bottle with one hand

20

4.3

ON THE GO CONTEXTS -

OUTDOOR

3. OUTDOOR Lastly, a common scenario is the general outdoor scenario such as a day outing. If parents have to feed their child at a timing where they are still outdoors, they would find a place to sit and feed. It is almost impossible to feed a child standing up and parents would commonly find a place to sit and start preparing for feeding. From my survey, 80% of parents commented that they would feed their child anywhere such as an outdoor bench8. The use of a pram is very common in the case of Singapore. The pram does not only serve as a vehicle for a child but also allow parents to bring their baby items around comfortably.

pic 12.

FEEDING ON OUTDOOR BENCH Parents find a place to sit to feed baby. Meanwhile, mom takes the opportunity to grab a bite

pic12. http://www.flickr.com/photos/17367470@N05/4982113086/sizes/o/in/photostream

8. Survey dated 24th March 2012. Seep Appendix A.8 for full results.

RETRIEVES BOTTLE FROM BAG Mom retrieves bottle from bag hung on pram

FEEDS BABY Mom feeds milk to baby on the go

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4.4

ON THE GO CONTEXTS -

PROBLEM & OPPORTUNITIES

Upon investigation of the 3 major on-the-go contexts, I realize that there are 3 key characteristics that reoccur throughout. Firstly, the lack of platform is a common issue one would experience throughout feeding on the go. Having a platform would allow parents to have much more flexibility and efficiency in feeding. I thus question if there’s a possible way to allow parents to have a platform for feeding wherever they go. Secondly, on the go contexts tend to be shaky and unstable, which increases the difficulty during feeding.

What if the feeding process can be very stable in an unstable context? What if feeding items can be held securely?

The first 2 characteristics were clear and obvious as a problem to be solved. However, 1 key insight that parents do not realize is the issue of a one hand feeding. For most parents, though it is difficult to feed with one hand, they tend to not remember it once the meal is over because there are other bigger problems they experience. The parents I’ve observed and interviewed never mentioned these problems. It was only through long term observations did I realize that the problem with one hand feeding is a fertile area to be addressed.

What if there’s a platform wherever I go?

1. Lack of platform 2. Shaky & unstable context

Could the feeding process be very stable despite being in an unstable context?

3. INCONVENIENT ONE HAND FEEDING What if I could do everything with just one hand?

I have never realized it but yes, it will be so much easier if I can feed with one hand

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5

POTENTIAL DESIGN DIRECTIONS

From the above problem & opportunities, 4 design directions were crafted.

1. Keeping baby entertained throughout mealtimes 2. Keeping baby’s hands off food on the table 3. Allowing both parent and child to eat at the same time 4. Allow parents to feed with one hand

Quick ideations and evaluations were done for the first 3 before finally deciding to develop Direction 4. In general, Direction 4 had a stronger potential and feasibility. It was also a direction recommended by a design graduate, now an air stewardess who observed the problem and feels this as a pressing need to be addressed for parents. The direction was also more popularly selected by parents. After much thought and evaluation, I decided to proceed ahead with it. To view my developments for the first 3 directions, please refer to Appendix B.

To provide a pleasant family travelling experience

Providing a pleasant mealtime experience on the go

Allowing parents to feed easily with one hand on the go

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6

TARGET USER GROUP

6 - 18 months

PARENTS

+

CHILDREN

travel at discounted fare child weighs 6 - 10 kg learning to crawl & walk ready to eat solid food

My target user group would be families with children 6 - 18 months old. The age group was chosen with their unique characteristics in mind. These characteristics would serve as a design constraint for me later on in my design process.

Firstly, children under 2 years pay only a discounted fare of 10% of an adult fare, with the requirement to sit on the lap of an adult. 8 The cost factor makes this a common option for parents and is also a main reason why parents opt to travel with their child before they turn two. I see this as a potential and value in designing for families with children within this age group.

As children of this age group is still heavily dependent on their parents. I see this as a design opportunity where parents need a lot of help with managing the child. With a child sitting for long hours on a parent’s lap, I see a strong potential in designing around the space constraints in the plane. Children of this age are also only learning to walk but still immobile hence easier for parents to control and manage. Designing for this age group would be a good starting point.

Lastly, children of this age group is in the transition from weaning to solid meals. During the weaning periods, parents have to pack specially prepared food for babies to bring on the go. As this affects the packing and on-the-go process, I see this as a problem solving opportunity for design later on.

8. http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Singapore_Air/infants.php

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6.1

TARGET USER GROUP -

6 - 8 months

Turns toward sounds & voices Sits without support Passes objects from hand to hand

8 - 10 months

CHARACTERISTICS OF USER GROUP

10 - 12 months

Stands with support

Mastered pincer grasp

Developing pincer grasps

Able to stand alone for a couple of seconds

Drinks from sippy cup

Crawls well, with belly off the ground

Eats with fingers Starts crawling Say mama & dada

Puts objects into containers

12 - 14 months

14 - 16 months

16 - 18 months

Indicates wants with gestures

Responds to instructions well

Able to do most tasks now

Imitates actions

Eats with fingers

Begin to show temper tantrums

Walks alone

Uses a fork and spoon

Speaking more words Enjoys looking at his reflection

Matches lid with appropriate containers

Becomes picky about food Take lesser naps

Starts jabbering Able to roll a ball back & forth Table 2: Characteristics of children 6-18 months old 9

Understanding the key characteristics of the target age group is important. A baby grows very rapidly in their first 24 months and there’s always something new to expect for parents.

Highlighted above are the key characteristics of a child’s birth from 6-18 months. What is important to note is the child’s transition between crawling to walking, their ability to understand instructions better and learning to be more independent in their actions.

1

9. http://www.babycenter.com/0_milestone-chart-1-to-6-months_1496585.bc

25

6.2

TARGET USER GROUP -

WEANING STAGES & PATTERNS

6

Table 3: Weaning patterns of child 10

Weaning is the process of moving a baby from a milk-only diet to a mixed diet of milk and solid food. Experts advice that it is best to wait until a baby is 6 months old before weaning as a baby’s own supply of iron depletes and need extra iron found in solid foods. It is also recommended that home-cooked food is healthier and cheaper for babies.

Weaning is about experiencing new tastes, smells and textures. Weaning is the beginning of a child’s love and enjoyment of a healthy and happy mealtime.11 Weaning lasts from around the period of 5 - 18 months after which a child can fully eat ordinary food on their own. Table 3 above shows the stages babies go through from 6-18 months. The Japanese have a specific way of describing these stages which is easy to understand.

10. http://www.combi.co.jp/bl/tableware/index.html

11. Weaning and Coping with Feeding Problems, Naia Edwards, 2009

26

6.2

TARGET USER GROUP -

WEANING STAGES & PATTERNS

Shown below here are the weaning stages and patterns of a child 6-18 months. This study here helps me understand better the type of food children eat and the amount they eat, which in turn affects the number and type of feeding items parents bring out. I also investigate on the attitudes and actions parents and babies might have during mealtimes.

Eats only one meal in a day Unable to chew

6 — 7 months

Meals are give in small portions

Swallowing ‘Gokkun Period’

Food spills out of baby’s lips frequently Mom communicates with child to encourage him to eat with words like “ah..& yummy!” pic 12.

Food has to be mashed before feeding child Begin mimicking chewing patterns, moving jaw from side to side Teeth will begin to develop by this age too

7 — 9 months

Tongue has more strength to swallow better

Gumming ‘Mogumogu Period’

Able to sit firmly in a highchair Able to try thicker textures and to start swallowing lumpier food pic 13.

Pincer grab is developed and baby is able to feed with her own fingers Finger feeding helps develop allows better hand-eye co-ordination

Begin to eat 3 meals a day. Good chance to cultivate eating together as a habit 9 — 12 months

Learning to feed self with spoon

Chewing ‘Kamikami Period’

Able to chew tougher food Can eat a mashed-up version of parent’s meal so less preparation is required pic 14.

Mealtimes will begin to take longer as child learns to feed herself

Able to fully feed herself

12 — 18 months

Able to hold & drink from a cup

Gobbling/Completion ‘Pakupaku Period’

May begin to be picky pic 15.

Able to walk around hence staying still during meals can be a problem

Table 4: Weaning patterns of child pic12. http://pigeon.info/baby/theme/rinyuu.html

pic13. http://thehunniepot.blogspot.com/2012/01/adventures-in-baby-led-weaning.html

pic14&15. http://pigeon.info/douga/contest/index-21.html

27

6.3

TARGET USER GROUP -

WHAT IS FAMILY MEALTIME?

WHAT IS FAMILY MEALTIME?

YOUR IDEAL FAMILY MEALTIME IS?

