Mark Visbeek Blog

The goal of this eight week project was to redesign a baby monitor for Philips considering user-emotion, and specifically aimed at the sustainability theme. Therefore, the project started with a research on sustainable design and the emotion connected with sustainability.

Sustainability Research

In the research, an important point of attention was sustainable aesthetic. What makes a product look sustainable, and are these aesthetic characteristics derived from sustainable design methods or do they only exist in the user’s mind.

Sustainable Design Research

A new method was created for creating sustainable products with a sustainable aesthetic, where the sustainable aesthetic neither flows from using sustainable design methods nor is forced upon a product without regard for sustainability, but one where ‘under-the-hood’ sustainability and a sustainable aesthetic are combined to reinforce eachother. Attention was also paid to the combining of a high product quality experience and a sustainable aesthetic.

The paper that describes the creation and application of the method is available for download:

[ Download ] “Combining sustainable aesthetics and a high product quality experience in a sustainable product” (PDF, 216 kb)

Baby Monitor Aesthetics Research

For the product development, several aesthetic and target group mappings and moodboards were created. Also, currently available baby monitors were analysed to discover trends in both technology and aesthetic character.

Baby Monitor Target Group Research

Sustainability Aesthetics Research

After the research and analysis, concept sketches were created which used the brand new sustainable design method, and resulted in a product concept for a sustainable baby monitor.

Baby Monitor Concept Sketches

Baby Monitor Concept Sketches

The baby monitor translates several elements of sustainability into a user-based aesthetic, where the parents are regarded as the user, in contrast to the baby-aimed aesthetic of most other baby monitors. The concept design was then further developed into a detailed design and CAD-model.

Baby Monitor CAD and Detail Design

One of the most important factors during the design process was simplicity and clarity. Therefore, the parent unit consists of a small pant-pocket-friendly device with only three buttons and two indicator lights. The largest middle button is the power button and has a green light behind it, which pulsates when sound is being transmitted, and glows softly when the device is idle.

The left button is the volume button, and cycles between 3 volume levels and a mute (vibrate) setting. The button on the right is used to select one of 3 levels of signal sensitivity. The two smaller LED’s indicate low battery or no signal warnings.

Philips Baby Monitor Redesign

The baby unit is also the docking station for the device which can be used to charge the battery. The baby unit is a very anonymous and low profile product and has no buttons besides the power button.

Baby Monitor Final Design

Client:
University of Twente – First year MSc. assignment

Assignment:
Design a baby monitor for Philips using the ‘Design & Emotion’ principle within a specific theme (Sustainability).

Date:
June, 2008 (completion)

Specifics:
Eight week individual design project.