The Rockit
Designing a Portable Stroller Rocker
Impact: xxxxx
Brief
To design a portable baby rocker that attaches to any pushchair or pram, gently rocking it to help keep babies asleep on the go.
Services
Concept Development, CAD
Deliverables
The final Rockit design met every goal: safe, showerproof, quiet, adjustable, and cost-effective to manufacture at scale. It’s now a multi-award-winning product that has made a significant impact in the nursery sector
Testimonial
"We selected Pd-m as our design partner for The Rockit since Richard has been involved with the Design Council SPARK programme and his company Pd-m have experience in nursery products. The team at Pd-m took our original concept then carried out product development, in-house prototyping, engineering and design-for-manufacture. The team at Pd-m are highly focused, experienced and dedicated; they have really helped us in our journey to market."
-xxx, xxxxxx
Case Study
From the outset, this was a true design-for-manufacture brief. The Rockit team came to us with a great idea, early prototypes that proved it could work, and now they needed to take it to market. That meant building a product that not only functioned well but could be manufactured at scale, hit a target unit cost, and deliver real value to parents.
Designing Backwards from Cost
We started where all commercially viable products should — with the numbers. What would it need to cost per unit to succeed in the market? That figure shaped every design decision that followed. Working backwards from the cost target, we began laying out the architecture. Every element had to serve two purposes: meet the functional brief, and stay within the commercial parameters. This is where designing for manufacture becomes a balancing act between creative intent and real-world constraints.
Prototyping
Over a focused six-month development cycle, we worked through multiple prototypes. Each round of testing informed the next. How the product handled vibration, how quietly the motor performed, and how to fine-tune the mechanics. We zeroed in on details like the bracket design, ensuring it could fit securely across a range of pushchairs, strollers and prams. Meanwhile, the motor was calibrated for consistent, soothing motion without generating disruptive sound which was a non-negotiable for sleepy infants.
The result
Because this was a product for newborns, safety and reliability were everything. We stress-tested materials for durability while keeping the unit lightweight, and carefully reviewed every interaction point for simplicity and security.