buildersbowl
___________
team: michelle bai, joseph lee, sam denning
2022summer - design lab 2
toy design & life cycle assessment
we have been using resources from future generations. it is time to invest our resources for the next.
benchmark (fisher-price laugh & learn magic color mixing bowl)
for babies ages 6-36 months
6 removable play pieces: rattle egg, milk bottle, 2 measuring cups, pretend cherries, teethable chocolate bar, and a stirring spoon
lights up, plays sounds, songs, and music
bpa free
made in china
released on 11/1/2019
can be purchased in-store & online
educational focus:
- fine motor skills
- vocabulary
- music
- numbers
- problem solving
where to buy:
- target (in store & online)
- walmart (in store & online)
- amazon (online)
- buybuy baby (online)
- kohl's (online)
how did we pick this benchmark?
we decided to redesign a children's toy, we were able to browse online and in-person to explore the different options of toys that fit into our expected age range (+- 2 years old)
knolling diagrams
process tree
12 different materials
pcb being the most impactful part
functional unit
"hours of play"
(time spent playing with the toy)
20 hrs / month x 6 months = 120 hours of play
weekly play time: 5 hrs
monthly play time: 20 hrs
product warranty
25.2252
120
0.2102
total impact:
lifetime hours:
total impact/hr:
okala impact assessment
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sustainable minds
short "hours of play" - 120 hours
too many different types of materials - 12
disposal to landfill
long distance transportation
circuit board took up the most impact
largest source of impact: carcinogens
lca goals
"target, reduce, and eliminate plastics."
"target, reduce, and eliminate carcinogens."
"target, reduce, and eliminate fossil fuel use."
foundational & user research
“designing for kids”
developmental level: by observing children, we can assess their physical, cognitive and social developmental levels.
personalities: when observing kids at play and listening to them speak, we learn a lot about their personalities and temperaments.
interests: while watching children play in a natural setting and engaging in various activities, we discover their interests and preferences.
strategies: we discovered different approaches used by various children behavioral researchers to achieve a goal or create a desired effect.
skills: what skills have they mastered or do they need to practice? what are their accomplishments?
julie: mom
molly: age 3
henry: age 1
"she is obsessed with magnetiles and k'nex and builds beautiful things."
"...of course we want the toys to look like toys, but we would also like them to look nice... their toys are always scattered everywhere."
"sometimes we just wish the toys would be quiet. some of noises are so repetitive.”
insight: there is a sense of accomplishment when the “project” is “completed”.
Most babies are eating and sleeping more regularly. They are also responding more actively to parents and caregivers.
Able to explore most basic parts of toy. Stimulated with color, light and sound.
This is a time of great fun for parents as they watch their babies become eager explorers who are thrilled to discover that they can make things happen.
Able to explore interact with the toy with more purpose. Pick up, put down, etc.
major user pain-points
unsustainable materials (chunky plastics)
aesthetics clash with home
too much noise
confusion with how to operate
opportunities for design
improving sustainable materials, reduce lca impact
more neutral aesthetics, home matching capable
functional labeling
competitive market
stimulation research & data
Stimulation is necessary for child development
Frequent exposures to educational contents boost the learning curve (frequency matters)
Insight: Variation is important to hold interest and give the product depth
Audible Stimulation
Songs (Letters, Numbers)
Sound effects when dropping objects into bowl
All sound can be shut off
Visual Stimulation
Material colors
Material choice variation (Transparent window on egg)
Lighting function on mixing bowl
Tactile Stimulation
Materials (Flexible chocolate, hard spoon, etc)
Parents consider “fun factor”, motor skills and creative development when shopping for developmental toys
user focused & lca goals
offer light education through play
provide sensory stimulation to the user
make operation clear and simple
have enough variety to hold the user's attention
minimize repetitive noise
target, reduce, and eliminate plastics
target, reduce, and eliminate carcinogens
target, reduce, and eliminate fossil fuel use
ideations
narrowing down...
ideations based on top 5
final direction & inspiration
form explorations
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buildersbowl
BuildersBowl is a sustainable developmental toy for children ages 6-36 months. Users are able to express their creativity on top of the unstable bowl; prompting them to focus on not only building, but also making them consider weight distribution in order to balance the bowl and prevent a tip-over, teaching patience and problem-solving skills.
cmf
Planwood
non-toxic composite made from sawdust & scrap
less than 1% e-zero glue used during manufacturing
organic colourants added during process
eco-friendly & safe to put in mouth
Natural dyes mixed into the composite before molding
bowl material choice
reclaimed walnut lid
cnc cut maple bowl
user scenario & take-back service
delivery to door
user stack and play with BuildersBowl
off-balance and the bowl tips over, the bells in the toy blocks will make sounds as they fall
clean up by storing toy blocks inside the bowl
process tree
how does it compare?
goals met?
goals from foundational + user focused research:
offer light education through play
provide sensory stimulation to the user
make operation clear and simple
have enough variety to hold the user’s attention
minimize Repetitive noise
goals based off of lca insights:
target, reduce, and eliminate plastics
target, reduce, and eliminate carcinogens
target, reduce, and eliminate fossil fuel use
-------------------------------------------- experience based learning
-------------------------------------------- noise, texture, color, motion
-------------------------------------------- does not need instructions use
-------------------------------------------- creative play by building
-------------------------------------------- create noise with bells
overall lowered by 98%
-------------------------------------------- no plastics
-------------------------------------------- no electronics
-------------------------------------------- less travel mileage
goals accomplished!
