Juno
A modern breast pumping pod for the modern workplace. Featuring comfortable seating, easy to clean surfaces, and complete privacy, the Juno pod makes breast pumping safe, easy, and efficient.
Research
When starting the project, I wasn’t intending to design a breast pumping room. After doing research and talking to the women this issue affects, I quickly realized that it was the most effective solution. Because Women in the U.S have shorter maternity leaves and no paid time off, they are returning to work early, which prevents them from breastfeeding for the recommended 6 months.
“How can we design an encapsulating space for new mothers returning from maternity leave to safely and comfortably pump breast milk while at the office. When the space isn’t being used as a pumping room, it should be able to function as a natural extension of the workspace.”
User Analysis
After looking at residential and commercial spaces and seeing how they are inhabited, I wanted to understand how the space would be used who would be using it. While talking to people who would be using the space, like new mothers, coworkers, and custodial staff, I gathered a better understanding of what the space would be used for, and what the main functions of it had to be.
Sketching
After figuring out the design details, I decided to jump into sketching. I knew I needed an enveloping form to hide the user but not make them feel claustrophobic. Not only that, but it needed to have functional surfaces for working, be easy to clean, have storage, and electrical outlets for charging devices or powering a breast pump. All of this had to come together in an elegant package that was not only beautiful, but responsibly made.
The First Failure
After sketching and finding some viable concepts, I went into developing sketch models. Very quickly I realized that this was not going to be a valid idea going forward. The main problem with this was the overall scale. It was way too small, and not only that, the desk inside was too small to be usable and the height made it almost too easy for someone to look inside. This was a frustrating setback, but it gave me a better idea of the scale that I needed to hit.
With all of this behind me, I started developing concepts and bringing them back to my stakeholders. Each round I would build a model, render the concept in 3D using Solidworks and Keyshot, and bring it to a rotating panel of women, janitors, and other coworkers at Room & Board, where I was doing an internship at the time.
Branding and Logo
While developing the form, I was also thinking about the visual identity and how it would be sold. Looking at other “Work Pods” I decided the most viable place to sell Juno would be either at a trade show or online. I wanted the logo to communicate the form of the product, but also a tricky balance of openness and protection. For the touch-points on the inside, I wanted icons that were easy to understand and could communicate at a glance.
Website
A company that inspired the initial form factor was New York City based ROOM, creators of work phone booths that easily integrate into open plan offices. I decided to integrate Juno into their website to see what the sales experience could be online.
Shipping
Juno would ship in 3 pieces; the top acrylic window, the main body, and the door. With this shipping method, it can fit easily through double doors while still limiting the number of pieces to make construction easy.
With all this, I would like to introduce you to Juno.
