Industrial Designer in Los Angeles. Transforming Concepts into Market-Ready Realities.

SMILE N SCOOP™ SUCTION PLATE

Practice makes perfect, one scoop at a time

Brand: Munchkin
Launch: 2018

“Cleverly contoured design guides food onto spoons and helps toddlers build scooping confidence”

Designed to make self-feeding easier and more fun, the Smile ‘n Scoop™ Suction Plate features smart nooks and crannies that help little ones scoop and spoon food with success. A strong suction base keeps the plate firmly in place so kids can focus on practicing while parents can focus on enjoying mealtime.

A young child with a polka-dot dress eating food from a yellow and white bowl on a high chair.

Key Features

A child's hands reaching toward a yellow bowl of cooked pasta with meat sauce and a couple of pieces of cheese on top, placed on a white high chair tray.

Stay-Put Suction

Strong suction base prevents sliding and flipping for less mess at mealtime.

Young girl sitting in a high chair, eating pretend food with a toy spoon, and a pink sippy cup on the tray.

Nooks & Crannies

Contoured design keeps food in place and helps toddlers practice scooping with ease.

Blue and white silicone baby bowl with a divided section for food, placed on a white surface.

Kid-Friendly Durability

Thick, weighted plate is dishwasher safe, easy to clean, and built for everyday use.

PROCESS

DEVELOPMENT

Collage of babies and toddlers eating food at a table or high chair.

RESEARCH
Conducted feeding sessions with toddlers and parents using competitor products. Observed challenges and successes to identify real user needs.

A collection of cartoon-style emojis featuring weather, animals, and celestial objects. Includes a cloud, sun, pig, dinosaur, smiling face, fox, dog, moon star, fish, forget-me-not flower, cloud with cloud shape, rocket, whale, hearts, ladybug, bear, and lion.

IDEATION
Explored multiple plate concepts through rapid sketches and digital visualizations in Adobe Creative Suite.

Collection of 3D models of smiley face and circular objects in various colors and states, with some featuring thicker designs and assembly diagrams.

3D CAD
Built detailed CAD models in SolidWorks and partnered with engineers to refine designs for manufacturability.

Colorful plastic dip bowls in yellow, pink, blue, and green, each with a smiling face design; a stack of blue and black storage trays.

3D RENDERING
Created photorealistic visuals in KeyShot to review design directions and study CMF options.

Yellow smiley face with a white outline inside a container, labeled 'MCK (handmade)' on a note.

PROTOTYPING
Worked with external prototype makers to produce functional samples for internal reviews and sales presentations.

Plastic ice cream scoops with smiley face designs, labeled with sizes 55, 65, 45, and 45, placed on a granite countertop.

EP, FEP & PP SAMPLE REVIEWS
Reviewed tooling samples at each stage, recommending refinements to improve fit, function, and quality.

Colorful baby sippy cups with smiley face designs, one yellow and one pink, inside a dishwasher.

TESTING WITH COMPLIANCE RULES
Partnered with the compliance team to verify safety, durability, and performance through rigorous product testing.

Stacks of white bowls with pink interior and a white smiley face design on the inside, arranged on a wooden surface.

MANUFACTURING
Coordinated with overseas factories to launch on schedule, delivering to major retailers including Target, Walmart, and Amazon.

Raised eyes and smile to help guide more food onto utensils
Sturdy, deep walls designed for easy scooping
Strong suction base helps prevents messes and spills
BPA-free, great for boys and girls 9 months and up

A young child using a blue and white spoon to eat orange baby food from a blue plate in a high chair.

Young boy with brown hair and blue eyes sitting in a high chair, eating food from a blue and white plate with a green spoon, in a kitchen.

Yellow smiley face suction plate with a training spoon in packaging

A smiling young child sitting in a high chair with a yellow and white bowl of food and a spoon in front. The child is wearing a red and white striped shirt and has light brown hair.

Colorful toddler dining set featuring a large blue plate with a smiling face, decorated with cheerful illustrations of children, fruits, flowers, and playful icons on the packaging.

A young child sitting in a blue high chair, holding a Sesame Street-themed sippy cup with a smiling face and googly eyes, looking down at a plate of food on a tray in front of them, consisting of broccoli, beans, shredded chicken, and an orange bowl.

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