Process Book

PLAY OUTSIDE

RECONNECTING KIDS TO THE NATURAL WORLD

PROJECT DOCUMENTATION Am Saiyavath Senior Project S13 Instructor : Mark Baskinger

A / OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEM 01 / Client Brief 02 / Problem Indicator 03 / Research Survey 04 / Problem Definition & Redefinition 05 / General Requirements

B / ANALYSIS 06 / Categorical Analysis 07 / Diagrammatic Analysis 08 / Design Criteria

C / DEVELOPMENT 09 / Ideation 10 / Concept Sketches 11 / Mock-ups & Testing

D / REFINEMENT 12 / Product Solution 13 / Follow-up Analysis

E / REFLECTION 14 / Summary of Process

SECTION A

OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEM 01 / Client Brief 02 / Problem Indicator 03 / Research Survey 04 / Problem Definition & Redefinition 05 / General Requirements

01 / Client Brief

RISK “Risk is mankind’s propelling fuel. We crave discovery, innovation, and inspiration, no matter how dangerous... Designers are trained to balance risk-taking with protection, and to mediate between disruptive change and normalcy. They make revolutions viable, understandable, and accessible for other human beings. Good design goes hand-in-hand with personal need, providing protection and security without sacrificing the need to innovate and invent. Good design combined with good instinct, is our strongest assurance of progress toward a safer, move livable world.” - Paola Antonelli

PROJECT BRIEF The project focuses on designers being proactive in addressing real-world issues that have the potential of becoming large-scale societal problems. The task is to identify a project area, develop a hypothesis, design artifacts, illustrate viable solutions, and deliver a case study that illustrates contemporary indicators, future scenarios, and the impact of the proposed design concept.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

02 / Problem Indicator

CHILDHOOD HAS MOVED INDOORS CHILDREN ARE SPENDING HALF AS MUCH TIME OUTDOORS AS THEY DID 20 YEARS AGO. THE AVERAGE AMERICAN BOY OR GIRL SPENDS JUST 4-7 MINUTES IN UNSTRUCTURED OUTDOOR PLAY EACH DAY AND MORE THAN 7 HOURS EACH DAY IN FRONT OF AN ELECTRONIC SCREEN.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

02 / Problem Indicator

PROBLEM INDICATOR This shift in American childhood has taken a mental and physical toll on today’s kids. Childhood obesity rates have more than doubled over the last 20 years. The United States has become the largest consumer of ADHD medication in the world. There is a decline in creativity, concentration, and social skills in children. In a recent national survey, 91% of Americans believed that today’s children are not spending enough time outside.

RIPPLE EFFECTS Establishing a strong connection to the natural world early in life is crucial in raising a healthy, smart and kind-hearted child, leading to a generation of socially responsible adults.

5,000 HOURS

is the average time children today spend watching television by the time they reach kindergarten, enough time to earn a college degree. 1

17 PERCENT

of American teenagers aged between 12 -19 suffer from childhood obesity, which is likely to be carried through adulthood. This rate has increased from 5% in 1980. 2

127 BILLION DOLLARS

the annual cost of the childhood obesity epidemic to the American public health system. This rate has increased from $35 billion in 1981. 3

50.8 MILLION

children are vitamin D ‘insufficient’, and 7.6 million are diagnosed as vitamin D ‘deficient’. Exposure to sunlight raises the level of Vitamin D. 4

25 PERCENT

decrease of visits to American national parks have been observed over the last 15 years. 5

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

1, 2, 3 and 4: nwf.org / 5: health.usnews.com

03 / Research Survey

CHILDHOOD HAS MOVED INDOORS CHILDREN ARE SPENDING HALF AS MUCH TIME OUTDOORS AS THEY DID 20 YEARS AGO. THE AVERAGE AMERICAN BOY OR GIRLS SPENDS JUST 4-7 MINUTES IN UNSTRUCTURED OUTDOOR PLAY EACH DAY AND MORE THAN 7 HOURS EACH DAY IN FRONT OF AN ELECTRONIC SCREEN. AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

03 / Research Survey

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS / IMPEDIMENTS There are many reasons why parents prefer to keep their children indoors. Some parents worry about bug bites, bee stings, allergies from plants, and other potential physical harm from the outdoors.

Also, many children simply do not have an ‘outside’ to play because of the lack of playgrounds, parks, and open spaces. Moreover, some children cannot get to a safe outside area because of busy roads and intersections. Another factor is that video games and other electronics lure children inside. Finally, some kids are so over-scheduled with other activities, that they do not have the ‘free time’ to play.

WHY INTERVENE? Children who play outside are more physically active, more creative, less aggressive, and show better concentration.

Body: Outdoor play increases fitness levels and builds active, healthy bodies.

