From buying to building, and why the best baby and travel products quietly fade into the background.
Great family travel gear does its job so well you barely notice it. We sat down with Rosie, WAYB's Head of Product, to talk about her path from the outdoor industry to premium family travel gear, how she chooses durable materials, and what sparks new ideas for the brand behind the WAYB Pico travel car seat. Here's what she shared.
What led you to product design for travel and family gear?
Professionally, I've always been in product. I started out as a buyer, then moved to the manufacturing brand side. I've been lucky to work for brands that share, and sometimes elevate, my worldview: developing high-quality, useful products. As a buyer and then a product manager in the outdoor industry, I was closely aligned with the communities and activities I was building for. When I shifted into travel and family gear, it was no different.
My work in the outdoor industry was often about more than trails and peaks. It also meant working with global sales and marketing teams, outdoor and fashion retailers, factories, and materials suppliers.
Products are tools that unlock something. They should be made well enough to be reliable in their intended environments, and then some. That's true whether it's equipment for a vertical ice climb or the everyday essentials that get your family out the door and into the world. I've been fortunate to be part of communities that care deeply about both. Okay, maybe ice climbing sounds more extreme, but sometimes it's easier than kid-rearing. Simpler, anyway.
What is your product design philosophy?
Be curious.
I care deeply about the responsibility we have as makers. There's a healthy tension in building new products for a world already crowded with stuff, so I see what we build as useful, unique tools that empower people. A good product is a job well done: it eases some tension in the customer's day, unlocks something they hadn't thought of, and then fades into the background, humbly ready to be taken for granted but confident in its role.
In some ways, consumer goods design is like hospitality. There's a real "how can I help you?" empathy and "customer is always right" humility to it, layered with the technical design, engineering, and analysis needed to build something that serves the customer's experience.
WAYB positions itself as a design-forward family brand rather than a "baby brand." How does that shape your design decisions?
Although WAYB's flagship product is a car seat, our mission is to deliver high-quality solutions to all the tension points families experience as they move through the world together. That lets us look at a broad range of new categories through the lens of the WAYB brand, well beyond "baby brand."
How do you choose durable, sustainable materials for family gear?How long do you have?
Ultimately, think of materials as another tool. When we select them, we want the best tool for the job. Durability is one part of that job, and it's an important element of our sustainability strategy. We strive to build with materials that do less harm to the planet, but it's just as important that products last.
Aesthetics, while often the most fun or obvious consideration, is sometimes last on my list of credentials. Before I decide I like the look of something, I want to know how it will perform over time, how it feels, and whether it lets the product meet the customer's expectations.
What industries outside of baby and travel gear influence your work?
A lot of our team has experience in the outdoor industry, and we do plenty of outdoor activities ourselves. Personally and professionally, we look to gear and apparel that's expected to perform in extreme conditions. We also pay attention to the automotive industry, and we track innovation and sustainability progress in packaging. We look at premium, well-crafted everyday carry pieces, furniture, footwear, bikes, photography, and homegoods. We also draw inspiration from a walk in the park or a visit to a museum. Our beast of burden is observation. The wheels are always turning.
What's next for WAYB's product line?
I tell the team a lot that we can do anything we want, but we can't do everything we want. That makes me sound sterner than I typically am, but it's meant to focus us on the bigger opportunities and what really lights our fire. Because of that, we've allowed ourselves to challenge complacent categories.
I don't want to overpromise or give too much away, but I'm excited about the conversations we've been having lately that start with "...but why is it like that? It should be better." That's where the really good work starts. It almost literally feels like a spark.
What in your own life reflects your design taste?
My dad handed down a vintage Homecrest lounge chair to me. It has a clean, classic, yet unique design and an innovative use of materials. The frame is an iron and steel contraption that doesn't look all that inviting at first. The vinyl isn't leather, but it has proven more durable and comfortable, lasting multiple generations. Once you're seated, it's easily the most comfortable seat in the house. It's a cozy, elevated, familiar home for reading a book, sipping morning coffee, cuddling a baby, planning upcoming travel, having a nightcap, or catching up with an old friend over the phone.
It faces a painting by Stanton Englehart, a southwestern Colorado artist whose minimalist style portrays the vast beauty of rural high desert landscapes. You could get to know me if you sit in that chair and look at that painting.
That chair, built to last generations and quietly perfect at its job, says a lot about how Rosie approaches her work, and about the WAYB team as a whole. Their curiosity keeps asking "why is it like that?" and their belief is simple: the best products do their job so well they fade into the background, used so often and so easily you barely think about them. Rosie and the WAYB team aren't just building gear. They're building the tools that help you get out the door and get on with the adventure.
Ready to travel lighter? Explore the WAYB Pico travel car seat or browse more WAYB travel tips.