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Willow CEO Naomi Kelman on designing tech for women and moms
Maybe it's just us, but we feel like we're seeing a lot more gadgets at this year's CES meant for moms: a pregnancy tracker and multiple breast pumps. I wanted to talk to someone about the challenges -- and opportunities -- of designing gadgets for women and mothers. And who better to invite onto the Engadget CES stage than Naomi Kelman, CEO of Willow? You remember Willow: The company stole CES 2017 after unveiling its wireless smart breast pump. The company managed to overcome skepticism from attendees who might have otherwise dismissed the device as just another gimmicky smart gadget -- and who might have also felt some discomfort talking about women's bodily functions. The device went on to win two official Best of CES awards that year and is now in the hands of 20,000 mothers. Kelman and her team are back at CES this year with a refined second-generation version of the breast pump. She joined me today on stage for a demo, followed by a conversation about what it means to design for women, and what others have gotten wrong in the past.
Willow is back with an easier-to-use version of its smart breast pump
Two years ago we came to CES looking for OLED TVs and Alexa-enabled refrigerators, but it was ultimately a smart breast pump that stole the show. Engadget, along with the rest of the tech press, initially treated the Willow Wearable Breast Pump as a curiosity; proof that the Internet of Things trend had become a caricature of itself. In fact not: The device addressed problems that many women encounter while breastfeeding, but that you rarely see written about on tech blogs. Whereas typical breast pumps require a woman to be tethered to a wall outlet, with both hands required for the task at hand, this one was wireless: two cups that slipped inside a bra and allowed the user to walk around and retain use of her hands. Being a "smart" device, it also had a companion iOS/Android app to track how much liquid was collected. That week, the Willow went on to win two official Best of CES awards.
