Comfort Baby Thermometer
A thermometer for new parents
Being a new parent is stressful, especially when your baby is sick. The Comfort thermometer not only eases some of that stress through new technology, but its also changes the entire interaction so that it can be more calming for both the parent and child.
Inspired by my niece
When my brother and sister-in-law had their first baby I started to think about what kinds of stresses these new parents face on a daily basis.
What are some struggles new parents face?
What stresses occur when a new baby is sick?
How do current baby thermometers fall short?
Interview Research
Luke, Rachel, and Eliza
Rachel and Luke are first time parents. One of their biggest problems is feeling unsure that they are using it correctly. They really want to have a clear way to read Eliza’s hydration.
Rachel and Judah
Rachel is a new mom. She loves the fact that her baby thermometer only has one button to interact with, so she finds it really easy to use. She also wanted to understand her son’s hydration.
Erica and CJ
Erica is mother to one son, CJ. She loves how easy her thermometer is to store. What I found the most striking, is that she also wished her thermometer could read her son’s hydration.
Parents are really looking for a way to monitor their baby’s hydration as well as temperature
There’s a stressful trend in the market.
Many forehead thermometers on the market right now force parents to hold them in a very similar way to a weapon, or in a very aggressive stance, rather than a calming approach to the interaction they’re having with their children.
Reliable
Parents really had a concern for the results they were seeing to be reliable, as well as clear and easy to read.
Gentle
Babies are already uncomfortable when they’re sick so it’s important to their parents that the interaction is very gentle.
Results
Along with temperature, there is a real desire for parents to also be able to measure and record their child’s hydration.
How might we create a baby thermometer that has reliable readings, a gentle touch, and results that share not just temperature, but also hydration?
Is recording hydration possible?
There are new and more technologies constantly being created that help us monitor our health. There are now patches that help athletes watch their hydration levels. There are also studies showing that passing light through the body, in a similar way to how a thermometer works, can be used to also measure and monitor hydration. A study for Biomedical Optics Express shows an example of this emerging technology.
M. Nemati, C. N. Presura, H. P. Urbach, and N. Bhattacharya,
Dynamic Light Scattering From Pulsatile Flow In The Presence of Induced Motion Artifacts
Concept Iteration
Comfort
Baby Thermometer
Features
Workflow
Press, hold, and swipe
Release
Turn over to see results
Results through app
Bluetooth enabled
Adding another level of comfort knowing readings are always just a tap away, whether at home, double checking results, or sharing results at the doctors office. The Comfort App also allows users to track results over a period of time, take notes along with readings, and set reminders for dosage and follow up readings.
Assign temperature to a family member’s profile
Take notes to easily share and monitor your family’s condition
Set reminders to take medicine based on recommended dose
Easily view results and trends on the summary page
A more calming interaction
Reliability
A one button interface ensures results are easy to record, consistent, and reliable.
Gentleness
The open handed nature of the interaction brings a gentle touch to the experience.
Results
Large easy to read results display both hydration and temperature.
Any questions about this project? Or want to get to know me more? I’m happy to answer! Please reach out!