Dutch Design Fashion Architecture
april 22, 2009
Via Contagious magazine:
Ten years ago you would see fathers standing outside the baby store, impatiently waiting for their spouses to walk out of the store with their purchases. With a Bugaboo stroller, fathers can actually feel part of the process. They can choose the wheels. And they do. There are many features in the Bugaboo stroller that make men feel comfortable walking behind it, or I should say beside it, because that’s how men use their stroller. The one-piece handlebar allows them to steer with one hand and walk beside the stroller taking large steps. The clean lines, tough colours, fabrics and the use of the aluminum appeals to them. Just as it does to me. Don’t forget, Bugaboo was founded by two men (Max Barenbrug and Eduard Zanen) and the entire design team consists of men.
Birth of a brand
Looking for an investor for his Eindhoven Design Academy graduation project in 1999, Barenbrug's then brother-in-law and current business partner Eduard Zanen came on board. He invested a large sum of money and when major manufacturers didn’t want to take the plunge, they headed out to Asia ourselves to bring the design to life.
Entrepreneurs with guts
We took ten production models to the biggest international trade fair in Cologne. On the first day Eduard called me: ‘Our stand has been swarming with people all day!’ he said. Then a competitor suddenly decided it wanted to buy the designs. They offered us 250,000 Dutch Guilders (€125,000). ‘In your dreams,’ Eduard and I thought. That’s when we knew that that product – which we now call the Bugaboo Classic – could interest the global market.
Pressure from welfare
"Our products are now sold on five continents, in nearly 50 countries. I have always believed in the business success of my design. It is logical to me that the designer – the creative brain – should co-own the company," says designer and owner Max Barenbrug. Bugaboo has a story, a solid reason for being and is therefore authentic. I invented and developed the first product myself and I wanted people to tell me if it isn’t right. I worked like crazy for five years, living off a pittance. In the early days I often thought: this isn’t going to happen. But, the unfailing dedication to my concept and product kept me going. When I was offered a nice job working for a design agency, I opted instead to take welfare and keep plugging away at my product. But the closer I got to the final design, the more the Welfare Department pushed me to find a job. I was even forced to take courses on how to apply for a job. That was quite depressing and I did feel lonely at times.
You convince people with the quality of your product. Some people did not recognise that the Bugaboo Classic is a stroller. Instead they thought it was a mobility product for disabled children. They had another notion of a stroller in their minds. Now, the silhouette of the Bugaboo Cameleon is used as the archetype of a stroller in cartoons and drawings all over the world. To me, that is amazing.
The Bugaboo stroller was a well-thought-out solution to explicit needs of modern parents, but also their latent needs. When you expect your first child you actually have no idea of what type of stroller you will need. You just think it needs to have four wheels and a seat or carrycot. And nice colours. With the Bugaboo stroller, it became a different product, and people started to recognise that. They sent us letters and photos because they were so happy that this product had arrived. They would wave at each other while passing. This is not something you can initiate yourself, it just happens on the streets. People are really thinking about the product. Make a good design and take it to the next level – that is the assignment we set ourselves.
Exclusivity without exclusion
I am a great fan of ‘exclusivity without exclusion’. It reflects exactly what we stand for. It’s great to hear that Gwyneth Paltrow uses a Bugaboo stroller, but it really gets to me if I don’t see our strollers being used by ordinary modern parents here in Amsterdam or in London. I can now say that our design and communication strategy has worked really well because I do see our buggies everywhere. Design and functionality have been integrated: the buggy is functional and has an iconic style. That’s why people are satisfied. It is not as if they choose a Gucci or Prada stroller. We say ‘performance makes lust acceptable’. You want this product badly, and the performance and the quality of the product give you reasons to buy it. And leave you satisfied with your purchase, instead of giving you a guilt trip.
At a certain moment in time we realized that some of our consumers were not buying their strollers for the right reasons. Sometimes they were not aware of all the functionalities – what complexity and ingenuity is hidden behind the clean lines and white knobs. So we decided to show how we design the stroller and come up with breakthrough functionalities both online and at retail. You can know learn online for example about the evolution of the Bugaboo swivel wheel or Bugaboo’s design philosophy, both visual and in wording. If a user gets excited about his stroller and feels smart discovering and understanding functionalities that make his life easier, then a strong word of mouth effect develops. Bugaboo owners start sharing their experiences with parents to be: sisters, colleagues, neighbours. In the end there is nothing more powerful than that.
A Bugaboo stroller needs explanation. We prefer not to work with distributors. We want direct contact with our retailers. That just works better, both for them and for us. That is why Eduard built a great sales strategy, selecting retailers that could sell our products. You need to understand the product, the brand. And, as a retailer, you should be willing to take time to understand your client’s needs and his or her lifestyle. Not every retailer wants that. Eduard took great care in the first five to six years to look out for these outstanding retailers that serve their customers in the best possible way. Not only during the purchase, but also after sale.
Mobility and beyond
Founder Max Barenbrug: "The success of our products lies in multiple factors, but one of them certainly is that we perceive strollers as a mobility product. I graduated by designing both a stroller and a bike. I could have just as well pursued the bike track. In the future we are going to launch other mobility products. Not just strollers or parent related products. It could be anything that enhances your freedom of movement. A new exciting chapter for Bugaboo is being written by our design department as we speak."