I would define family mealtime as a time and a meal where the entire

Through surveys and interviews, I manage to find out what family

family comes to sit and have a meal together. It is also an opportunity

mealtimes mean for most parents 13.

for parents to strengthen their bonds with their children and a time for children to grow and cultivate important eating habits.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? As the saying goes, “The family that eats together stays together”, eating together as a family is bonding time. Especially in the fast paced age today, parents should instill this good habit into children when they’re young.

Children may run out of patience so meals should be snappy, healthy & easy to eat when on the go

Anywhere, anytime so long as we are enjoying the meal together.

Mealtimes are best when my child is comfortable.

Like lying on a couch.

TOGETHERNESS Allowing young children to eat at the table, is also cultivating a habit of

Someone can help us take care of baby while we eat

being grown up. Children love to mimic their parents’ actions and eating My husband & I do not have to rush through our food

together is a good start.

Most parents find it difficult to have their babies join them together at the dining table. However, experts encourage parents to allow their child to sit together with them at the dining table. Even if it’s not baby’s

Just like how it was before we had our baby

mealtime, a few finger food can be given. This allows baby to learn the meaning of family mealtime. “It’s the togetherness that really counts!” 12

12. http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/week-46/eat-together.aspx

13. For full results of surveys, please refer to Appendix A.5

28

7.1

FEEDING ON THE GO -

FACTORS

A closer look was taken to understand the feeding on the go scenario deeper. Shown below is a mapping of factors pertaining to the process. This map allows us to have a clearer picture of the stakeholders, users, contexts, objects and activities that are involved in this process.

objects feeding items pram/stroller baby seat baby chair diaper bag toys

BABY

companion

PARENTS

context all outdoors with pram without pram with platform without platform

activity breastfeeding feeding formula milk feeding solids feeding snacks mashing parent’s food drinking water cleaning up

29

7.2

FEEDING ON THE GO -

OBJECTS

A closer look into objects that are involved in the feeding on the go process reveals the feeding items and feeding equipments involved.

FEEDING EQUIPMENTS

FEEDING ITEMS

pram

bib

milk bottle

purée

high chair

snack container milk powder bottle

hot water flask

baby wipes

toys baby sling pacifier

water bottle

container for homemade purée

medicine

baby seat

thermosflask

spoon food scissors

mom’s bag

Please refer to Appendix C for the referencing of these photos

30

7.3

FEEDING ON THE GO -

PACKING FEEDING ITEMS

An investigation on current mom’s bag was done to understand how parent’s pack their feeding items when heading out. Shown below are the items parents need to put into the bag and remove when feeding. There’s a whole range of items to be brought for just a simple feeding process. And these items have to be taken out again during the feed. This is a troublesome process of packing, and then unpacking. What was observed is also that the items today have no correlation to the bag. They are common domestic items that are placed into the bag randomly and then removed one by one during feed.

PUT ITEMS IN

TAKE ITEMS OUT

food scissors

food scissors

bib

milk bottle

bib

purée

milk bottle

snack container milk powder bottle

hot water flask

baby wipes

purée

snack container milk powder bottle

hot water flask

baby wipes

pacifier

water bottle

container for homemade purée

pacifier

medicine

water bottle

thermosflask

spoon

container for homemade purée

medicine thermosflask

spoon

Mom takes out the items needed for feeding one by one and places them on the table

Please refer to Appendix C for the referencing of these photos

31

7.4

FEEDING ON THE GO -

FEEDING BAG

A feeding bag is a bag that stores feeding items out on the go. Feeding bags are common for Singaporean parents and is commonly a simple ziplock or a pouch to store items in. In a survey I carried out, 50% of parents surveyed have a specific bag or pouch for feeding items on the go 14. The typology of feeding items do differ and shown below are a few types. An interesting observation I made was that most Singaporean parents actually pack their feeding items in a safe and hygienic manner. This would probably be related to how much they value hygiene and food safety.

FEEDING

Feeding items are placed in a ziplock bag to ensure that it is safe from dirt and preventing food from spilling onto bag

14. Data was from a survey carried out on March 24, 2012. See Appendix A.8

Feeding items are placed in a specific bag and brought around daily

Feeding items are placed randomly in bag without covering.

32

7.4

FEEDING ON THE GO -

FEEDING BAG

Once feeding bag is packed, it is then packed separately before heading out. In most scenarios, the feeding bag will be placed into a larger Parent’s bag. In general, there are 3 types of items a parent would have in a bag; Diapers, Feeding items and Other Personal Items. Shown below is a categorization of these items and how they are packed in relation to a Parent’s bag. Upon investigations, I conclude that there are 3 major types of methods parents pack their bags.

OTHERS

FEEDING

FEEDING

DIAPERS

DIAPERS

FEEDING

DIAPERS

OTHERS

OTHERS

FEEDING

DIAPERS

FEEDING

DIAPERS

FEEDING

OTHERS

TYPE 1

TYPE 2

TYPE 3

Neat arrangement & categorization of items in bag.

Most parents aim to be a Type 1 parent.

Feeding items are packed separately in a different bag and carried separately.

All items are placed randomly and messily into mom’s bag.

Type 3 is possibly the most common for parents.

33

7.4

FEEDING ON THE GO -

FEEDING BAG

Once all feeding items are packed, parents are then ready to head out. When on the move, bags are placed differently in different contexts. Normally these bags would be carried around by parents. But an interesting observation was that these bags are very commonly placed on a pram and items are accessed while they are hung onto it. My observation was confirmed whereby 70% of parents I surveyed said they store feeding items in bag hung on prams.15 Illustrated below are a few scenarios where this feeding bag is.

Parent’s bag is carried by parent when there is no pram.

Bottles are placed on the outside for easy access.

Parent’s bag is conveniently hooked onto pram.

15. Data was from a survey carried out on March 24, 2012. See Appendix A.7

Baby Feeding bag is hung onto pram. In this case, bag is not placed into Parent’s bag.

Some feeding items are placed in netting compartment of pram for easy access.

A permanent bag is hung onto pram and feeding bag/items are placed in it.

Parent’s bag is placed under pram but some feeding items are placed on pram for easy access

34

8.1

FEED EASILY WITH ONE HAND -

To provide a pleasant family travelling experience

BRAINSTORMING

Providing a pleasant mealtime experience on the go

Allowing parents to feed easily with one hand on the go

In recap, the chosen design direction is to Allow parents to feed easily with one hand on-the-go. Quick ideations were done to think about How parents can feed easily with one hand. To begin, a short brainstorming session was carried out among few participants to generate some quick ideas and thoughts.

The first question “What does it mean to do something with one hand?� was asked and participants shared their thoughts. From the replies that were provided, i grouped them according to Positive and Negative associations.

positive emotions

negative emotions

35

8.1

FEED EASILY WITH ONE HAND -

BRAINSTORMING

From the given replies, 7 were then chosen out of the 100 as subtopics where we began an ideation session. Each participant had a subtopic to choose and develop from. Below are few of the replies I found interesting and relevant.

ideation on what it means to do something with one hand

The brainstorming session, though a quick one, helped me to kickstart my ideation process from a new perspective. These ideas were also helpful in helping me look at problems in a different way. Several concepts were also targeted closely at concept details such as words like “without thought� and could be apply to my eventual design.

36

8.2

FEED EASILY WITH ONE HAND -

IDEATION

All generated ideas and concepts were then compiled together. In general, the ideas gravitated closely to the possibility that if feeding items remained stationary, feeding would be easier for parents. Ideas such as the Combination of items reducing the amount of items to carry were interesting too.

HOW TO FEED EASILY WITH ONE HAND?

After evaluation, holding feeding items securely is one of the best ways for parents to feed with one hand on the go. The gesture of feeding with one hand is very similar to that of having another person holding the feeding items for you. In the case study scenarios above, we realize that it is best and highly preferred to travel with a companion. And the essence of that is essentially because the extra companion would have the extra hands to help you manage things you aren’t able to. An extra pair of hands helps you hold your porridge jar while you feed and holding the jar actually prevents baby from touching and spilling it. When feeding items are held securely for parents, they can focus so much better on baby and the task at hand. What if this extra pair of hands can be replaced by simply holding feeding items very securely?

37

9.1

FINAL DESIGN DIRECTION -

DIRECTION

It was then decided that the best way for parents to feed with one hand was to Hold feeding items securely. Another problem identified earlier was also the Lack of a platform in most on the go contexts. To have the feeding items held securely, it is best to first have a platform and this platform should go hand-in-hand with the securing of feeding items. The Final Design Direction would be to design a portable feeding platform that holds items securely.

To provide a pleasant family travelling experience

Providing a pleasant mealtime experience on the go

Allowing parents to feed easily with one hand on the go

Hold feeding items securely How?

