Mighty Sink
I wanted to reach out to not only let you know we have launched but, more importantly, to thank you all for your help. I still remember our first phone call (I believe it was August 10, 2022…) and I was so nervous and had no idea about anything. I appreciate all the calls that we had and your (emotional) support and guidance along the way! I am able to launch and share the Mighty Sink with everyone today because of all of you!
Liliana Post
The Development Process
Portable Sink For Toddlers
Liliana wanted to create a portable wash basin for toddlers. An important step was considering the scale for the product to adapt to a growing child.
First Concepts
Initially the product was to be a small furniture piece with counter space and shelves.
The Prototype
The first prototype was a successful collaboration with Liliana. She took the design recommendations and fabricated her own working model to test.
Market Pivot
During the course of development Liliana realized the greater market opportunity beyond just toddlers. She worked with her Kickr Design team to get design recommendations for manufacture.
The Client
The initial purpose was to empower toddlers to wash their own hands before and after meals to instill good hygiene habits and to free up time for parents and teachers. The existing solutions that Liliana tried involved using a step stool to allow her child to wash up at the kitchen sink. The stools were always in the way and had to be constantly moved and set up. It was either that or lift Makenna up to the sink all the time to wash up. Liliana had an initial prototype that she built using off the shelf parts and with help from family.
The Challenge
Liliana wanted to update her design to simplify the user experience as well as improve the manufacturability of the product. The initial goal of the project was to produce a full design of the updated Mighty Sink along with a V2 prototype for testing. The primary technical hurdle was water management and plumbing connections, ensuring clean and dirty water remained separate without necessitating two trips for discard and refill. Achieving this required a well-engineered solution. Additionally, Liliana assisted with feature prioritization, helping strike the right balance between functionality and cost. Determining which features were essential while keeping the sink affordable was crucial. Finally, navigating the path to manufacturing involved identifying the best materials and processes for scalability and quality control.
The Solution
- Liliana was an exceptional client in that she used Kickr Design on an as-needed basis consultant as she progressed fabricating her own prototypes.
- Kickr Design facilitated CAD support.
- Partial prototyping/design experimentation around plumbing connections for design recommendations.
- Consulting on manufacturing coordination: Liliana would set up a meeting at different steps in the process. Getting her foot in the door with vendors, preparing documents, etc.
The Results
A completed V2 design of the system as well as a long-term relationship that allowed Liliana to leverage our expertise. Liliana decided to take on construction of progressive prototypes herself and even bought a CNC machine to make parts in her basement. While we did not build the prototype for her, she reached out to us during her development intervals to check-in and get design for manufacture recommendations.
