The Client
Soap Soundz® brand hand soaps are the only soaps in the world that play music while you wash! With their patented sound emitting soap pump, Soap Soundz is able to customize the music and sounds that emanate from the pump. With each push of the pump head, the user experiences custom messages and music turning the mundane chore of hand washing into a fun and playful experience. With multiple lines, Soap Soundz appeals to all ages and genders and is a fun additional to any household.
International Product Solutions (IPS) was consulted to re-engineer the sound emitting pump head to make it more dependable while also adding some important features. We were also tasked with finding and managing production of their handmade ceramic soap bottles, custom formulated hand soap, and custom retail packaging and designs. We now manage 100% of the production side of the business, so Soap Soundz can focus on sales and front end marketing.
The Task
IPS was brought in to complete a current product review of Soap Soundz current design and to suggest and execute improvements in the following areas of the product:
- Electronics: Redesign of circuit board and switching used to activate pump music / sounds.
- Power Source: Redesign of circuit board and plastic housing to incorporate system of battery replacement, moving away from the integrated battery of prior designs.
- Pump: Improve on pump design to eliminate leaks and improve on pump performance.
This project was led in the United States with design work, engineering and sourcing of the hand soap with help from our China and Taiwan offices for soap pump and bottle components. Final product is co-packed at a partner company in the United States.
The Process
To complete the project, we reviewed the overall goals of the product, and created a task list over what components would need to be re-designed and re-tooled for mass production. Multiple prototyping phases were conduced to test new designs for form and function. All new production tooling was created to incorporate improvements to the circuit board and plastic housing design. New factories we sourced for new components needed, especially for the switch from a plastic blow molded bottle to a ceramic higher value and decorative bottle. Overall, four new factories were involved and are managed by IPS for the production of the new and improve Soap Soundz product line, now being introduced at the start of 2024.
Challenges We Overcame
This project presented a couple of key challenges, including:
- Circuit Board Re-Design: We needed to start from scratch with a whole new circuit board, activation method and power source integration for the new Soap Soundz pump.
- Material Change: Bottles were changed from a blow molded plastic bottle with label, to hand painted ceramic bottles. This involved all new factories and sampling / prototyping efforts.
- Tooling: New injection molding needed to be created within set budgets and with multiple new features.
- Budget: As with many of our projects, we needed to pay attention to the “per piece” production budget because this is a mass market item and is very price sensitive at the retail level.
Results
The customer was very satisfied with every aspect of our work and has been in discussions with IPS to be brought on board as a partner with Soap Soundz moving into the future.