Providing a platform to feed

Designing A Portable Feeding Platform That Holds Feeding Items Securely

38

9.1

FINAL DESIGN DIRECTION -

DIRECTION

Both the Feeding Platform and Feeding Items should go hand-in-hand in this design direction. Together, they would both make up an On-the-go Feeding Set which would eventually be marketed and sold together. I believe that though items should be able to have its own stand alone usage, they should also be designed with correlation to each other. The platform

O N THE G O F E

E

would serve as a place where all the feeding items are stored in or placed on and would faciliate the use of the feeding items.

D

SET G IN

PLATFORM

FEEDING ITEMS

39

9.2

FINAL DESIGN DIRECTION -

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

From the understanding of the Feeding Bag Analysis earlier, 4 Design Requirements were identified, namely:

1. All items in bag should be clearly displayed and easily accessible 2. All bottles should be upright 3. Platform should be able to fit in parent’s bag when possible and should afford a stand-alone usage as well 4. Platform should be able to be attachable onto various contexts Firstly, all items in bag should be clearly displayed as it allows them to be easily accessible. This then reduces the hassle and increases efficency during feeding. Next, all bottles should be upright to prevent any spillage. As the Feeding Bag is constantly prone to movement, it is best to keep all bottles upright to prevent any spillage. Thirdly, the platform should be able to fit into parent’s bag when there are lesser feeding items. Alternatively when needed, the platform should be able to be placed on tables. Lastly, the platform should be able to be attached onto various contexts when needed such as the Pram, back of the Car and back of the Airplane Seat.

FEEDING

FEEDING

FEEDING FEEDING

DIAPERS

FEEDING

OTHERS

Fits into mom’s bag

Stand alone usage

Secure onto various contexts

40

9.2

FINAL DESIGN DIRECTION -

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

8 essential feeding items were selected out of the entire range and these 8 will be included into the On-the-go Feeding Set. The 8 were chosen because of their high frequency of usage. These 8 were also reviewed and agreed by the parents I interviewed. Shown below are the specifications of each item, its frequency of usage and the type of feed it belongs to.

With the selection of these 8 feeding items, another Design Requirement is:

5. Platform should contain all 8 items

food scissors

bib

milk bottle

purĂŠe

snack container milk powder bottle

hot water flask

baby wipes

pacifier

water bottle

container for homemade purĂŠe

8 ESSENTIAL FEEDING ITEMS

medicine thermosflask

spoon

Please refer to Appendix C for the referencing of these photos

41

9.2

FINAL DESIGN DIRECTION -

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

ITEM SPECIFICATIONS

Wipe baby’s mouth, hands, utensils, tables, chairs & other furniture baby wipes

For baby to drink milk from Common volumes: 4, 9, 11 oz

Frequently used out of mealtimes too Common quantities: 20, 30, 70, 82 pcs milk bottle

To store little snacks in. Eg. cheerios For storage of milk powder

Usually more than 1 snack is brought out snack container

Each tier stores 1 milk feed = 12ml

Frequently used during snack times

Common volumes: At least 3 feeds

To store room temperature water for baby

milk powder container

To train babies to begin using cups & straws To store home-made porridge

Parents would feed child with water frequently both during and outside mealtimes water bottle

Can store food above 57˚C & under 12˚C

Common volume: Around 180ml

To store warm water at 70˚C for making milk

Common volumes: 0.35 - 1 litres porridge pot

Common volume: Around 0.35 - 0.5 litres For feeding of food to baby In most scenarios, the spoon is self-sufficient fork & spoon hot water flask

42

9.2

FINAL DESIGN DIRECTION -

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

FREQUENCY OF USAGE

baby wipes

snack container

water bottle

hot water flask

milk bottle

milk powder container

fork & spoon

most frequent

porridge pot

least frequent

CATEGORIZATION OF ITEMS Items are also categorized according to the type of feed they belong to. An interesting thing to note is that by grouping in this way we can see that certain feeds are more frequent than others. Also, this categorization method might perhaps allow us to display the feeding items closely together in the platform and better facilitate the feeding process.

baby wipes

WIPES

snack container

water bottle

SNACK TIME

hot water flask

milk bottle

MILK FEED

milk powder container

fork & spoon

porridge pot

FOOD FEED 43

9.2

FINAL DESIGN DIRECTION -

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

After analysis and evaluations, here are the 5 design requirements discussed. The main design aims were also included into the Design Requirements, concluding a total of 7 Design Requirements. These requirements would serve as a backbone for my Design Exploration and Developments later on where I constantly check back to see if I’ve achieved them.

1. All items in bag should be clearly displayed and easily accessible 2. All bottles should be upright 3. Platform should be able to fit in parent’s bag when possible and should afford a stand-alone usage as well 4. Platform should be able to be attachable onto various contexts 5. Platform should contain all 8 items 6. Bottles should be held securely 7. Bottles & platform should afford a one hand usage

44

10.1

DESIGN APPROACH -

TYPOLOGY OF PLATFORM

A few rounds of ideation was done to determine what the Feeding Platform would actually be. After a few rounds and evaluations, I eventually decide that it would be in the typology of a bag. Shown below are the ideas discussed as well as their evaluations.

1. ADHESIVE PLATFORM

2. SLIP ON COVER

3. ROLL OUT SLEEVE

4. BAG

The platform is one that is either made of

Platform works two ways. It acts as a

Items are stored inside platform and by

Platform is a bag where parents bring

Velcro or an adhesive material like felt.

little pouch as well as a slip on cover. By

rolling of platform, items will be concealed

out on the go. By attaching to a context

Each item would also have its own velcro

flipping the cover we can display or keep

or revealed.

and opening it, items can be revealed and

backing and would adhere to the platform.

the feeding items.

+ Flexible arrangement allows space

+ Flexible arrangement

+ Fits nicely inside parent’s bag

+ Feasibile especially since parents

efficiency

- Lack feasibility especially when most

+ Items are displayed upright and nicely

already have a feeding bag

- Lack of strength to sustain weight of

feeding items are round

- Unsure about feasibility of items

+ Clear display of items

items

displayed in a clear manner.

- Not so space efficent yet

I eventually chose the Feeding Platform to be a Bag because of it’s feasibility. The bag is also a common typology that parents can easily identify with. Parents today already carry a feeding bag and having the transformation of this feeding bag to a platform reduces the need of another object. A bag also allows more feasibility in the display of items.

45

10.2

DESIGN APPROACH -

HOW FEEDING ITEMS CAN BE SECURED

A round of ideation was done to find out how feeding items can be held securely. Much of the ideas revolved around 3 main types namely, having Adhesives attached to feeding items, using Holders & Pockets to hold items and lastly having Add On Attachments to feeding items.

1. ADHESIVES

2. HOLDERS & POCKETS

3. ADD ON ATTACHMENTS

+ flexible arrangement allows space efficiency in bag

+ all items would sit nicely on the same height which

+ more flexible usage and arrangement of items

+ radical and different

provides a clear display

+ relatively secure

+ items are most secure

+ all items sit nicely on the same height providing a clear

- difficult to maintain

display

- intrusive to the use of items

- usage isn’t so flexible as things have to be made to the

- not secure

perfect size to fit nicely

- requires many different dimensions for different items

Upon evaluation of the 3 securing methods, I decided to go ahead with 2. Holders and Pockets and 3. Add On Attachments. I chose them because of their ability to secure items well and also the flexibility of redesigning the bottles differently later on. The 2 are also not as intrusive as 1. Adhesives and do not intefere with the current use of feeding items.

46

10.3

DESIGN APPROACH -

CONCEPT 1

Feeding Bag Concept 1 was presented during an Intermediate Presentation as well as to parents to gain feedback. Shown below is a schematic of the size of the bag and its details.

Changeable Attachments

FEEDBACK & EVALUATIONS - Bag is currently able to fit only 5 items out of the essential 8 - Difficult to reach into the items at the back - Arrangement of items isn’t space efficient - Bag looks very ordinary at the moment

Security of Items Feeding items sit snugly in cubby holes designed to suit their diameters.

+ Changeable attachments is a good concept but refinement is needed

PARENTAL FEEDBACK - Need to consider the possibility for parents having extra feeding items

Neoprene

- Need to have extra compartments for parents to put small extra items such as The material proposed here is neoprene. It is chosen for it’s ability to take the form of its vessels which makes it space efficient.

sweets or pacifier + Neat arrangement of feeding items is the selling point at the moment. Parents want to be neat and for things to be able to be found easily. The concept of a clear display of items achieves this neatness + The concept of this feeding bag is not wasteful and parents can use it even after

Attachment of platform onto various contexts through Changeable Attachments

18 months + Parents like the idea that the feeding platform can be hung on the stroller easily

IN CONCLUSION, BAG DID NOT ADDRESS FEEDING WITH ONE HAND WELL ENOUGH

47

10.4

DESIGN APPROACH -

WHAT IS A BAG?

