EXECUTIVE TRAVEL

Our own British innovation has always been a fundamental part of our DNA at iCandy. Nothing could have demonstrated this better than iCandy’s achievement of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, Innovation: the first award of its kind ever for a pushchair. We see it as a way of moving forward and continuing to offer the best solutions for parents while staying so far ahead of the competition. Crucially our priority is to continue adapting to parent's needs, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and to provide them with the best possible solutions, as well as remaining commercially driven.

Synonymous with all iCandy pushchairs, the ingenious integrated Ride-on Board is iCandy’s futureproofing innovation that offers a seamless solution for a family with a new baby and toddler. The Ride-on Board not only saves on future costs, but also eliminates the need for a cumbersome attachment, allowing a young child to stand securely and safely within the handlebar space.

This is the perfect example of an innovation meeting a genuine requirement by families and ultimately driving our mission for the perfect pushchair. The Ride-on Board provides added value without a supplementary cost. It offers a platform for a second child without impacting any other features of the pushchair itself, such as the brake access and the pushchair fold. This showcases that it is a true, integral Ride-on Board on all our pushchairs and futureproofs the product for additional children.

Cutting-edge features such as the Multi-Mode Wheelbase on the iCandy Core meets all journey requirements in one product, all while providing the multi-use functionality and longevity demanded by modern family life.

Helping The Consumer

The primary goal when it comes to innovation is to make the parenting journey easier. As a brand this is extremely important for us; we understand that parenting is a complex experience, so we design our products with the end-user always in mind. Our designs and innovations consistently aim to simplify their journey, and certainly not complicate it.

We aim to add value to the product, for example the easy slide ‘Pop-Up’ harness with adjustable head support on the Peach 7 pushchair is easily accessible from the front instead of the back so you can immediately see the exact position it needs to be in.

The Design and Engineering teams are constantly reviewing new and emerging manufacturing and assembly techniques as this drives other opportunities for innovation. For example, all iCandy pushchair handlebars are ergonomically designed, using advanced manufacturing techniques, demonstrating the pride we take in every aspect, even how they feel in the consumers’ hands. We use the highest level of engineering and componentry to provide our pushchairs with the smoothest ride possible. Alongside quality, it’s vital for us that our pushchairs are safe, comfortable and easy to use.

Innovation isn’t always physically visible to consumers. A vast amount is represented within the engineering (‘under the bonnet’) and while this may not be easily seen, end-users will still hugely appreciate and benefit from it.

The Approach

iCandy innovation is essentially always about refining and enhancing the overall parenting journey. With key highlights such as ease of use, innovative features and interaction points, we very much take a consumer-

Above: Paul Walker, head of product and design, iCandy. focused approach. We conduct a vast amount of research, particularly around how parents interact with products and environments. We utilise an array of approaches to innovation such as classical brainstorming, journey mapping and technology transfer.

By understanding consumer needs, we can innovatively improve and adapt our existing products, as well as develop new and upcoming products. The ingenious integrated Ride-on Board is a perfect example of this, and its development all started from human observation of a consumer misusing a pushchair at a zoo!

Throughout the product development programme, it’s essential we interact with endusers. Ethnographic research starts from the pre-brief, and we engage throughout the journey via focus groups, user trials, real user testing and extensive prototyping. It’s hugely important for us that our products are interacted and engaged with at every stage of the process so we can adapt and cater to any feedback.

Overall, innovation fundamentally is about enhancing and making the parents’ life easier, based on their specific requirements, needs and environment. Innovation has allowed us to roll out essential features for parents across our whole range of products. Aside from developing new features on a product, it’s just as important to focus on the manufacturing technique. For example, we take pride in our incredible engineering and mechanisms that enable a single-to-double pushchair to complement a lightweight chassis. We also offer class leading weight loads and baskets sizes – that’s innovative engineering. The many patents iCandy has truly underscores their dedication to innovation across the board.