Exposure to sunlight raises the level of vitamin D, helping to protect children from future bone problems, heart diseases, diabetes, and other health issues. Playing outside improves distance vision and lowers the chance of nearsightedness.

Mind: Exposure to natural settings maybe widely effective in reducing ADHD symptoms. Schools with environmental education programs score higher on standardized tests in maths, reading, writing and listening.

GINNY SHELLER

Spirit: Children’s stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces.

Nature makes you nicer and enhances social interactions, which improves close relationships and gives values in communities. Also, the most direct route to caring for the environment as an adult is through outdoor plays.

CURRENT INITIATIVES Let’s Move Outside! Michelle Obama’s initiative in June 2010, as part of her broad campaign to tackle childhood obesity Be Out There! A campaign to encourage outdoor play.

OAK (Outdoor Alliance for Kids) Passing key legislation to reconnect American children and families to the outdoor.

Green Hour A campaign to help parents with simple suggestions on how to play outside.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

03 / Research Survey

A GROWING CONCERN AMONGST SPECIALISTS

“We have shifted out culture from one that is engaged in a healthy, interactive, imaginative way to one that is inwardly facing, sedentary and expecting things to be fed to us.”

– Dr. Michael Rich, Children Hospital Boston

“Nature Deficit Disorder is the human costs of alienation from nature, among them diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties and higher rates of physical and emotional illness," - Richard Louv, Author of ‘Last Child in the Woods’

“For me, playing outside opened my heart up to a love of nature, a sense of stewardship and responsibility for other living creatures” – Jaime Berman Matyas, Vice President of NWF

“What will become of the wild places if the children know little of the mystery, the grace, the interconnectedness of all living things? How will we address global warming and other environmental threats if we do not engage and prepare the next generation for these monumental challenges?”

– Larry Schweiger, CEO and President of NWF AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

04 / Problem Definition & Redefinition Childhood has moved indoors

PROJECT BRIEF THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON DESIGNERS BEING PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING REAL-WORLD ISSUES THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF BECOMING LARGE-SCALE SOCIETAL PROBLEMS.

Current initiatives target mostly parents, thus failing to get kids outside

The ripple effects

Reconnecting children to the natural world by feeding their intrinsic interest in the world around them Parents are under the same trend

PROBLEM REDEFINITION CHILDREN ARE SPENDING HALF AS MUCH TIME OUTDOORS AS THEY DID 20 YEARS AGO. THE AVERAGE AMERICAN BOY OR GIRL SPENDS JUST 4-7 MINUTES IN UNSTRUCTURED OUTDOOR PLAY EACH DAY AND MORE THAN 7 HOURS EACH DAY IN FRONT OF AN ELECTRONIC SCREEN.

Using open-ended prompts to encourage children to get engaged in nature-related activities, while providing room for self-discoveries.

Use the technology to educate and spark deeper interest in the natural world while deterring them from obsessive use of technology.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

05 / General Requirements

THESIS STATEMENT IN A WORLD FULL OF MESMERIZING INDOOR TOYS LIKE COMPUTERS AND VIDEO GAMES, IT’S EASY FOR CHILDREN TO BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM NATURE AND OUTDOOR PLAY. CHILDHOOD HAS MOVED INDOORS AND CHILDREN ARE SPENDING HALF AS MUCH TIME PLAYING OUTDOORS AS THEY DID TWO DECADES AGO.

PROJECT CRITERIA OPPORTUNITIES

MUST

CHILDREN ARE INTRINSICALLY CURIOUS ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM. CHILDREN TODAY ARE BORN WITH TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT LIKE THE INTERNET. THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH PARENTS AND CHILDREN THROUGH THIS MEDIA. THIS WILL SERVE AS A STARTING POINT TO RECONNECT TECHNOLOGICALLY OBSESSED CHILDREN TO NATURE AND EVENTUALLY GIVE THEM A BALANCE BETWEEN OUTDOOR AND INDOOR PLAY.

THE PROJECT MUST BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE ITSELF INTO THE CURRENT LIFESTYLE OF CHILDREN, AND INITIATE A CURIOSITY FOR THE WORLD BEYOND THE SCREEN: THE NATURAL WORLD. IT MUST ALSO FEED THIS INTEREST WITH A CONTINUAL FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE OF NATURE.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

05 / General Requirements

RECONNECTING CHILDREN BACK TO NATURE THROUGH ENGAGING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES NOT ONLY ENHANCES THEIR WELL-BEING, BUT ALSO PROMOTES AFFECTION FOR NATURE, CULTIVATES ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, AS WELL AS FOSTERS ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS FOR THE FUTURE.

