From losing socks in the wash to successful mumpreneur
‘Sockatoos’ are fab quality cotton trousers with unique built-in socks for babies and toddlers up to 4 years. Read on to find out how Natalie turned her idea into a range selling in JOHN LEWIS!
The Outcome
Sockatoos have now got a significant range of products and sell across the UK. Their biggest retailer is John Lewis and we were lucky enough to catch up with Natalie recently at our local John Lewis with her pop-up shop just before Christmas.
Natalie says: “Nursery staff love Sockatoos as they are the only socks left on little feet at the end of the day!” Sold in Britain’s leading and largest nursery retailer and fantastic reviews from childcare professionals – a great result from an idea born out of necessity.
Client Testimonial
The story
One morning, while getting her youngest son dressed, Natalie, a determined and resourceful new mum, had an idea that would change the game for parents everywhere. As she struggled to keep her little one’s socks on while he wriggled around in a strop, she pondered the possibility of buying toddler and baby trousers with attached socks. After an extensive search for such an item, she realized it didn’t exist, and the seed for ‘Sockatoos’ all-in-ones was planted.
At D2M, we were thrilled to partner with Natalie and turn her vision into a reality through our unique product development process. Our excitement about working on this project came from our understanding as parents ourselves of the frustration of losing countless socks whilst out and about with your precious little one.
For most parents, it’s a constant battle, but for Natalie, it sparked a revolutionary idea – all-in-one trousers with attached socks, or ‘Sockatoos.’
Our fabric product development team worked tirelessly to ensure that ‘Sockatoos’ not only met our client’s expectations but exceeded them. We knew that creating a successful product for toddlers would require a deep understanding of the needs and preferences of parents, as well as understanding the latest certification requirements. For us, this was second nature given the products we’ve developed before and our in-depth knowledge of the entire process.
Our direct experience designing and launching our own pushchair product taught us valuable lessons about the intricacies of baby product design. These lessons are built into our unique process at D2M built to give your new product idea the best chance of success.
The experience having gone through the journey as an entrepreneur and not just as a designer often proves invaluable to our clients as we can help them avoid making common mistakes and pitfalls. We are not aware of any other product design company that has this insight or can provide this support. There is simply nothing like going through the whole journey yourself to understand what is required particularly when it comes to testing and quality control.
The product development journey
We first explored different design concepts and created multiple prototypes until we achieved the perfect design. This was exhausting but necessary to get the best solution.
Here are the main criteria D2M considered in the design process:
To begin the toddler product development process, we first explored different design concepts and created multiple prototypes until we achieved the perfect design.
We worked closely with our client to ensure that the product not only looked great but also met her standards for quality, durability, and ethical considerations.
Once the design was finalised, we sourced the right manufacturer for the job, ensuring that the production process met our high standards for quality and efficiency whilst sharing our values.
Throughout the toddler product development process, we kept our client informed of our progress, providing regular updates and involving her in every step of the process.
Throughout all this, we kept our client informed of our progress, providing regular updates and involving her in every step of the process. We view this as absolutely critical to build trust and ensure transparency.
Our team’s dedication to creating a toddler product that resonated with parents and caregivers was evident in the final product. ‘Sockatoos’ not only met our client’s expectations but also became a hit among parents looking for a practical and convenient clothing solution. It also garnered fantastic reviews from industry experts!
If you have an innovative toddler or baby product idea, our product development team can help turn it into a reality. We have the expertise and knowledge to guide you through every step of the toddler product development process, from concept to launch. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help bring your vision to life.
The development journey
Baby Product Design: The Unique Challenges and Considerations
Designing baby products is definitely not child’s play! As a seasoned product designer with a wealth of experience in designing baby equipment, I can attest to this fact! Baby product design, like with Sockatoos, comes with a unique set of challenges and considerations that differ from conventional industrial design in a variety of ways. If you’re considering developing a new baby product idea, then read on to learn about what is required.
The Challenges of Baby Product Design
Baby products have to meet the highest standards of safety, functionality, and durability. This is not easy, and with Sockatoos, this required working with a highly experienced and specialised manufacturer and also an international recognised test house. It was critical that the trousers must not only be safe and easy to use but also comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. When designing baby products, designers have to consider the specific needs and preferences of both the babies and their caregivers, alongside safety standards, and very few designers have experience in this.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the necessity of designing baby products with extensive knowledge of safety regulations and certification requirements. Designers must ensure that their products comply with the latest safety standards and regulations to protect babies and toddlers from harm. In our experience these standards can kill projects and so our unique process minimises this risks using our team in-depth knowledge and partner expert test engineers where necessary.
Discover more...
Browse our other baby product case studies and articles about the process of designing and development baby equipment.
User Research in Baby Product Design
One of the most critical aspects of designing baby products is user research is gaining detailed market insight. As a product designer, I understand the importance of conducting extensive user research to gather insights and feedback from parents and caregivers firsthand. We conducted extensive focus groups, surveys and interviews with industry experts as part of our development process. At one stage, we even soft launched to 30 leading experts at an international trade-show! The feedback about the product was great but the branding was wrong. It was definitely best to find this out pre-launch! Even then certain elements were missed and so we’ve updated and improved our processes for new projects.
Our development process builds this in to allows us to design products that meet specific needs and preferences. Take our word for it – no-one can fully anticipate the reaction of their target market – it is much better to ask to your prospective customers. We’ve seen too many products launch that proved to be white elephants because of a lack of early stage market research.
Sustainability in Baby Product Design
Sustainability is another critical consideration in baby product design. Designers must ensure that their products are eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethically produced whilst also being competitive price wise. This is really difficult balancing act rather like walking a tightrope. Sustainable thinking includes using eco-friendly materials, reducing waste, and ensuring that the products are recyclable or biodegradable.
At D2M, we are committed to sustainability and ethical considerations in our baby product design and development processes. We worked closely with our clients to ensure that their products met their ethical considerations while also ensuring the sustainability of the products. We’ve also carefully selected a small group of manufacturing partners who share our values whilst being prepared to produce small initial batch sizes.
In Conclusion
Designing baby products is a complex and challenging field that requires a deep understanding of the needs and preferences of babies, toddlers, and their caregivers. It requires extensive knowledge of safety regulations and certification requirements, as well as a commitment to sustainability and ethical considerations.
As product designers with personal experience designing and launching our own range of baby products, we are uniquely placed to support you in the development of your new baby product idea. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help bring your vision to life.