The Modular Stroller System That Just Keeps Giving

We are thrilled to see our client Dorrel Juvenile take home an epic win — the Red Dot Best of the Best Award for their Plaza+ stroller. Only given to about 75 designs a year, this is a pretty big deal. Selected out of more than 6,500 entries, Best of the Best designs are recognized for their ground-breaking design quality. And now, it’s MODYN’s second Red Dot Best of the Best we have won!

The Maxi-Cosi Plaza+ is part of a modular stroller platform we designed a while back for Dorel Juvenile. This modular platform design has not only been an award-winning success, but allowed the brand the flexibility to keep building and innovating upon a proven, flexible system and bring strollers like the Plaza+ to the market.

The award-winning Maxi-Cosi Wheely platform

Balancing Universal Appeal with Local Adaptability

The story starts a few years back when Maxi-Cosi asked us to design three strollers. These strollers needed to balance universal appeal with local adaptability. Because the brand wanted to design the strollers for different regions, a modular system was essential. Maxi-Cosi needed the strollers to be adaptable to different needs, norms, and preferences. They also wanted the design infused with classic Maxi-Cosi lines to make the strollers instantly recognizable.

Leveraging Heritage and Innovation

With deep knowledge of stroller design and the heritage of the Maxi-Cosi brand, Dorel Juvenile trusted us to support them from inception through production. They wanted us to advance innovation and push the brand further. This led to features like duo-functionality, one-hand folding, and the iconic ShapeOfYou memory foam inlay.

Smooth Transition from Concept to Reality

“I think the advantage of working with MODYN was that I could feel that this concept wasn’t just a high-level thing,” Olivier Garreau, Director of Product Marketing at Dorel Juvenile, explained. “They really knew the category and mobility. The transition between concept and reality was faster and smoother because of this.”

Part of our modular design process for the Maxi-Cosi Wheely platform

Quick, easy folding capabilities

Modular design framework for the Wheely that Maxi-Cosi continues to use today

Up close with the Modular Stroller design

The Maxi-Cosi Plaza+ which uses our modular framework

The exciting, lasting benefits of modularity

Designing a modular shape and frame for the line of strollers, Maxi-Cosi gave parents the flexibility they needed. Features like going from mono to duo or replacing a bassinet with an upright seat, as seen with the Lila, showcase this flexibility. The modular design also provided Maxi-Cosi with much-needed flexibility for future designs and production, such as the Plaza+.

Benefits for Future Designs

Designing the Plaza+, Maxi-Cosi benefited from having a modular framework to build upon. This allowed them to quickly produce the stroller since much of its framework was already in production.

Expanding Reach and Appeal

The modular system, initially designed to reach three different markets with various features, could now be easily built upon to further expand the brand’s reach and appeal.While our work with Maxi-Cosi is a great example of how modular design can benefit brands, this strategy can be leveraged across industries. Below, we list some of the biggest returns on this kind of investment.

Clear starting point: The Modular Stroller

With a modular design, you have a clear starting point. In this case, the frame of the stroller that was purposefully designed to accommodate new features and innovations. This allows you to quickly and easily zero in on your target market and customer, designing solutions specific to their needs rather than focusing on the basics to get this product off the ground.
Time savings

Not only is time saved in the design process, but production, too. Since many of these main parts are already in production, you only have to worry about producing the new parts rather than entire new frameworks. This isn’t just time saved on the production line, but in sourcing new materials or manufacturers, too.
Enhances the product lifecycle

Modular design also enhances the lifecycle of a product. With a framework that is proven, flexible and efficient, you can easily redesign elements to fit new trends and tastes, as well as customer needs, instead of having to start completely from scratch.
Sustainable

If you think about the above points in terms of sustainability, modular designs help companies make more sustainable choices. Extra parts or entire modular frameworks that might have gone unused for one product can be repurposed for another, updated design. What’s more, raw materials you’ve invested in for certain parts can be used for new, modular designs of future products.
Enhanced brand identity

An iconic modular design can go a long way for your brand, too. With recognizable lines and character, you can leverage that customer familiarity and adoration to bolster your brand identity for years to come. Plus, modularity provides flexibility that customers love — allowing them to change and add to their beloved product for years to come as you produce new parts or features or as their needs change.