Background

Role: Product Designer
Date: 2015 – 2019

What began as a toy that I made for my son, ended up in a 5-year entrepreneurship adventure. The toy was so popular that I decided to bring it to the market. I gathered a team consisting of TU Delft design students, external consultants in industrial design, PR, business strategy, and child/parent psychology. Although the product did not reach the customers, I am proud that we made it till the pre-production phase.

Concept

A special DIY kit that promotes creating instead of consuming. Parent and child build the bike together. The result is quality time spent together, and an awesome, fully functional bike. Sustainable and natural. 

Deliverables

• Market research
• Business model
• Product prototype
• Branding & Identity
• Packaging design

Process I

Prototype

I first did research on existing bikes trying to extract all important factors for my own design process like interaction, shape, material, dimensions, etc. Then I sketched ideas on paper and created a digital 3D prototype. To test the structural strength, I made a provisional prototype and tested its mechanical properties thoroughly. Next, I searched for suitable material. A consultation with Olaf Bruin – creative director and architect at Nomadic Resorts – brought me to the idea of using bamboo. So came the first fully working prototype to life – present for my son was done! User testing consisted of observing my son’s (and other kids’ and parents’) interaction with the bike during the next 6 months. 

Process II

From Prototype to Product

Together with a business coach, we made a detailed business plan. Next, two design students (interaction and industrial) from TU Delft were hired to help further develop the product and its packaging. We made 3D models, prototypes of the packaging, product manuals, and technical drawings. With help of an external industrial designer, the final product prototype was made. Meanwhile, a PR consultant, industrial designer, and salesperson were involved, and together we ran a crowdfunding campaign to secure funds. The campaign was not a success, however, I devised another plan to continue the development.

Eventually, I found two manufacturers – one in Czechia and another later on in the Netherlands. Together we produced the first exemplars. However, the process revealed that the production costs are too high to make it a profitable venture. At that point, I decided to stop the project.