Daniel Daesoon Kim
Manufacturing and Design Engineer
S4
The Safer Storage Solutions Stroller
The S⁴ is a robust folding stroller that mitigates accidental tipping by providing alternate storage solutions, a steady wheelbase, and a closed handle.
The S⁴ is an affordable, safer solution to the outdated umbrella stroller. By removing the old handle that afforded parents the ability to hang bags onto it, the S⁴’s design prevents risky tipping situations and discourages unsafe habits.
Team Size:
team of 4
Project Duration:
10 weeks
The Client & the Need
Every year, there are over 17,000 reported stroller related accidents (Academic Pediatrics, 2016).
Kids in Danger (KID) aim to protect children by fighting for product safety. Nancy Cowles, the executive director of KID, asked our team to design a safer stroller.
User Research
In Person User Research
I interviewed several mothers to better understand user behavior and the qualms parents had with current strollers.
New Avenues of Research
To gather more user feedback, I took to joining an online mom forum. I got to meet a community of mothers eager to help and a goldmine of useful information.
Insights
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Parents often own two strollers: a more expensive "luxury" stroller and a cheaper umbrella stroller
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The cheap and foldable umbrella stroller is used for quick runs and shopping
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The umbrella handles afford users to hang bags on them, leading to tipping accidents
Rapid Prototyping
Early Iterations
Our first prototypes were works-like mockups made from foamcore, scrap cloth, and a junk umbrella stroller.
Final Prototype
Our final prototype was a higher fidelity stroller that featured a folding closed-loop handle, a wide base, sturdy wheels, a storage area, and a easy-snap 4-point seatbelt.
My Role
As lead machinist, I created the handle and stroller base with the lathe and bandsaw.