After the evaluation of the first bag, I realized that I was very caught up in my own idea of a bag. This comment was given to me by many design professionals and I realized I had to break out of the idea of a bag.

I then carried out a brainstorming session to find the essence of what a bag should be. I got together a few friends to do a quick session of about 30 minutes and below are keywords that describe what a bag is to us.

results of brainstorming session for “what is a bag?�

The results of the session were great. They helped me open up my eyes to see beyond my fixed idea of a bag. Though the words we came up with might be a little expected, what was interesting for me was that, none of these words had anything to do with A box, A square, Straps, Tote, Backpack or Brand etc. Whereas words like Security, Convenient, Hold, Organize & Transportation were actually the essence of what a bag is and should be. What defines a bag is actually the contents inside and not what it is on the outside. So to rethink what a bag should be, I should begin from the Inside. This session, though quick and simple, helped me to rethink my ideas of a bag and to refocus on the essence of a bag.

(For the full details on the brainstorming session, please refer to Appendix D)

48

10.5

DESIGN APPROACH -

EXPLORING METHOD OF SECURING FEEDING ITEMS

The containment of a bag defines what a bag actually is. To rethink the bag would be to start by rethinking how the feeding items are held inside. As cubby holes were not the solution, I decided to look to my other choices of securing. Firstly, using velcro attachments onto bottles. Shown below is a prototyping of a velcro wrapped around a bottle to test its feasibility on a fabric material.

VELCRO Simple everyday use velcro is used because of its property to withstand everyday opening & closing

LACK OF STRENGTH Velcro could not withstand the weight of the bottle, especially during the removal of the bottle cap.

FABRIC Everyday fabric that’s adhesive to velcro was used to secure the velcro onto

The velcro prototype failed to withstand the weight of the bottles. Though this would probably be due to the lack of contact point between the velcro & fabric, I did not like the idea that there might be a chance that the bottles might fall off during use. This is terrible especially when we are dealing with food here. Also, velcro as a material on bottles is an issue for cleaning.

Food might get trapped in velcro and daily washing would cause it to weaken. As such, after evaluations, I decided against the use of velcro as a securing method for the feeding items.

49

10.5

DESIGN APPROACH -

EXPLORING METHOD OF SECURING FEEDING ITEMS

Next, was an exploration on the idea of an Add-on hook ring to current feeding items. The concept was that every feeding item would have its own hook and can be attached onto a separate platform. Shown below is the first prototype designed for an existing milk bottle.

STRONG & SECURE

REMOVE WITH ONE HAND

Hook held bottle strongly & prevented it from moving

When held securely, caps could be removed with one hand

The prototype proved that by securing, bottle caps could be easily opened with one hand. The bottles were also held very securely limiting any movement which is great and parents can leave the bottle hooked on while making milk. The hook prototype was quite a success as it fulfilled its requirements of having to hold the bottle securely.

50

10.5

DESIGN APPROACH -

EXPLORING METHOD OF SECURING FEEDING ITEMS

A second prototype with a similar profile was then designed and prototyped for testing. It has a different form of attachment. I first tried manually attaching them to existing items that has no place for a hook. The concept worked well but was not aesthetically pleasing. The clip was stronger and I also preferred the profile of the clip more than the first.

The idea of a wrap around sleeve was then conceived to accommodate feeding items with no form of hooking. The concept was the design of an elastic adjustable sleeve with an integrated hook. The elasticity of the strap would allow easy fitting to all forms and sizes of vessels.

51

10.5

DESIGN APPROACH -

EXPLORING METHOD OF SECURING FEEDING ITEMS

A simple platform was prototyped to test the feasibility of both hooks.

52

10.6

DESIGN APPROACH -

HOOK

The concept of a hook with sleeve was thus conceived. These hooks with sleeve would be easily attached to any feeding vessels. The concept of having hooks to vessels instantaneously increases the flexibility and potential usage of these items. They will no longer be limited by the boundaries of the table which is a strong benefit for on the go contexts. Refinements to this sleeve was thus made to support different weight and types of feeding items.

INNER RUBBER LINING Prevents bottles from slipping

WATERPROOF DOUBLE SIDED VELCRO Quick & convenient attachment onto bottles. Easy to wash too

HOOK

53

10.6

DESIGN APPROACH -

HOOK

EVALUATION OF BOTH HOOKS

PROS (+)

PROS (+)

+ Strength

+ Hook’s thickness provides strength

+ Securing bottles at rims provides more

+ Accomodates all types of feeding items

strength & security

CONS (-)

CONS (-)

- Requires different diameters for different

- Need to be integrated better

bottles

- Sleeve might be relatively loose and

- Ring falls out when caps are removed

insecure

- Not all bottles have a place for the ring to

- Daily cleaning of sleeve might be quite

sit on

tedious

Overall, I am quite pleased with the concept of hooking the vessels. As I have already addressed the problems with the current hook, refinements would be continually done to improve the system. Due to the lack of practicality for the sleeve hook, I’ve decided to design my own Feeding Items instead. These feeding items would be designed with integrated hooks and would play a close role between hook, bottles and feeding platform. One important lesson I’ve learnt from testing is that no matter how strong the hook can be, if the platform isn’t strong, nothing will be secure. As such, feeding items, hook, and platform must be designed hand in hand with one another. The final designed feeding items and platform would form a wholesome On-the-go Feeding Set.

54

10.7

DESIGN APPROACH -

EXPLORATION OF PLATFORM

Once the inner hooking mechanism was settled, the platform came naturally. For the hook to work, just a simple platform was needed. The key role of the platform was simple, it had to withstand the weight of the bottles. A simple platform with straps was thought of and was sufficient enough to contain the hooks.

8 ESSENTIAL FEEDING ITEMS However, one issue persists that is that if items were to be arranged in a row, they would be taking up too much space. The length of the bag should not be too long lest it becomes ridiculous to carry. As such, a method of sub-categorizing the number of items to be displayed was derived. As discussed earlier, 8 items could be categorized into 3 different feeds. If each feed has its own separate platform, it would greatly reduce the length of platform, and this platform could form a modular system to be placed into bags.

SNACKS

MILK FEED

FOOD FEED

55

10.8

DESIGN APPROACH -

CONCEPT 2

The second concept of a platform was thus conceived and was coupled together with the design of the sleeved hooks.

ATTACHMENTS How platform looks like in various contexts

CATEGORIZATION Categorization of items allows for different platforms to prevent hanging of too many items

STANDS ON TABLES Platform stands nicely on tables or can be attached to different contexts

56

10.8

DESIGN APPROACH -

CONCEPT 2

PRAGMATIC USAGE Before heading out, parents hook all items needed neatly onto the platform. Platform is then placed into parent’s bag and then headed out. When needed in any context outside, parents can then retrieve this platform from their bags and hang them securely. However, this process of retrieving from bag and hooking onto contexts is rather tedious and unnecessary.

clipping of items onto platform

putting them into bag

storage and filing system for feeding items in bag

57

10.8

DESIGN APPROACH -

CONCEPT 2

EVALUATION OF CONCEPT 2

PROS (+)

CONS (-)

+ All items are kept upright

- Platform is too rigid.

+ Platform provides a clear display of items for parents to retrieve items easily

- The rigidness of platform does not allow it to fit into parent’s bag well

+ Platform serves as a form of compartmentalization

- Platform does not look stable enough to be able to withstand the weight of heavy

+ The hooking attachment method provides flexibility in usage and can be used

items

outside of the platform as well

- Too much of a hassle to retrieve items from bag repeatedly

+ Both platform and hook achieves a One-hand operation

- Elastic straps loosen over time. There’s a need to reconsider the material and sewing of the straps - Platform does not allow a place to put bottle caps - Platform did not consider spillage of dirty food - More pockets should be provided to protect items such as spoons

NIFTY! If everything is packed very nicely, I can imagine that it’ll be very effective. ” 58

10.9

DESIGN APPROACH -

CONCEPT REFINEMENTS

The entire concept can be defined into 3 distinct categories namely Feeding Items, Clips & Platform. These three categories must go hand in hand with each other in the design process to follow.

O HO

KS ONTO

FEEDING ITEMS

HOOK

PLATFORM HO

OK S ON TO

59

10.10

DESIGN APPROACH -

INTEGRATED HOOK SYSTEM

Further refinements were made to the concept of the hook. The 2 pressing issues that persists for the current bottles and hooks was firstly, the lack of strength, and secondly, the difficulty to accommodate every single feeding item in the world. As such, a different direction was then taken, that is to specially design the items in the On-the-go Feeding Set. And every single feeding item would have its own integrated hook, which would be attached onto the Designed Platform.

