GENTLE™ TRANSITION CUP

The smoother way to go from bottle to cup

Brand: Munchkin
Launch: 2016

“The Gentle Transition Cup was designed to help babies move seamlessly from bottle to cup with comfort and ease.”

Originally launched under the LATCH brand, this 4oz sippy cup was redesigned after declining sales and customer complaints about the spout. The LATCH brand was retired, and the product reintroduced under Munchkin with improvements. It features a leak-proof design, flexible silicone spout that’s gentle on gums, removable anti-slip handles, and a durable BPA-free body with easy-to-read measurement markings. Suitable for babies and toddlers 4 months and up, it coordinates with Munchkin’s full line of toddler feeding essentials.

Young child sitting in a high chair holding a blue and white sippy cup and looking at it.

BRIEF

Four baby bottles with clear silicone nipples and blue caps, labeled "Munchkin LATCH" in orange and white, set against a plain gray background.

REVIVE -REDESIGN-REINTRODUCE
This 4oz sippy cup, once part of the retired LATCH brand, will be revived by reusing existing tooling and updating the design to relaunch under the Munchkin brand.

A Disney-themed sippy cup shaped like a teacup, featuring orange handles and a yellow base with a clear top filled with a drink and a straw.

NEW CMF DESIGN
Color of the product is unappealing to many consumers, and thin plastic handle is not comfortable to grip with small hands.

Hand opening a plastic lid on a container of pink liquid, with a computer keyboard and baby bottles in the background on a wooden desk.

IMPROVE FUNCTION
Silicone Spout easily collapsed when the air is drown out of the bottle, unable to provide flow of liquid when babies are suckle on it. Understand what is causing this issue and improve the feature.

REVIEW COMPETITOR PRODUCTS

Collection of colorful baby sippy cups and bottles, including various shapes and designs, some with handles, spouts, and straw features.

DEVELOPMENT

A baby bottle filled with milk sitting on a laboratory table with lab equipment in the background, and a person in a lab coat working with equipment.

TESTING
QA Engineer team tested the existing product and measured the flow rate, spout collapse issue, and air-intake issue.

Technical drawing and 3D model of a mechanical component or part, with measurements and intricate details.

IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS
Identified the thin wall thickness, air openings and poor material choice all led to the spout issue.

Comparison of a mechanical part before and after modification showing variable thickness from 1mm to 2.6mm in a cross-section with annotations.

COLLABORATE WITH ENGINEERS
Collaborated closely with an overseas engineering team and the manufacturer to develop solutions.

Outline drawing of wearable devices with a main larger device having two upright parts, a smaller device with a band, and a small bottle, all shown in different sizes or configurations.

COLLABORATE WITH ID INTERNS
Coached and mentored interns in design development process.

A pink and white plastic noisemaker with a circular handle and a rectangular slide on the handle, placed on a white surface against a white background.

DEVELOP SAMPLES AND TESTING FEATURES
Engineer samples were built and tested, reviewed qualities, CMF outcome and new design details.

Line drawing of a baby bottle with labeled parts including cap, collar, spout, ribs, cup, and handles.

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Illustrations were created and collaborated with QA, legal team and a writer to create instruction manuals in multiple languages.

CMF SPECIFICATION

Technical drawing of a 4oz transition cup with labeled parts including lid, silicone spout, collar ring, cup body, handle substrate, handle over-mold, graduation lines, and MCK heart logo, with a parts list and specifications on the right side.

INSTRUCTION MANUAL ILLUSTRATION

  • Line drawing of a baby bottle with a curved base and a cap with vents, featuring a heart-shaped logo.
  • Outline diagram of a baby pacifier with its components separated and displayed vertically.
  • Diagram showing layered plates with an arrow indicating upward and downward movement, and arrows pointing outward from the sides of the bottom layer.
  • A hand inserting a key into a lock, with two arrows pointing to the key and lock indicating the insertion process.
  • Line drawing of a thermos with a screw-on lid, with arrows indicating the lid's rotation direction.
  • A step-by-step diagram showing an object being lowered onto a base using a black arrow.
  • Line drawing of hands holding contact lenses in front of a small device with a heart symbol on it.

REVIEWING SAMPLES AND APPROVING FOR THE PRODUCTION

A green and white baby sippy cup with a silicone spout, placed on a wooden table.
Blue and white baby sippy cup with a spill-proof lid and handle, placed on a white surface with a plain background.
Baby bottle with blue and white design, measuring liquid in ounces and milliliters, with a clear cap and a blue nipple.
Four Munchkin first cups for babies in green, purple, pink, and blue, lined up on a wooden surface, each with a curved handle and colorful spout, still in their packaging.
Four baby bottles with colored silicone nipples in green, purple, pink, and blue, placed on a wooden surface against a white background.
Munchkin gentle transition cup with a green nipple, white base, and handle, still in its packaging.
Illustration showing a child breathing through a mask, with arrows indicating airflow and movement.
Illustration of a baby feeding from a bottle with green arrows indicating pumping motion, labeled 'Pumps' at the top.
A circular logo with the word 'stretches' at the top, featuring a green and yellow background with a white airplane shape and blue arrows indicating stretching or expansion.
Disassembled blue and white smartwatch with removable band, display, and sensors, showing all parts separated.
A baby feeding bottle with a blue cap and measurement markings in ounces, milliliters, and cups, along with a clip-on cover.
A blue and white manual call bell with a transparent blue button on top, mounted on a white base with a blue circular section featuring a white bell icon, placed on a white table.
Three colorful baby sippy cups with handles, in green, pink, and purple, each with a white lid and straw, displayed against a white background.
A young boy sitting in a high chair in a bright kitchen holding a blue sippy cup, with colorful bowls and a basket of fruit on the counter.
A young boy sitting in a high chair at a kitchen counter, holding a blue sippy cup and looking at it. The kitchen has colorful bowls and a basket of fruit on the counter.
Four colorful baby bottles in blue, green, pink, and purple with white caps and handles, arranged in a row against a white background.
Two blue and white baby bottles with blue silicone nipples, one smaller and one larger, both featuring a white heart logo.
Technical drawing of a 10 oz transition cup with numbered parts including lid, silicone spout, collar ring, cup body, handle substrate, handle over-mold, graduation lines, and heart logo, with a color and finish legend and instructions for use.
A 3D CAD model of a plastic spray bottle with a trigger nozzle, showing internal cross-section details.
A person holding a gray and white ceramic mug with a handle.
Disassembled blue baby water bottle with a white handle and a clear lid.

From Market Success to International Honors

The success of the original bottle led to the development of a larger version with greater capacity.

The product received two international honors, the A’ Design Award and the German Design Award, and was recognized by Forbes in 2019 as one of the best sippy cups on the market.

Image of a blue and white baby bottle with handles, displayed next to award logos for the German Design Award 2020 and the A' Design Award 2019.
A young boy holding a green sippy cup with a white lid, smiling and sitting at a table.
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