Extra small design
Think small – and innovative things will happen. That’s the message from a collaboration for young children between RCA designers and leading high street retailer Mothercare.

Children and the people that care for them are at the heart of a creative collaboration between the Department of Design Products at the RCA and Mothercare, Britain’s largest retailer for mothers, babies and young children, which aims to take a series of new concepts into responsible production.

The studio-based project began in October 2007 involving all 72 students in RCA Design Products. Professor Ron Arad and Senior Tutor Daniel Charny worked closely in partnership with Mothercare Design Manager Paul Walker and his team on the industry side, following an introduction through InnovationRCA.

 ‘Our original plan was to collaborate with a small team of researchers at the RCA working against a specific brief,’ recalls Walker. ‘But when the opportunity arose to work with students from 23 countries on a course renowned as the world’s foremost design and innovation faculty, we simply couldn’t afford to miss it.

‘The timing was excellent given Mothercare’s move towards more in-house developed and directly sourced products, and a passion for new and innovative solutions to support the brand proposition.’

Given the large number of students working on the project, it was agreed that the original brief, specifically aimed at pushchairs, should be broadened. A more open brief to design new proposals for Mothercare under the title ‘XS and excess’ resulted in a wide variety of responses including projects that researched new ideas for feeding, travelling, safety, sleeping and playing.

Versatile approach
In addition to these key areas, other concepts looked at storing memories, shopping with toddlers, store display, motor development, learning, and tools to address an infant’s speaking impairment. A number of students also took inspiration from a critical stand towards government policies, education, social structures and even parenting, although only two of the entire student group are parents themselves.

This versatility of the subject matter was supported by an in-depth project launch that discussed the complexity of innovation in this sector. Mothercare Head of Design Felicity Wade gave a valuable introduction to the challenges facing the global Mothercare brand. She also brought along a child development expert to give students an insight into issues that might trigger new ideas.

Designers and innovators in the field talked about their projects for young children. Expectant mums and sleep-deprived dads described the bewildering mass of options, advice and considerations bombarding them as new parents. Clearly, lucid and caring designs that don’t add to the clutter and confusion of new parenthood would be a benefit.

The project was structured in three stages. The first stage was dedicated to intensive concept development over three weeks with guest speakers and tutorials with the professor and all 15 tutors involved in RCA Design Products. First-stage concepts were presented to the Mothercare team in a long day full of surprises and some controversy. ‘The results were exceptional with a phenomenally diverse range of products being created,’ says Paul Walker.

In the second stage, 17 designs – nearly a quarter of all the proposals submitted – were selected for further development over a four-month period with valuable user feedback sessions organised by Dr Yanki Lee, Research Fellow in the RCA Helen Hamlyn Centre. Expert tutorials were tailored to each of the chosen projects. The Mothercare team focused on commercial and safety requirements, whilst maintaining the original creative intent.

The third and final stage this summer will aim to take a number of the designs into production. Only those projects that combine a new idea (like the new type of pull-chair pram or blanket-turned-carrier), a strong character (like the roll-up snail-shaped play mat or organic soft-shape construction toy), and market viability (like the easy-to-pack family oriented height-measuring tape or after-birth hospital-leaving safety carrier) will make it into the Mothercare catalogue. But if and when they do, this extra special, extra small project will have made a difference to people’s lives.