Prototypes of an Integrated hook was then designed for a milk bottle and snack jar to test its feasibility.

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DESIGN APPROACH -

INTEGRATED HOOK SYSTEM

PROS (+) + The integration of hook and bottle provides the most strength to the vessels. The hook could sustain bottles with up to 500ml of water. + Integration of hook holds bottles strongly in place even after caps are removed

CONS (-) - Dirt gets trapped easily in between hook and bottle and is difficult to clean - An integrated hook makes cleaning difficult - Integrated hooks are difficult to manufacture and incure higher costs - Large form and size of clip is intrusive to the feeding vessels

The integrated hook system was a great choice as it provided the most strength to support the feeding items. However one pressing concern was the difficult in manufacturing the vessel. Even if the hook can withstand large amounts of liquids, any large increase in cost for purchasing a simple milk bottle will not be justified. Also, the difficult in cleaning the parts in between the hook and bottle is an issue to hygiene and food safety. As such, I decided against the design of an integrated hook.

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10.11

DESIGN APPROACH -

REFINED HOOK

The key problem now for the hook would be to have a system of attaching a hook without integration and hooks must not fall off when cap is removed. A new solution was thought of which was to have a locking mechanism for the hook. The concept was simple. Each feeding item will have two types of screw system. The bottom one would lock the clip and ring while the upper one would lock the cap so when the cap is turned anticlockwise to open, the bottom clip is not affected and would not be released and fall off.

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10.11

DESIGN APPROACH -

REFINED HOOK

Shown below is a close up of the hook on a snack container. Caps turn anti-clockwise to open whereas hooks turn clockwise to open. A simple and straightforward mechanism.

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10.11

DESIGN APPROACH -

REFINED HOOK

A new way of securing the lid of the snack jar was conceived as well. The problem of providing a place for caps has always been an issue. What if lids could be secured to the bottom of the jar to reduce space? This method not only reduces mess, it provides a clear identification of items and is also nifty in compartmentalization.

Smart way of keeping caps!

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10.11

DESIGN APPROACH -

REFINED HOOK

The refined profile of the hook was to give it a sleeker and slender look. The size of the hook was greatly reduced to prevent it from being too intrusive. I like the new profile as it was much quieter. However, after testing, it was not able to hook well at all because of its poor proportions. Refinements were much needed as well as further form explorations.

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10.12

DESIGN APPROACH -

FORM EXPLORATIONS

Form explorations were done for the 7 feeding items to be designed. (I will not be designing the wet wipes) The aim of the exploration was to find a suitable family of form that could be applied to all 7 feeding items I will be designing for.

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10.12

DESIGN APPROACH -

FORM EXPLORATIONS

After rounds of form finding, a family of 7 feeding items were designed, as shown below. The forms were designed such that the screw threads would be easier to open with one hand.

Push button operations were also used for the hot water flask and sippy cup to afford easy one hand usage as well. This was derieved from insights from a few parents who found push button water flasks easy to manage. Shown below are the forms for the 7 essential feeding items.

7 ESSENTIAL FEEDING ITEMS

hot water flask

milk bottle

porridge pot

milk powder dispenser

sippy cup

snack jar

spoon

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10.12

DESIGN APPROACH -

FORM EXPLORATIONS

Integration of hook and feeding item

Hooking onto a platform

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10.13

DESIGN APPROACH -

PLATFORM CONCEPT 3

From the issues raised for Platform Concept 2, evaluations and decisions were made to address them.

ISSUES RAISED

ISSUES RESOLVED

1. Platform is too rigid.

1. Platform would be a separate feeding bag that parents carry separately

2. The rigidness of platform does not allow it to fit into parent’s bag well

2. Change of material to sturdy well-sewn nylon straps

3. Too much of a hassle to retrieve items from bag repeatedly

3. Provision of storage systems in platform for loose items

4. Platform does not look stable enough to be able to withstand the weight of heavy items 5. Elastic straps loosen over time. There’s a need to reconsider the material and sewing of the straps 6. Platform does not allow a place to put bottle caps 7. Platform did not consider spillage of dirty food 8. More pockets should be provided to protect items such as spoons

To address some of these issues, I approached several moms with my concerns to get their feedback. The biggest dilemma that I wasn’t sure of was the consideration of the platform being a individual platform that has to be retrieved daily or an entirely separate feeding bag on its own. The consideration was raised due to the hassle of retrieving items repeatedly.

After speaking to several moms, though they enjoy the nifty platform of concept 2, they would rather carry a separate bag that would be easier to use on the go. The use of a separate feeding bag on the go is more practical and less of a hassle.

I do not want to keep retrieving multiple things. I`d rather hang the entire bag.

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10.13

DESIGN APPROACH -

PLATFORM CONCEPT 3

Platform concept 3 goes back to the idea of a feeding bag. The pragmatic usage of the bag is that all feeding items are stored inside the bag. When parents need to use and feed on the go, these items can be retrieved and hook to the front belt of the bag. By hooking them to the front, parents can have a clear display of these items that are needed and feeding is easy with one hand because of the security of the vessel. In the same way, the feeding bag can be hooked to several different platforms and contexts and can even be used when being slung.

8 ITEMS

FLEXIBLE ATTACHMENT

Stores all 8 essential items

The flexible attachment will still be used to allow 2-way attachments.

POCKETS Integrated compartments and pockets on the inner layer of bag for storage of loose items

STIFFER NYLON STRAPS Well-sewn nylon straps are used to allow hooking of clip onto platform. Such sewing is common in military products.

RIGID FRONT BACKING Bag is lined with a sturdy backing to sustain and support the weight of the feeding items.

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10.13

DESIGN APPROACH -

PLATFORM CONCEPT 3

EVALUATION OF PLATFORM CONCEPT 3

PROS (+)

CONS (-)

+ Practical storage of feeding items

- Need to consider flaps and closing mechanisms to bag. Bag should not be open to

+ Ability to withstand weight of feeding vessels

dust, dirt and rain but should be contained well

+ Able to store all 8 feeding items

- Need to consider storage of delicate exposed items such as spoons

+ Bag allows the possibility of loose items to be stored in it

PARENTAL FEEDBACK Most mothers preferred bag concept 3 to bag concept 2. This is probably because it is more refined, practical, and they do see the additional value the hook provides. A simple and practical bag with an extra hook to help. However parents still have an issue with the hygienic storage of spoons, which is something to address.

No need to keep fishing items out of the bag!

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10.14

DESIGN APPROACH -

REFINEMENTS TO FEEDING ITEMS

After the previous evaluation, small refinements were needed to be made to the concept. Firstly, the proportion of clip and feeding items had to be redefined as it looks quite uncertain now. The clip to bottle ratio needs to be increased for it to look aesthetically better.

There was also a need to rethink about the pragmatic usage of feeding items. The bare opening of the spoon had to be addressed along with the need for a proper placement for lids and caps. Once these were addressed, the final design would thus fall in place.

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FINAL DESIGN

ON THE GO FEEDING SET

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11.1

FINAL DESIGN -

FEEDING ITEMS

The final 7 essential feeding items were designed. Each feeding item has its own hook insertand together, they form a family of On-the-go feeding items.

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11.1

FINAL DESIGN -

FEEDING ITEMS

All 5 cyclindrical feeding items have a standard diameter of Ø65mm. This is to allow easy fitting into the bag. The porridge pot is larger in size at Ø85mm.

Porridge pot

Snack jar

Spoon

Milk bottle Sippy cup Milk powder dispenser Hot water flask

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11.1

FINAL DESIGN -

FEEDING ITEMS

PUSH BUTTON LIDS

The hot water flask opens easily with one press allowing parents to feed easily with one hand once it’s pressed.

This came from an insight by a parent who commented that press open buttons in bottles were small details that allowed her to feed much better.

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11.1

FINAL DESIGN -

FEEDING ITEMS

HOOK AS CAPS Caps were designed to keep the spoon clean. A simple and nifty method where the cap doubles up as a hook. When needed, parents simply pull the spoon out while cap stays neatly hung on the platform. Spoon can be re-capped after use.

As most Singaporean parents value hygiene and food safety in their feeding items, a small detail like this would be much appreciated.

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11.2

FINAL DESIGN -

FEEDING PLATFORM

2 WAY ATTACHMENT Bag transforms from sling to a hook for attachment onto prams

UPPER POCKET Small pocket on underside of lid provides storage of loose items eg. baby wipes

BELT Nylon strap with secure stitchings provide a place for clips to sit nicely and securely in

SOFT YET RIGID The front & back of the bag is made rigid whereas the sides are flexible for storage

Please refer to Appendix D for the full dimensioning of the bag

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11.2

FINAL DESIGN -

FEEDING PLATFORM

The pragmatic usage of bag is described below. While bag is being hung or carried, parents reach into the bag, retrieves feeding item and finally hook it onto the front belt of the bag.

