Product design & UX for Magic InBra™ - Medela’s first breast pump worn entirely inside a bra
The Magic InBra™ is Medela's first breast pump that can be worn entirely inside a bra: lightweight, quiet, and powerful, comparable to a hospital-grade device. A product that fundamentally simplifies everyday life for breastfeeding mothers.
Milani supported the entire journey as Medela’s strategic design partner, from the first sketch to the production-ready implementation.
The challenge: turning technical innovation into everyday usability
As a global leader in breastfeeding solutions, Medela has developed innovative, research-based products for mothers and babies for over 60 years. For its next-generation of wearable pumps, the company achieved a breakthrough in its pump technology: compact, lightweight, and high-performing. Milani was brought in as a strategic design partner to translate this innovation into a new product experience that integrates effortlessly into the daily lives of mothers, at home, on the go, or at work.
Eliminating the need for an external pump unit introduced entirely new design challenges. Components such as the motor, sensors, and milk container had to be completely reconfigured. Airflow required reengineering, and the casing reimagined from the ground up. All of this had to be accomplished within extremely tight space and weight constraints, while meeting regulatory requirements and highest standards for quality, performance, and comfort.
Our approach: designing for real life
Milani brought a deep understanding of user needs into the process. Through an iterative design approach, from CAD models and physical mock-ups to real-world wear tests, we continuously refined the product’s architecture, form, and materials. The result is a discreet, intuitive design that supports mothers where it matters most, while also supporting milk production.
One standout feature is the transparent, front-facing milk container. It makes nipple alignment quick and intuitive, ensuring correct placement and full control. We also developed an ultra-thin, anatomically contoured casing that adapts to the shape of the female breast, adds minimal weight, and thereby supports milk flow. The pump remains almost invisible under clothing while offering full freedom of movement.
Ease of use was also a core design priority. The pump is simple to clean and intuitive to assemble. Instead of a traditional snap closure, Milani developed a user-friendly twist-lock mechanism. Acoustic and tactile feedback give mothers added confidence while reducing setup errors, especially helpful in busy everyday routines.
Interface design that guides without overwhelming
Milani created an intuitive user interface that works in any situation. Clear icons, high-contrast color coding, and a logical layout make operation, assembly, and cleaning easy to follow, with no second-guessing.
Another detail with a big impact: the subtly integrated tunnel light. It allows mothers to pump discreetly and safely even in low-light settings, such as at night, with just a few simple movements.
Design as a strategic brand element
The Magic InBra™ marks another milestone in the long-term strategic design collaboration between Medela and Milani. As part of a comprehensive design strategy, we repositioned the entire breast pump portfolio, shifting the focus from functional medical devices to lifestyle-oriented everyday companions. The Magic InBra™ embodies this transformation with its technical innovation, thoughtful design, and radically user-centric approach.
To ensure consistency in the industrial production, Milani developed clear design guidelines for manufacturing partners and worked closely with Medela’s engineering teams.
As a strategic design partner, Milani played a key role in turning a technical innovation into an exceptional product experience, combining deep user insights with strong industrial design expertise and robust implementation capabilities all the way through to series production.
