Skylight Buddy routine device sells out on launch
Skylight's new device, Buddy, designed to help children and parents manage daily routines, sold out its initial run immediately after launching on June 1.
Skylight, a company known for its digital photo frames and calendars, has introduced Buddy, a new device aimed at helping children and parents navigate daily routines. The initial production run of Buddy, launched on June 1 for $139, sold out instantly, prompting the company to restock the device.
Buddy is a palm-sized touchscreen device that gamifies children's routines, from morning preparations to bedtime wind-down. It features simple animations and a character that encourages task completion, rewarding children with stars. The goal is to foster executive functioning skills and ease family life without introducing addictive technological elements.
The device is designed to be both child and parent-friendly. Buddy sits on a nightstand and guides children through their routines step-by-step. Parents can customize the task list, and children confirm each completed task by pressing a large yellow button on the device's top. Completing the routine unlocks a celebratory animation. The device also functions as a nightlight and sound machine.
The idea for Buddy stemmed from customer feedback, according to founder Michael Segal. While Skylight's previous products like its digital photo frame and family calendar were popular, they were not perceived as sufficiently child-focused for routine management. Industrial design studio Level was hired to design Buddy, aiming to create a device that genuinely assisted parents with daily chaos. The design team drew on personal experiences with parenting challenges to inform Buddy's development.