This project, a collaboration between Philips Experience Design and the NEXT UPPS team, is centred on the ultra-personalisation of Philips electric breast pumps. It acknowledges the diverse and unique needs of mothers, aiming to tailor the breast pumping experience to individual preferences through a user-centred design approach. The project explores the use of a product customisation webpage and a self-scanning mobile app to facilitate the collection of personal data and preferences. These tools enable mothers to actively participate in the customisation process, helping them understand and articulate their needs more effectively. User testing has shown that the Q&A interaction on the webpage can enhance user engagement by prompting reflection on product needs, while the mobile app's guidance simplifies body measurement, albeit with some data-sharing concerns. The project underscores the potential of personalisation in improving user satisfaction and highlights the importance of user involvement in the design process.
The project identifies the challenge of engaging new mothers in the personalisation and customisation process due to their lack of experience and the dynamic nature of their product demands. This situation hinders their ability to find solutions that truly meet their functional and affective needs, complicating the acquisition of suitable products. The project aims to overcome these barriers by facilitating an informative and supportive service that encourages participation in the co-creation process.
The project undertook extensive research to understand mothers' unique needs for breast pump personalisation, including their explicit and latent requirements for breastfeeding activities. This involved gathering rich tapestry of 3D data and personal narratives from mothers, collecting personal information, such as age, nationality, and specific details related to breastfeeding. This was done through interviews and ideation sessions with various stakeholders, including local breastfeeding centres and Philips designers.
To address the need for precise personal data, the project developed a self-scanning mobile app. This app provides clear instructions for mothers to independently measure their body, facilitating the collection of data essential for customising the breast pump to fit their unique requirements.
In aligning with the project's goal, a co-creation approach was employed, involving mothers in the development process to ensure the final product aligns with their preferences. This was achieved through ideation sessions that generated numerous ideas, which were then clustered and selected for further development into a coherent concept for prototyping and user testing.
At the core of the Design phase were significant outcomes including the product customisation webpage and the self-scanning mobile app. The webpage served as an interactive platform, guiding mothers through a customised question-and-answer pathway to personalise their breast pump. This tool was intricately designed to enable users to delve into their specific needs, facilitating a more tailored and fulfilling product experience. Concurrently, the mobile app was refined to enhance usability and functionality, ensuring an accessible and seamless self-scanning process for mothers.
The project demonstrated the efficacy of a co-creation approach in the personalisation of breast pumps, highlighting the critical role of user involvement in the design process. Through the development and user testing of the product customisation webpage and self-scanning mobile app, the project successfully engaged mothers in the personalisation process, allowing them to articulate their needs and preferences effectively. These tools not only facilitated the collection of personal data but also encouraged users to reflect on their specific requirements, leading to more personalised and satisfactory breast pumping solutions. Despite some concerns regarding data sharing, the overall response was positive, indicating the potential of such personalised approaches to enhance user satisfaction and product effectiveness in maternal care.
