From a drawing to a changing room.
I’m Habib, a dad of four from Perth and the founder of Amunais.
The ChangePod began with a question: what could I create that people would actually find useful?
I wanted to build a business of my own. With four children, family life was a natural place to look for ideas. And one thing kept coming to mind: getting kids changed when you’re away from home.
If you’ve ever finished swimming lessons with wet children, somewhere else to be and a queue for the changing cubicles, you’ll understand the problem.
Plenty of kids. Two cubicles.
At swimming lessons, there could be more than thirty children and just two changing cubicles. When you’ve got a couple of kids in the water, getting everyone dry and dressed afterwards can take some organising.
A towel will get you so far. But when you’re heading somewhere after swimming, they need to get changed.
The beach brings its own version of the same problem. Crowded facilities, wet and sandy floors, and a walk back to the changing rooms that can feel a lot longer with cold children and everything you’re carrying.
Here in Perth, we’re lucky to have beaches like Mullaloo. But depending on where you find a park, the facilities aren’t always close by.
I kept thinking about something simple: what if you could bring a small changing room with you? A pop-up space you could use when you needed it, then flatten down and take home.
That was the beginning of the ChangePod.
First came the drawings.
I sketched the idea and contacted a product development company to help turn it into proper drawings.
My first design had a wider base and a narrower top. I thought that shape would make it more stable. As we worked through the spring design, we moved to a consistent diameter from bottom to top.
We also explored different heights and widths, working towards a changing space that would be practical to use and carry.
Then came the problems.
Having something drawn up was one thing. Getting it made properly was another.
Over the following months, I went back and forth with manufacturers. Samples would arrive, but there was always something to work through. The height wasn’t right. The spring wasn’t the right thickness. The pod leaned to one side. The fabric was too thin.
The early prototype pictured here had uneven stitching and a misshapen base. It wasn’t something I was willing to sell.
Some samples cost me $500–$600 each. Every attempt meant more money, more feedback and more waiting.
After around six months, I decided I needed to be there in person.
So I booked a flight to China.
I’d never been before.
After months of samples and back-and-forth messages, I spent seven days in China meeting with factories and working through the ChangePod in person.
Being there meant I could point out what wasn’t right, discuss changes face to face and work through the details directly.
During that trip, we developed the first ChangePod I went on to order. The idea I’d drawn up in Perth was finally becoming a product I could put into customers’ hands.
The first order. A trip to Bunnings.
When the first order came in, I still had one problem to solve: I didn’t have a mailing bag big enough for the ChangePod.
Folded down, it was seventy centimetres across. So I went to Bunnings, bought heavy-duty plastic sheeting and made a bag myself.
I cut two large squares, glued the edges and left an opening to slide the ChangePod inside. Then I sealed it with double-sided tape.
That’s how our very first order went out. After months of drawings, samples and changes, I was finally sending a ChangePod to a customer, in a mailing bag I’d made by hand.
Why privacy matters to me.
There’s one moment at the beach that has stayed with me.
The changing rooms were busy, and a mum was helping her young daughter get changed behind a towel. Her daughter was uncomfortable. Her mum was reassuring her that she was covered, trying to get her dressed quickly.
Both were doing their best with what they had. I remember wishing I had a ChangePod with me to give them.
That wasn’t where the idea began, but it reminded me why I wanted to make it.
As children grow, they start wanting more privacy, even while they still need our help. Having their own space to get changed is a small thing, but it can make a difference to how comfortable they feel.
Still a small business. Still very personal.
Today, Amunais is our family-run business in Perth.
I’m still the person packing your ChangePod and writing the thank-you note that goes inside. If you have a question or something isn’t right, you can reach me directly.
I want to build something lasting for my family. That starts with making something useful for yours, being honest about what it does and standing behind what I sell.
Thank you for being part of these early days.
Habib Kushkaki
Founder of Amunais