To decide what product to create for my consumer I need to research what issues new parents face and what can fix that. I have decided to focus on parents of human babies, although I did briefly consider think about exploring pet or plant parents. I also spoke to a parent who experienced postnatal depression to investigate what products would be useful for new parents struggling with similar issues.
In the ’UNICEF’s The Baby Friendly Initiative’ they list solutions for problems with their baby. I will use this list to determine what issues they face. Parents tend to be concerned with the growth of their baby and are cautious about making mistakes. If I were a parent I would think about am I smothering the child too much or neglecting them. Guides like this will give accessible information about looking after a child.
“New babies have a strong need to be close to their parents, as this helps them to feel secure and loved. When babies feel secure, they release a hormone called oxytocin. This acts like a fertiliser for their growing brain, helping them to be happy babies and more confident children and adults. Holding, smiling and talking to your baby also releases oxytocin in you, which helps you to feel calm and happy.”
From this I figure that both the parents and baby require high levels of oxytocin. So the baby’s brain can develop well and for parents to remain calm and happy. From this I can decide that (as the brief states the product can be nonsensical) I will create a magic potion that can consumed by both the parent and the baby to calm them. Although, (hypothetically) my concern would be that this removes the need for contact and binding between the parent but the specific logistics can’t concern me too much because I need to focus on the illustration. However, this could be a tool used in moderation for struggling parents with extenuating circumstances. Such as parents with postnatal depression.
I spoke with my mother to gain her insight on the subject as she experienced postnatal depression herself. She said a product that improved levels of oxytocin wouldn’t necessarily be helpful as breastfeeding releases oxytocin to the baby anyways and helps them go back to sleep. However, I raised the issue that single parents who are unable to breastfeed, or use formula, or parents that adopted their child, may not have this option. maybe the product could enhance both the parent’s and the baby’s happiness levels.
It was also discussed that drops that supported a sense of well-being may help because a lot of parents feel isolated regardless if they are part of a nuclear family or are happy people, or they are single parents. The saying is it takes a village to raise a child, but what if the parents don’t have a village? So I could create a a product that makes parents feel supported, not alone or isolated.
So I’ve narrowed it down to a product that helps calm/support a new parent. I researched calming products that already exist and something that appears often are essential oils and massages. Instead of a product that can be ingested I could change it so that it used externally on the body.
This leads to me being able to use imagery of flowers due to their association with oils. Flowers are aesthetically pleasing to the human eye. Nature is often used in promotional content as an ’organic’ feel is favoured by consumers. Especially new parents who are concerned about the health of their baby.
Flowers include lavender, chamomile, and jasmine flower. This makes me think of floriography: the language of flowers. Even though floriography has been around for quite a while now, it’s most commonly associated with the Victorian era, as this is when learning the unique symbolism behind each flower became a popular hobby. Back then, flowers were used to deliver top secret messages.
Lavender: serenity and calmness.
Jasmine: sensuality, elegance, and grace.
Chamomile: positivity, joy, and peace.
Daisies are also associated with innocence, purity, and new beginnings which would be a perfect analogy to go along with new parents and their (new) child.