SurviBear

Disaster Survival Kit for infants

Product Design

14-week project

SurviBear is a Disaster Preparedness Kit for babies from newborn to two years old. Preparing for the first 72 hours that follow a disaster is critical; however, current survival kits do not match with baby's needs. This kit contains items that fit the baby's various needs in an emergency situation and has a system that is easy-to-update with the baby's growth.

ACHIEVEMENT

The first place in the GIA Global Innovation Awards

SurviBear received this honorable award from International Houseware Association in 2020. This award is unique in the U.S. as the longest-running, industry-sponsored, merit-recognition program for industrial design students.

https://www.theinspiredhomeshow.com/explore/awards/gia-excellence-in-student-design/

PROJECT THEME

Disaster Preparedness Kit for babies in LA

When I was 8, a massive earthquake hit my hometown, Kobe, Japan. Many places I had spent were destroyed. That experience determined one of my life goals to design a product that helps people in a disaster.

USGS reported that there is a 60% possibility of a magnitude 6.7 earthquake and a 31% possibility of a magnitude 7.5 within the next 30 years in LA. However, according to a PPIC survey, 47% of Californians don't have a disaster supply kit.

MARKET RESEARCH

Clarify problems of existing products

Babies' needs and current kits do not match

There are over a hundred different kinds of emergency kits in the market, but existing emergency kits are all for general users. Even though lacking supplies is crucial for babies' health, no kits are focusing them.

Lack of sanitizing facilities in disaster situations

Once big earthquakes occur, we lose access to electricity, water, food, and other basic infrastructure. Babies are very delicate to hygiene, so lack of nutrition, sanitizing equipment, and moderate climate are critical for their lives.

Need to update items with baby's growth

Babies are growing very fast. Their body size changes every day. They can't use the same size of diapers for months. Their food also changes with their developments, so one of the critical issues for preparedness kits for babies is considering how to fit their fast growth for unexpected times of big disasters.

TOPIC RESEARCH

Learning from past earthquakes

Japan, where I was born, is on the most active earthquake belt in the world. Many major earthquakes happened within decades. After the Fukushima earthquake, many websites start sharing information on how to prepare for a baby in an emergency.

Shortage of diapers

Most of the evacuation facilities didn’t have enough diapers for babies, and they couldn’t share with other parents because each baby uses different sizes. After the Fukushima earthquake, many websites shared how to make diapers with a plastic bag and a towel.

Formula or liquid milk

Liquid milk was finally legalized in 2018 in response to many requests from parents who experienced massive earthquakes. A liquid formula is suitable for emergency kits because getting warm and clean water is difficult in emergencies.

BENCHMARK

Benchmark products are set from a combination of existing emergency kits (American Red Cross, for 72 hours) and some baby products (diaper, wipes, etc.), which suggested as baby survival essentials on the CDC website.

https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/checklists/kids-and-families.html

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Preparing for the first 72 hours that follow an earthquake is critical.
However, current survival kits do not match with babies’ needs.

DESIGN GOALS

Design the kits that fit babies' various needs in an emergency situation.

Reduce landfill waste caused by expired products.

Improve the choice of materials that can reduce energy consumption and waste in the product lifecycle

THUMBNAIL IDEATION

USER JOURNEY MAP

The user experience of SurviBear's product lifetime

I created an aspirational user journey map to determine the goals of user experience through the product lifetime.

MOCKUP

First, I planned and sewed the1/4 size mockup to check patterns and parts locations.

I made packages' 3D data by Solidworks and ordered CNC milling. The output foams are used for vacuum forming to imitate the recycle pulp mold packages.

I made size reference (inside of the bag) by laser cutting.

I asked to help a professional sewer for the final mockup. I visited her studio multiple times and worked closely with her. Thanks, Kathy!

STORY BOARD

SERVICE SYSTEM

The easy updating system create a product circulation

When the user gets updated items, they have a choice to donate the old one to the local community. The donation can be made by an easy process, by putting the old items into the shipping box that just came with the new items. Then the SurviBear team arranges to send to local communities where baby supplies are needed.