Bugaboo / Facts and Figures
Founded: 1999 by Max Barenbrug and Eduard Zanen (owners)
Turnover 2008: 85 million Euros
Employees: 500
Headquarters: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Via: Contagious magazine
Text: 7N60 Communication, Damaris Beems
Ten years ago you would see fathers standing outside the baby store, impatiently waiting for their spouses to walk out of the store with their purchases. With a Bugaboo stroller, fathers can actually feel part of the process. They can choose the wheels. And they do. There are many features in the Bugaboo stroller that make men feel comfortable walking behind it, or I should say beside it, because that’s how men use their stroller. The one-piece handlebar allows them to steer with one hand and walk beside the stroller taking large steps. The clean lines, tough colours, fabrics and the use of the aluminum appeals to them. Just as it does to me. Don’t forget, Bugaboo was founded by two men (Max Barenbrug and Eduard Zanen) and the entire design team consists of men.
Birth of a brand
Looking for an investor for his Eindhoven Design Academy graduation project in 1999, Barenbrug's then brother-in-law and current business partner Eduard Zanen came on board. He invested a large sum of money and when major manufacturers didn’t want to take the plunge, they headed out to Asia ourselves to bring the design to life.
Entrepreneurs with guts
We took ten production models to the biggest international trade fair in Cologne. On the first day Eduard called me: ‘Our stand has been swarming with people all day!’ he said. Then a competitor suddenly decided it wanted to buy the designs. They offered us 250,000 Dutch Guilders (€125,000). ‘In your dreams,’ Eduard and I thought. That’s when we knew that that product – which we now call the Bugaboo Classic – could interest the global market.
Pressure from welfare
"Our products are now sold on five continents, in nearly 50 countries. I have always believed in the business success of my design. It is logical to me that the designer – the creative brain – should co-own the company," says designer and owner Max Barenbrug. Bugaboo has a story, a solid reason for being and is therefore authentic. I invented and developed the first product myself and I wanted people to tell me if it isn’t right. I worked like crazy for five years, living off a pittance. In the early days I often thought: this isn’t going to happen. But, the unfailing dedication to my concept and product kept me going. When I was offered a nice job working for a design agency, I opted instead to take welfare and keep plugging away at my product. But the closer I got to the final design, the more the Welfare Department pushed me to find a job. I was even forced to take courses on how to apply for a job. That was quite depressing and I did feel lonely at times.
You convince people with the quality of your product. Some people did not recognise that the Bugaboo Classic is a stroller. Instead they thought it was a mobility product for disabled children. They had another notion of a stroller in their minds. Now, the silhouette of the Bugaboo Cameleon is used as the archetype of a stroller in cartoons and drawings all over the world. To me, that is amazing.
The Bugaboo stroller was a well-thought-out solution to explicit needs of modern parents, but also their latent needs. When you expect your first child you actually have no idea of what type of stroller you will need. You just think it needs to have four wheels and a seat or carrycot. And nice colours. With the Bugaboo stroller, it became a different product, and people started to recognise that. They sent us letters and photos because they were so happy that this product had arrived. They would wave at each other while passing. This is not something you can initiate yourself, it just happens on the streets. People are really thinking about the product. Make a good design and take it to the next level – that is the assignment we set ourselves.
Exclusivity without exclusion
I am a great fan of ‘exclusivity without exclusion’. It reflects exactly what we stand for. It’s great to hear that Gwyneth Paltrow uses a Bugaboo stroller, but it really gets to me if I don’t see our strollers being used by ordinary modern parents here in Amsterdam or in London. I can now say that our design and communication strategy has worked really well because I do see our buggies everywhere. Design and functionality have been integrated: the buggy is functional and has an iconic style. That’s why people are satisfied. It is not as if they choose a Gucci or Prada stroller. We say ‘performance makes lust acceptable’. You want this product badly, and the performance and the quality of the product give you reasons to buy it. And leave you satisfied with your purchase, instead of giving you a guilt trip.
At a certain moment in time we realized that some of our consumers were not buying their strollers for the right reasons. Sometimes they were not aware of all the functionalities – what complexity and ingenuity is hidden behind the clean lines and white knobs. So we decided to show how we design the stroller and come up with breakthrough functionalities both online and at retail. You can know learn online for example about the evolution of the Bugaboo swivel wheel or Bugaboo’s design philosophy, both visual and in wording. If a user gets excited about his stroller and feels smart discovering and understanding functionalities that make his life easier, then a strong word of mouth effect develops. Bugaboo owners start sharing their experiences with parents to be: sisters, colleagues, neighbours. In the end there is nothing more powerful than that.
A Bugaboo stroller needs explanation. We prefer not to work with distributors. We want direct contact with our retailers. That just works better, both for them and for us. That is why Eduard built a great sales strategy, selecting retailers that could sell our products. You need to understand the product, the brand. And, as a retailer, you should be willing to take time to understand your client’s needs and his or her lifestyle. Not every retailer wants that. Eduard took great care in the first five to six years to look out for these outstanding retailers that serve their customers in the best possible way. Not only during the purchase, but also after sale.
Mobility and beyond
Founder Max Barenbrug: "The success of our products lies in multiple factors, but one of them certainly is that we perceive strollers as a mobility product. I graduated by designing both a stroller and a bike. I could have just as well pursued the bike track. In the future we are going to launch other mobility products. Not just strollers or parent related products. It could be anything that enhances your freedom of movement. A new exciting chapter for Bugaboo is being written by our design department as we speak."
Bugaboo / Facts and Figures
Founded: 1999 by Max Barenbrug and Eduard Zanen (owners)
Turnover 2008: 85 million Euros
Employees: 500
Headquarters: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Via: Contagious magazine
Text: 7N60 Communication, Damaris Beems
