What started as a product design project, finished as the project to develop the product, the packaging, the website, the start-up company to market the Zaky, and the creation of a company to research and develop ergonomic products for premature and full term babies.
For the project’s first phase (Identify and Assess Opportunities), I had to gather raw data from stakeholders to identify customer needs, risks, and to draw the roadmap of my project. It was important to clearly plan all nine areas of knowledge and how they would apply to my project.
For this phase I spent over 6 months learning/researching more about preemies, comfort, etc., and I conducted numerous interviews with suppliers/designers of medical devices, glove manufacturers, medical personnel (neonatologists, pediatricians, pediatric surgeons, obstetricians, gynecologists, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, infant massage therapists, etc.), several focus groups with mothers and family members of preemies that were in the hospital and those that were up to 10 years old, and my own observation/experience at the NICUs and at home.
For the second phase, (Generate and Select Opportunities), I established the product specifications after evaluating all possible alternatives. Since I was a primary user of the device for several months, I was able to identify what I did not like about the prototype:
the cotton shrank after several washes, so the fingers were 1 inch long, and not aesthetically pleasing;
the weight of the Zaky could not be modified and as Zachary grew, so I had to make others that were heavier as he needed more weight;
The prototype was home-made, with a glove that was not made for the purpose that I was using it for, creating a safety hazard if the seams opened;
It did not assist on positioning or to give support to the body. The rolled towels that the nurses used helped on filling the space but babies need support;
I needed to find someone to make them to my specifications, whatever they were going to be.
I found that the Zaky met everyone’s needs because:
Physicians needed a product that would improve the quality of life and development of the babies and that at the same time would help the parents, and assist them in becoming more involved in the care of the patients. The Zaky is the first and only product in the market that includes the specific needs of the mother and/or father in its design and that provides the baby with comfort, support and aid in development.
Nurses needed a product that would be flexible, give support, soothe, and help them comfort the patients by providing the basic need of feeling protected and serve as positional aid. Also if the mother is able to leave the scent, the babies would be calmer. The device had to be easy to use, safe, durable, hypoallergenic, unscented, hygienic, micro bacterial, washable in industrial machines, and one size would fit all babies to minimize the cost of acquiring them and would help the baby with the emotional transition from the hospital to the house.
Therapists need to provide the baby an environment where he can thrive, develop, and feel as healthy and comfortable as possible. It is imperative to protect the spine of the baby by positioning him well and give him the assistance to develop the muscles. An example is the car seat – some babies go home weighing as little as 4 pounds and the car seat is made for a 22 lb baby. Rolled towels fill the space but give no support to the baby’s bodies, and they can unroll creating a safety hazard. The Zaky is flexible, and protects and supports the baby’s spine by allowing a safe position both while laying down or in a car seat, stroller, highchair, etc.
Babies need to feel boundaries, a nurturing touch and the feeling of feeling protected, especially those born prematurely. All kids need their mothers, and preemie babies are no different.
Mothers need to provide the babies with a sense of protection; they wanted to feel closer to their babies and feel that they are doing something for them. They also need to know that the baby knows who’s his/her mother and that there is a bond between mother and baby even when they are not together.
Fathers need to feel that they are doing something for their wives and babies. Usually, if mom and baby are doing fine, fathers do fine, and if moms and dads are less stressed, babies feel it and are calmer. Parents, siblings, foster parents, or any loved one can scent the Zaky.