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11.2

FINAL DESIGN -

FEEDING PLATFORM

PORTABILITY Feeding bag can be hand carried or slung around on the go. Bag is also designed for easy accessibility when being slung. When slung, one hand feeding is possible and parents can focus more on their child.

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11.2

FINAL DESIGN -

FEEDING PLATFORM

PRAM USAGE The Feeding On-the-go Set can be hooked onto the pram with the use of interchangeable straps. Bag can be permanently hung onto pram. With the support of the pram, one hand hooking and feeding is possible.

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11.3

FINAL DESIGN -

MATERIAL SELECTION

Nylon straps with sewn press studs to allow flexible changing of attachment system

Nylon straps with well-sewn stitching Cotton fabric coated with waterproof PVC lining for easy cleaning.

Hard backing for front & back of bag to provide support.

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11.3

FINAL DESIGN -

MATERIAL SELECTION

Material choice is very crucial when it comes to feeding items for children. Choice of material should not only be safe, but withstand breakage to prevent injury. In general, all 7 feeding items would adopt the use of common materials and standard manufacturing procedures. Materials chosen should also be able to withstand high temperatures to be dishwashing safe and sterilizing safe. Polypropylene was chosen as the material for clips due to its properties in strength and ability to withstand high temperatures.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene

Polypropylene

Polypropylene

Polypropylene

Stainless steel

Stainless steel

Polypropylene

Polycarbonate Polypropylene

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BUSINESS ASPECT

The business aspect of the product was also considered. 3 potential product stakeholders were considered, namely the Parents, Company types and Airline companies.

PARENTS Jetsetter parents with jetsetter kids Parents who travel with child independently All parents who prepare food for baby on the go

COMPANY TYPES COMBI: Develops both feeding items & has its own range of prams. The feeding set can be marketed as an extension to prams PIGEON: Develops its own feeding items & works with separate companies to develop their own feeding bags. The feeding set can be developed together with Pigeon to form a new line of products for outdoor feeding.

OTHER POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDERS Airline companies: Provision of the feeding set allowing parents to feed better especially with the space constraints of the plane.

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FUTURE

Further prototyping and user testing is still needed to be carried out. I am unfortunately unable to prototype the design by the end of this report as it is still in its developments. Once the prototype of both the bag and feeding items are ready, user testing would be carried out on parents and children. These user testings would be crucial to product refinements which would then be followed by rounds of iterations, more prototyping, beta testing and eventually the realization of the actual product.

The thesis does not end here. I am rather pleased with the results I have achieved thus far and am pleased to have achieve my initial aim of the provision of a pleasant family travelling experience. I am glad to have found this powerful and valuable insight of a one hand feeding as I truly believe that it has helped parents do more conveniently. The concept of an additional clip on feeding items has opened up a fresh new perspective on how tasks can be done with one hand. The future of this design could possibly be extended to any area that requires one hand operation.

In conclusion, I am glad that this thesis has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding about a specific user group through user empathy, research and understanding. I believe I’ve achieved my role as a designer not only to solve problems, but to seek out the little problems that users do not realize and help them do better with design.

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APPENDIX A APPENDIX A.1 28 August 2011 Quick interview and sharing session between 2 mothers over lunch. Mom A’s a single mom with a 6 year old son. Mom B has 2 children, 6 year old boy and 4 year old girl. Both moms enjoy travelling very much. They got to share their travelling experiences with their child as well as the problems encountered.

Mom A’s first flight with child was when son was 3 years old. She didn’t want to bring her son onboard air travel because she was afraid he was too young to understand and wanted to wait till he was older.

For her, handling a pram has always been quite easy. Before boarding, the cabin crew would fold it up and keep it for her. And once she’s about to leave, the cabin crew will put it at the exit for her.

Things she & her son usually carry on a trip: 1 check in luggage Her own carry-on tote bag (serves as a handbag, bag for sweaters, toys, paraphernalia etc.)

Pram (at times) Child carries his own little bag filled with things he wants to bring.

She heard of an incident when a flight was delayed because the son refused to sit on his parent’s lap.

BASSINETS In her view, bassinets are quite a good solution compared to having a child sitting on your lap throughout the entire journey. A child <2 yo paying a discounted fare would not have a seat, yet the child might be too heavy for parents to handle through an entire plane journey. A <2 yo child might weigh around 10kg.

Without a bassinet, parents are unable to catch enough rest while the child sleeps on their laps. Some parents do take turns among each other but overall, it is generally very exhausting for parents.

However bassinets also have the issue of having to take the child out during turbulence which defeats the purpose of putting a child to sleep.

The bassinets aren’t very stable as they are just hanging on 2 hooks. As such, while the plane is shaky, the bassinet might hit the cabin walls continuously which is disturbing to a child’s sleep.

What if every seat had a space for a bassinet?

Moms were okay with being put at the back of the cabin. She didn’t mind if airline put kids to sit together either.

MOM B shared her story. When her son was 9months old, he couldn’t stop crying & wailing because of the physical discomfort of the change in air pressure in his ears. As such he cried for an hour nonstop.

Mom was really frustrated and at a loss of what to do. She tried walking her child up and down the aisle to appease him. He eventually stopped crying after about 1 hour.

PACKING Packing seems like a huge problem for both moms. Both moms find it really difficult, troublesome & they hate to pack for a trip. It’ll be great if their packing can be made simpler & efficient.

Items to pack include: Milk powder, detergent, extra clothes (in case kids throw up or pee at night), wet tissues, diapers etc etc.

Packing is different for every child because of allergies, dietary restrictions, picky children (children sticking to a certain brand of milk) etc.

Mom A suggested that they have a standard packing Kids-Pack where they can just grab-and-go. Sounds interesting.

FOOD Making milk on the plane is easy. Airport have restrictions on bringing just half a can of milk powder.

MOM A sees it as a problem that she can’t bring water on the plane. For a longer flight, she’ll bring a bottle and get the crew to fill it up.

MOM A would buy snacks before going up onto plane. Snacks that child likes to eat (eg. donuts) SUGGESTIONS/IDEAS Have a play area on the plane for kids to stretch, move about etc. But might not be good also because it’ll be difficult to get them to sit down again after play or worse, half-way between their play.

Drug them with sedatives that comes in packages. 1 hour , 2 hour or 3 hour dosage? Haha.

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APPENDIX A APPENDIX A.2 29 August 2011 Interview with Samuel, a father of a 4 year old and 1 year old. He moved to Singapore and will be staying here for 3 years. He has never traveled anywhere on board an airplane with his children and their first flight was the one from Korea – Singapore. It was a first for all 4 members of the family. The flight was 6 hours long with Korean Air and here are his comments.

- His first child was <12 yo hence they paid a discounted rate of 15% of an adult ticket. The second child was <2yo and he was a allowed a free flight hence he had no seat.

- The older child had an easier flight than the younger one. He sat quietly and watched the inflight entertainment programs. But the father could tell that the flight was tiring for him still.

- The younger child (1yo) was difficult to manage because he didn’t fit into a bassinet (too long and too heavy). Both parents had to take turns to carry him, draining each other out.

- Child kept crying also because he was just too heavy and it was difficult confining him to just 1 space, the parent’s lap.

- Child did not like the loud noise of the aircraft as well.

- Airline did not serve children food and was a problem. Food was spicy and difficult to digest. However they had peanuts & juice which was helpful.

- At the airport, the family had relatives to help manage the children while parents manage the baggages. “If there was no one to help us, we would not have managed.”

- Total Baggage: 1 Stroller, 1 checkin luggage, 4 boxes, 2 backpacks (1 per parent), 1 child bag, 1 laptop bag.

- They brought a stroller up to the plane. But when they entered the aircraft, the cabin crew folded it & sent it to the bottom of the plane. As such, they had no stroller when they got off the aircraft. Parents, thus, have to carry child to the belts to claim their luggage, and stroller of cos. As if they haven’t carried their child enough.

- OVERALL,

THE JOURNEY WAS TIRING FOR EVERYBODY. (LUCKY IT WASN’T A FAMILY HOLIDAY!)

- DAD feels that it’s okay now that his kids have grown up. He presume they will behave better and travelling will be much smoother for all of them. (Will update me after their krabi trip in oct) - Funny point: There’s a saying in Korean. 3 yo: crazy 5yo: want to kill. 3-4 year old child arent easy because they’ve a strong will and don’t want to obey you.

Any ideas/suggestions: Special space for food, amusement, small toys, paper, puzzles, activities for kids.

Good to have baby cot, fence, on the floor compared to on the wall. These cots should come with seat belts as well. However, such items might add on to the hand carry weight which is troublesome for the parents.

