Design a product ecosystem that encourages children to spend time away from screens using multiple channels. These components must work together to help children get over their fear of unfamiliar spaces and experiences that might scare them.
Project
Objective
Approach
The project started with a childhood memory about being scared of monsters under the bed. This made me think more about the fears children face. A potential to convert these fears into new tools for environment exploration was seen.
Details
The project was a part of a two week mechatronics module during my Masters of design at National Institute of Design. (March 2021)
Key Roles
Exploratory
Research
Concept development
Rapid prototyping
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Process
overview
Research
1
Synthesis
2
Direction
3
4
Outcome
Research
Secondary Research
Primary Research
Secondary Research
The answers to the following questions were looked for:
1. Why are children scared of the dark?
2. How and why do children make imaginary friends?
3. What are the different ways of coping with fear?
4. what are the different ways in which children learn?
Primary Research
Children between the age of four and seven years of age were interviewed (sample size: 6), questions like what is it that they fear the most? What time of the day and which areas are they most weary of?
Based on the interviews, the following personas were created
Synthesis of
Research
Synthesis
COVID-19 has aggravated children's addiction to screens. There are many reasons for this (lack of time given by caregivers, boredom, the inability to go out and play)
COVID -19 has influenced children’s choices of play, Its mostly something to do with the virtual world where they have no dearth of new activities that are completely focused on a screen
Children need a break from their phones, there needs to be a stronger relationship between them and their physical environment
Children need cues to make a wide range of interpretations and conversations, from making up stories about their environment from past experiences, to acting up when they deal with new or unfamiliar circumstances.
Insight
Something intriguing in the physical environment could pique a child’s interest, whether they interact or simply acknowledge their physical environment.
More activities related to their immediate surrounds presents a great opportunity to see familiar spaces in new light, and to pay attention to smaller details would improve upon their observation skills.
Any digital components would need to be intentionally selected - push notification or highly rewarding rewards, for example might feel like an unwelcome intrusion.
The content of a toy could take many directions, making bridges that help connect their fears and imaginations to their physical environment would in a way help foster more meaningful connections with their thoughts and feeling and would also help as conversation starters for making new social connections
Converging Towards a
Design Solution
The Design
Direction
After understanding the diversity, motivations, frustration and how children cope , I decided to narrow down my opportunity area to a few specific actions and interactions rather than aiming at tackling the entire issue of unfamiliarity and fears.
Guiding Design Principles
Awareness, not Information | Visualize the abstract beyond the seen | Overcome fear through familiarity
Different Interaction Touchpoints to Associate
Better With The Experience
UI
Toy gun
Learning and Play Attributes Catered To
These attributes would help bridge the gap between their
fears of the unknown and what is real
User
Journey
The journey through which a user would interact with the product was mapped out
Experience Levers
Environment interaction | Experiential learning | Storytelling |
Hand-eye Coordination | Social and self-communication
Prototypeing
The next step was to ideate and make the different components of the product.
The code and breadboard circuit to check the EM wave sensitivity of the gun was made.
Coding and
Circuitry
3D modelling
The 3D model of the toy gun was modelled using blender
Rendered
3D model
A final render of the gun was made with apropriate materials
Wireframing
Wireframes for the mobile application were made, keeping in mind the user journey and insights.
Hi-Fedility
Mockups
Hi- fedility mockups were made for the screens to depict the final look and feel of the application. The scary and friend meter were added to the UI to make sure the kinds know how scary the monsters they caught are and how easily they could make frineds with them.
Outcome
An interactive mobile and ipad application for kids ages 3+ that would help them log, make friends with and when ready, release the caught creatures.