MommyMat

#WomensHealth&Wellness #IntegratedProductDevelopment #ConsumerGood

The Challenge

New mothers face a plethora of physical, mental, emotional, and lifestyle challenges, especially within the first year after giving birth. Emerging from the 2022 Integrated Product Development Cohort from the University of Michigan, this project specifically serves to help new mothers find a momentary escape from the overwhelming challenges that they face through a relaxation and personal wellness focused product.

What I Did

My Role: Product Designer

In this project, I participated in primary and secondary research efforts, which included interviewing people, testing out existing market solutions, and performing literary and patent reviews. I also led the team through the physical ideation and prototyping phases of the project, created 3D models, renderings, and engineering drawings of our concept, and was responsible for the physical fabrication of the final prototype.

Project Duration

3 months

Scroll through the image gallery below to learn more about my process.

Why this design challenge

The MommyMat was a product of the 2022 Integrated Project Development Cohort, which focused on addressing women’s health issues with product-driven solutions.
Interviewing mothers

Our team interviewed over 15 mothers as well as medical professionals to get a better understanding of challenges that new mothers faced before, during, and after delivering their first child. Here are some of their voices.
Exploring the problem

We began transforming the data from our interviews into potential “How Might We…” questions. These questions helped us define our problem space.
Defining our user persona

We developed a primary user persona consisting of her desires, frustrations, goals, daily routine, personality, and even favorite brands. We continuously returned to this persona throughout the design process.
Group ideation

We used techniques like brainstorming, brainwriting, 4 corners, Design Heuristic cards, and more, to embrace creativity during group ideation sessions.
Prototyping process

Starting out as tape markings on a yoga mat, the prototyping process of the MommyMat evolved through several low-fidelity versions before reaching its final form. Each prototype was used to address specific design questions, such as, what kinds of markings and graphics to include, where to incorporate heat & scent features, what mat size & thickness was ideal for comfort, and how to store the device.
Models & renderings

CAD models & renderings of the product were created to visualize the parts and components prior to their fabrication, such as the layers of the mat shown in an exploded view above.
Realizing the build

The fabrication of the device primarily consisted of sewing. The final product was made of various layers of batting, a fitted cover, and a removable, washable slip cover made of colorful cotton fabric.
Product testing

We tested the MommyMat with 15+ users, acquiring feedback on the product features, size, usability, and material choice.
Working in an interdisciplinary team

Working in a six-person team consisting of people from different industry backgrounds gave each of us the opportunity to take ownership over a particular project area. It also allowed us to see the role of other industries within one project, the importance of interacting and collaborating with each other, and that each domain is equally important to the success of the project.