Ellen Diamant is a totally modern mother of invention
Ellen Diamant is a totally modern mother of invention
By Gerri Hunt -- Kids Today, 5/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
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Who: Ellen Diamant, partner, creative director, Skip Hop
Background: "I was an art director with many years in the fashion and publishing business," Diamant said. "I had never designed a baby product in my life."
Unable to find a diaper bag after her son was born in 2000, she told her husband and business partner, Michael that she had a design for sleek, unisex, messenger-style bag that would move easily from stroller to shoulder. She wanted to just make it for herself.
"They say necessity is the mother of invention, and seeing that there might be a need in the market, Skip Hop was born. I came up with some designs and we manufactured our first product in El Salvador — the Duo Diaper Bag," she said. Now Skip Hop is a modern lifestyle brand that has entered categories such as feeding, home and nursery, and bath, along with the diaper bag line.
"We started our business at such an exciting time when many of the modern design companies launched as well — Dwell, Bugaboo, Oeuf and David Netto, among others, were truly inspirational," she said.
Diamant said she is influenced by design she sees every day living in New York City, as well as the work of some of her favorite designers, Charles and Ray Eames and Karim Rashid.
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| Ellen Diamant's favorite Skip Hop design, the Splash Baby Bottle Drier, recently won a bronze IDEA Award. |
The Process: "We research the market for products that need improvement (or don't exist), interview parents about their needs and do in-home research," Diamant said. "We then design working prototypes, get more feedback and proceed with real-life testing. And most importantly we get feedback from our valued retailers on product and price."
Her favorite design is the Splash Baby Bottle Drier. It looks like a frozen splash of water and was just awarded a 2008 Bronze International Design Excellence Award in the Home Living category from the Industrial Designers Society of America.
"It's just very cool — and looks like a piece of sculpture in the kitchen," Diamant said.
Skip Hop's products are at a medium price point, with items ranging from a $13 bath spout cover to a $79 diaper bag.
"As the economy has changed we are very price sensitive — the product needs to be priced in the sweet spot," she said. Distribution includes baby gear stores, department stores, e-tailers and museum shops.
The Challenges: "Our biggest challenges right now are testing, testing, testing. It's crucial but also very time-consuming and extends development time of products," she said. "The rules change monthly. Since our products are sold worldwide, the testing varies from country to country."
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