ZOYA – Rethinking Child Safety Through Innovation

ZOYA – Kindersicherheit durch Innovation neu gedacht

Name(s) of graduate(s):

Laura Natalia Esteban Nieto

2026

Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel

M.A. I.D. Medical Design

Master of Arts

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Description

ZOYA is a concept for next-generation forward-facing child restraint systems that challenge conventional approaches to child safety. Despite constant advances, CRSs have remained largely unchanged since their invention. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3, ZOYA aims to reduce injuries and fatalities caused by road traffic accidents, through safer and smarter child transportation.

The use of anthropometric data to identify the key body regions requiring protection, allowed the strategic dematerialization of the conventional child seat shell, removing material, where it provided little value and concentrating it where it contributes most to safety.

The resulting open and lightweight system allows children to better perceive their surroundings while challenging the conventional assumption that more material equals more safety. Instead, ZOYA demonstrates how intelligent structures, smarter materials and good design can create safer and more efficient systems.