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APPENDIX A APPENDIX A.3 05 September 2011 Interview with Cheryl, a cabin crew & design graduate. Interview was carried out to gain a better understanding of the air travel process for parents with young children.

- Children are generally noisy because they are either hungry or tired.

Bassinets - Parent’s are rather reluctant to carry their child out of the bassinets during the “fasten seat belt sign”. This is because parents have just put the child to sleep and are not keen to wake their child again with too much movements.

- Bassinets come with a zip to prevent child from flying out in case the bassinet falls.

- There are around 12 bassinets on board a Boeing 747-412.

- Child sitting on parent’s laps makes it very difficult for parents to do anything else.

- Economy seats are too cramped to fit both an adult and a child comfortably.

Meals - During meals, parents would feed their child first before feeding themselves. Sometime parents would take turns to eat their meals. Some parents who have to carry their child will then carry them on 1 hand, and the other would be used to eat easy to handle items such as bread. Most parents end up not eating their own meals. Some cabin crew would offer to carry their child for them while they eat.

CHERYL SEES THIS AS A VERY STRONG OPPORTUNITY AREA TO LOOK INTO. - Parents also have no place to put their food while they are handling their children.

- Some parents eat only when their child has slept so the cabin crew would put the food away first. However, food can only be kept up to a maximum of 1 hour before it goes bad. Most parents, thus, end up not having their meals.

- Special meals served on board include: Baby post-weaning meal (0-1yo). Mashed up food such as carrots are served. However this takes a really long time to heat up in the galley and there’s no proper place to heat up food in the cabin.

- Some australian parents bring along pre-made packet food for their child to eat.

Meals are served to parents first. Cabin crew would ask when the child and parents would like to have his meal served. Cabin crew would also advise 1 parent to have his meal first and they’ll serve the other parent later, taking turns to eat.

- Baby kit on board. Includes: Diapers in SML, Milk bottles, baby bibs, wet wipes. Kept in a green bag and stored in the compartments. Changing bed is included in the toilet as well for parents to change their child’s diapers. Some parents do not bring any of these things onboard and request for the cabin crew to provide.

Packing - Commented that some parents do not know how to pack their child’s items properly. Bags with no zips. These parents just put everything child related into the same bag and when they want to take out something they have to empty the whole bag and the floor becomes very messy. Most of these parents are very fresh and new.

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APPENDIX A In your opinion, why do parents travel with their kids?

- To visit parents - To visit relatives (parents are of different nationalities or places eg states) - For medical reasons (visiting an overseas doctor) - Most people are hardly on holiday with their child - Most parents consist of a single parent Long haul vs Short haul flights - As the seats are too cramped, parents would commonly stand at the back of the galley and try to rock their child to sleep.

However, there is the issue of not being able to stand around the galley as it is rather cramped and would be obstructing to other passengers and the crew.

Others - Kids of 5-12 year old is not as common as Infants. Infants are a common sight on planes.

- Check out Meet-&-Assist Services in the airport - Once a baby cries, the cabin crew would go and see what’s wrong and how they can assist.

- Some experienced cabin crew would help parents and provide suggestions.

- There was an incident where the cabin crew helped 2 new parents take care of their baby twins while they slept for a good 2 hours. Parents are just so exhausted when it comes to travelling with kids.

- Parents are priority on flights, second to frequent fliers (excluding business & first class).

- Cabin crew feels “sian!” when a flight has infants on board.

- Check out Trunki (star/popular product) - Cabin layout plan was found available here: http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/flying-with-us/ouraircraft - Cheryl shared with me some SIA circulars.

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APPENDIX A APPENDIX A.4 4 September 2011 Interview with Simon, a cabin crew for 20 years as well as a father of daughter 4 years old. The discussion was more on the packing scenarios faced when travelling with a child.

ESSENTIAL ITEMS TO PACK 1. medications 2.entertainment eg. toys and suchs 3. clothings eg. winter must have gloves and scarves 4. emergencies contact number. eg. local police station number, embassy number, tour leaqader phone number etc…

5. depending on food allergy, types of food to be brought.

6. milk powder SO DO YOU FACE ANY PROBLEMS WHILE PACKING? OR PERHAPS YOUR WIFE AS WELL? Not so much because we are season travelers. The most difficult part would probably be the food to pack. We always draft up a list of what to bring first 2 days before we travel Travelling with kids are always a hassle. Sure got many things to pack. How much to bring, will always be the main concern. cos if you don’t carry enough, the have to buy out-station. Some ppl will just buy milk and diapers overseas. save a bit of carrying.

A list of essentials to carry before packing will be of great help. Just tick off what have been packed and packed in which bag. for easy reference.

IF LETS SAY IT IS NOT AIR TRAVEL BUT ROAD TRAVEL OR MAYBE JUST A SHORT OUTING, IS IT THE SAME HASSLE AND SAME KIND OF PROBLEMS? Less hassle but more packing. cos you can bring your whole wardrobe along in your car. if by train, then i suppose it’ll be like flying. Take for example, we went up to penang, I travel by car, and the rest of them went by air. basically i ferried the wardrobe to penang. cos it’s so convenient. just dump everything in the car. extra clothes, milk, toys and misc.

Sometimes medication like food is a problem, cos it needs refrigeration. 1 very good example would be breast milk. Else would be freshly prepared food for ppl with allergy.

ACTUALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PACKING FOR CHILDREN, CAN I SAY THAT PACKING HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE TIME THE CHILD LEAVES THE HOUSE? I’d say children from 0-3 needs quite a bit of amenities when going out. after 3yrs if they are toilet trained, all u need is just water bottle and wet tissues. occasionally a change of clothes. once they hit 5, just bring a cane.

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APPENDIX A APPENDIX A.5 24 October 2011 A set of survey questions were crafted with regards to family mealtimes and were distributed to several parents. Here are their responses.

MOM A General 1) Currently, how old are your child/children? – 26 months Bonding Time 2) Name at least 5 Activities that bond you and your child. – Singing, reading, going on walks, playing with her toys and watching TV. 3) Why is bonding important for you and your baby? – Develop closeness and build trust Enjoyable Meal 4) What is your idea of an Enjoyable Meal in a family? – Sitting together and talking to each other during dinner Meal Time 5) Do you have meals together as a family with your baby? (or do your family and baby eat separately?) What are the problems you face with having your baby at the same table eating together? – We sit together and I will feed her at the same time. The problem I face is when she wants to touch everything on the table and I have to keep her hands off.

MOM B General 1) Currently, how old are your child/children?

3.5-year old and 7-month old.

Bonding Time 2) Name at least 5 Activities that bond you and your child.

- Playground Outdoor – park and cycling Bedtime reading Napping together Play pretend game together 3) Why is bonding important for you and your baby?

It makes us feel closer together as a family, the children will feel the love from their parents which is vital for their emotional and mental growth.

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APPENDIX A Enjoyable Meal 4) What is your idea of an Enjoyable Meal in a family?

Anywhere, anytime so long as we are all enjoying the meal together – the meal time should not be too long and slow as toddler and baby who sits in the pram may run out of patience. So, the ideal meal would be snappy, healthy and easy to eat when children are in tow.

Meal Time 5) Do you have meals together as a family with your baby? (or do your family and baby eat separately?) What are the problems you face with having your baby at the same table eating together?

Currently, we are eating separately due to work commitment – work schedule kept us away from children’s meal time. However, over the weekend, we tend to eat together (toddler). Won’t see it as a “problem” for toddler to eat together with the family.

MOM C General 1) Currently, how old are your child/children?

5 and a half Bonding Time 2) Name at least 5 Activities that bond you and your child.

Doing homework together, read story books, watch educational programs, eating dinner (with me feeding), play pretend of his latest character craze (kungfu panda, angry birds, veggie tales) 3) Why is bonding important for you and your baby?

It brings us closer Enjoyable Meal 4) What is your idea of an Enjoyable Meal in a family?

We pray for God’s grace and talk during the meal, and he finishes up what is on his plate (exception to burgers and fries) Meal Time 5) Do you have meals together as a family with your baby? (or do your family and baby eat separately?) What are the problems you face with having your baby at the same table eating together?

Usually he eats first with daddy or with other family members, after he’s done then I start to eat, so that took double the time or I gobble real fast or sneak a mouth or two in between his chewing.

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APPENDIX A APPENDIX A.6 4th January 2012 An interview was done with Peihua, a mom with a child 4 years old and son 3 months old. Peihua is a taiwanese and flies with her child often to return to Taiwan.

TYPE OF FOOD CHILD EATS ON PLANE Porridge.

She will prepare the porridge in a thermoflask. At the security check, they have to open the porridge up and feed baby 1 mouth. (probably to prove that it’s real food to get through).

Baby sits on lap while she feeds.

It’s very messy.

The buckle can be rather uncomfortable.

Baby would end up eating only 2 mouths.

ANY STRESS WHEN FEEDING? Of cos. Baby keeps crying and refuses to eat. This is because she’s very uncomfortable and she’s in a different environment as her normal mealtimes. Though uncomfortable, she’s hungry still but refuses to eat. In the end, she would rather sleep than to eat.

PROBLEMS WITH FEEDING ON THE PLANE? NO SPACE There’s just not enough space. Baby has no space to lie down while feeding. What parents would do is to let child lie across 2 adult laps.

NO HAND There’s no hands to do many things. Mom cant bend to pick things up even if they land on the floor. The space is just too small.

When feeding, 1 hand holds the thermos (because it’s unsafe to put it on the table), the other hand to hold the spoon for feeding. Baby sits/balance on lap.

If mom has someone accompanying her, the other adult will either hold the baby while she hold the thermos and spoon, vice versa.

Baby feels more comfortable when she is standing.

PRIORITIES WHEN FEEDING Child is eating. (Mom describes it as she would wish she can insert a feeding tube into baby just so she eats.) It’s definitely good that Baby is happy during mealtime but 80% of the time she is not.

Mealtimes are: Quick + Clean VS Happy She chooses happy. She wants baby to be happy. Doesn’t matter if she’s not but a happy baby is her priority.

Time spent eating Time spent feeding self: 10mins.

She does not like airplane food.

Time spent feeding child: 15-30mins Time spent eating after having fed child: 15 mins (more time than before) Time spent eating before feeding child: 5 mins (as quickly as possible)

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APPENDIX A APPENDIX A.7 18 February 2012 Interview with Huimin, mom who travels very often with baby nathan, 20 months old now. Below is a discussion of my concept of a feeding platform and items.

Comments about bag: - Mothers would rather product look like a bag - Types of Mom: Mom A – Put all food in thermos Mom B – Put food in tupperware and add water - Feeding bag Moms do have feeding bags! It is just a small bag where they store all the food items. For huimin, she has this small harrods bag where she store her baby food items like Thermos, Snacks, Bib, spoons etc.

Most feeding bags are not very specialized. They are just any bag that parents like.

Material: Easy to clean. Oil cloth material. throw in machine wash.

I feel that such bags are quite makeshift hence the design opportunity.

- Huimin likes the idea of the bag. She feels that the selling point is NIFTY, NEAT & ORGANIZED.

SEGREGATE & SEPERATE. ” IF EVERYTHING IS PACKED VERY NICELY, I CAN IMAGINE THAT IT’LL BE VERY EFFECTIVE. ”

- Neat is good bcos parents just throw all things into bag. And sometimes she cannot find certain things. Like, where is my scissors? Which part of my diaper bag did i throw it into?

- I should give parents the option of buying bottles separately, not just from a same company.

- Have zips & pockets around the bag or inside for parents to put stuff into it. Like plastic bags. (Suggested by 2 parents already) - Parents have 2 bags. 1 big Diaper bag & a small feeding bag for mealtimes. Parents will then leave the feeding bag in car after use.

- PVC material is good cos’ it’s easy to wipe. Doesnt stain. Doesnt collect dust.

- Colors. Parents appeal to colors. Try to have a variation, a range. Black for daddy - Parents like her would pay for expensive things cos’ it is pretty. For example her baby au liat feeding cloth, she paid 20USD for it cos’ it’s very pretty. Normal price SGD$10 - Future of bag. She will still use the bag even when her kids are older. Maybe she will put less things. She suggested that maybe I should perhaps have a pull out insert so she can use the bags for other things next time. Eg. Use as a Cooler bag - Even with the bag, parents still need the diaper bag. Small bags like these will be easier to hang on the stroller also.

- Extra space free up when use without opening the train on airlines. “Do you think the extra space is valuable? Is it important for parents?”

“OF COS IMPT! UNLESS WE FLY BUSINESS. SO CRAMPED IN ECONOMY. CAN HARDLY LOWER TRAY ONCE YOU HAVE BABY IN ARMS ACTUALLY. EVEN IF I LOWER TRAY, CAN’T REALLY PUT FOOD. BUT OF COS, IF U SIT AT BULKHEAD ROW, THEN CAN’T REALLY USE RIGHT? UNLESS I HANG FROM BASSINET? HEH. OF COS IMPORTANT. IF NOT NOWHERE TO PUT FOOD OR BOTTLES. UNLESS U PUT ON HUSBAND’S TRAY, AND TRAY SO SMALL AND PATHETIC. THINGS ALSO SLIDE OFF EASILY ON TRAYS. SO PUTTING THE BAG ON HUSBAND’S TRAY WOULD HELP TOO – IF U DONT HANG. BUT OVERALL, LIKE I SAY, EVEN IF I DONT FLY OFTEN, I’LL STILL FIND IT USEFUL. CAN PUT ON TABLE.. HANG FROM CAR SEAT, HANG FROM STROLLER.. ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS WHO NEED TO MAKE MIK ON THE GO, IN MALLS, MRT ETC. Comment about bottles: - Hot water flask can press & use, is good. Makes life so much better for moms cos of just 1 hand usage.

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APPENDIX A APPENDIX A.8 24 March 2012 Online survey carried out by me and sent to parents. Here are the questions and the results.

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APPENDIX A

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APPENDIX A

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APPENDIX B APPENDIX B Quick concepts for 3 of the design directions were done, but were not chosen to develop later on. The directions are: 1) Keeping baby entertained throughout mealtimes 2) Keeping babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands off other food on the table and 3) Allowing both parent and child to eat at the same time. Shown below are the concepts.

1) KEEPING BABY ENTERTAINED THROUGHOUT MEALTIMES What was observed was the strong interest babies have with mirrors. Babies love looking at human faces and can spend time staring at them. This is because when looking at faces, they are studying, tracking and focusing the babies face. As such, to allow children to focus and be entertained at the same time, perhaps the use of Mirrors could do the job. Below are some quick concepts on how Mirrors (Reflective Surfaces) can be used for children during mealtimes.

1. MIRRORS + MEALTIME

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APPENDIX B 2) KEEPING BABYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HANDS OFF OTHER FOOD ON THE TABLE Giving baby something to hold prevents them from touching other items on the table. An example is a carrot stick holder where kids learn to hold their own food to eat and focus on it.

2. SOMETHING TO HOLD

3) ALLOWING BOTH PARENT AND CHILD TO EAT AT THE SAME TIME A system of utensils that allow parents to eat with their child at the same time was designed. The bowl would have a storage area for food and the lid serves as a tray for baby to eat from. The lack of platform on the go is an issue and providing this space efficient tray reduces footprint of utensils on the go.

3. EATING TOGETHER

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APPENDIX C WEBSITE OF IMAGES IN PAGES 30,31 & 40 http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/skip-hop-zoo-bib-3 http://savingslifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/gerber.jpg http://www.babydash.com.my/products/wipes/pigeon-wipes/pigeon-anti-bacterial-wipes-60-pack.html https://www.revital.co.uk/-Nelsons_Sootha_Cough_Syrup http://www.foodsteamer68.info/stainless-cookware/183/thermos-foogo-leak-proof-stainless-steel-10-ounce-food-jar-pink.html http://www.diaperjungle.com/images/T/scissors-food-green-380_1-01-01.jpg http://www.babyoye.com/baby-feeding/baby-dishes/pigeon-weaning-spoon-set.html http://www.babygadget.net/pics/MagMag1.jpg http://babykingdom.com.sg/popup_image.php?pID=563&image=0 http://www.gohappy.com.tw/tpl/images/fu/Image/201103/PP160ml_Orange+GREEN.jpg http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/cm/goodhousekeeping/images/No/ghk-zojirushi-tuff-mug-mdn.jpg http://www.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/f8/0/AAAAApRXK2EAAAAAAPgI3g.png https://s3.amazonaws.com/storenvy/product_photos/246343/penutshell_original.jpg http://www.urbanbaby.com.au/ http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41zCE-OjP1L._SL500_AA300_.jpg http://www.babyzoo.com.sg/images/orb_todcarseat_a.jpg http://babystrollercritic.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Orbit-Baby-Complete-Infant-System-Stroller.jpg http://www.ecods.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/picture-21.png http://s3.thisnext.com/media/largest_dimension/4E48CF84.jpg

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APPENDIX D all dimensions in MM Angela HP: 97417469

290

前

FRONT VIEW

50 40

1 inch 1 inch 18

velcr o

35

15

220

30

inner pocket

90

350

270

220 150

150

100

290

BACK, TOP & FLAP

后, 上, 盖

100

290

220

90

282

270

4

pocket

260

BOTTOM & SIDES

190

旁边, 下 740m m

148m m

20

220

260

220

20

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