SHOULD

COULD

THE PROJECT SHOULD SERVE AS AN OPEN-ENDED PROMPT TO GET KIDS INVOLVED WITH NATURE. THESE PROMPTS SHOULD TAKE FORM OF AN EXPLORATION OR AN OUTDOOR MISSION RATHER THAN A TASK GIVEN IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. FOCUS SHOULD BE PLACED ON INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN’S JOURNEY, APPROACH AND DISCOVERIES. COMPLETION OF THE TASK SHOULD BE THE MOTIVATION TO BE OUTSIDE.

ALTHOUGH THE PROJECT WILL BE DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN, IT COULD ALSO WORK AS AN INCENTIVE FOR PARENTS TO RECONNECTION WITH NATURE.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

SECTION B

ANALYSIS

06 / Categorical Analysis 07 / Diagrammatic Analysis 08 / Design Criteria

06 / Categorical Analysis

TYPES OF PLAY I brainstormed different activities specially designed for children with a focus on outdoor play and discoveries about nature. The activies can be sorted into five different categories according to the outcome of play.

CREATOR

MASTER

EMULATOR

build a bug land

balancing pebbles

imitate a bug

frog / ant farm

mancala game

gardening as if you were a bug

making toys from recyclables

identifying leaves

make a bird feeder make a bird house mushroom spore printing make seed pod creatures make music with rain and pots/pan float a leaf boat play with mud make pottery freeze nature in ice - ornaments

investigating nature matching color pallette conifer quest Geocache

make a fortress Geocache race corks in the rain make dragonfly from maple seeds

race corks in the rain make a sundial

COLLECTOR nature spotting

NURTURER build a bug land

treasure hunt identifying leaves

frog / ant farm

collector notebook

make a sundial

float a leaf boat

nature spotting

make dragonfly from maple seeds

make a bird feeder

Geocache

make a bird house

freeze nature in ice - ornaments

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

07 / Diagrammatic Analysis

EXISTING SOLUTIONS There has been a steady growth of campaigns, initiatives, advocacy programs, and even webblogs to get children outside.

It is useful to see what behaviors, and in particular the ‘nature of play’, that these resources promote. Doing so would reveal the opportunity for intervention, determine where the ‘extra push’ is needed, and thus setting the design criteria.

GOAL-ORIENTED Geocache

frog /ant farm kit

weblogs: activity ideas

sport session

Pinterest pages of outdoor activities ideas typical outdoor toys

Let’s Move Outside

PASSIVE

summer camp

PLAY

ACTIVE gardening tools

OAK Be Out There

OPPORTUNITY

Green Hour

campaign product game service

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

OPEN-ENDED

07 / Diagrammatic Analysis

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS I have identiďŹ ed three factors that are crucial to successfully get children outside.

These factors are interconnected and feed off each other.

INSPIRED

REWARDED

triggering their sense of curiosity about the world beyond the screen.

recording and acknowledging their achievements and progress

to get kids to play outside, they must be..

EQUIPPED having the tools to make the play a worthwhile experience

These three factors should be apparent in the design and can be used to evaluate the proposed concepts.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

08 / Design Criteria

PROMPT + TOOLKIT = QUALITY EXPLORATION

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

08 / Design Criteria

DESIGN CRITERIA

MUST THE DESIGN SOLUTION MUST SERVE AS BOTH A PROMPT AND A TOOLKIT. THE PROMPT MUST BE INSPIRATIONAL, AND PROVIDE ROOM FOR CREATIVITY AND PERSONALIZATION. THEY MUST BE DESIGNED AS CHALLENGING EXPLORER’S MISSION. THE TOOLKIT MUST BE PORTABLE AND DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR OUTDOOR USE AND INCLUDE A REWARD SYSTEM.

SHOULD

COULD

THE PROMPT SHOULD BE SEMI-REALISTIC. THEY ARE NOT SIMPLY ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITIES, BUT RATHER AN EXPLORATION OF THE NATURAL WORLD. PROMPT SHOULD INSPIRE CURIOSITY BY PROVIDING ACTIVITIES SIMILAR TO THOSE PERFORMED BY NATURALISTS. THE KIT SHOULD ALSO HELP RECORD KIDS’ PROGRESS.

THE DESIGN COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON PARENTS BY FIRST MAKING THEM AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE DESIGN COULD TAKE THE FORM OF A SERVICE THAT PARENTS CAN ENROLL THEIR CHILDREN INTO IN ORDER TO RECEIVE BOTH THE PROMPTS AND THE TOOLKIT.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

SECTION C

DEVELOPMENT

09 / Ideation 10 / Concept Sketches 11 / Mock-ups & Testing

09 / Ideation

INITIAL IDEAS / OUTDOOR TOYS

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

10 / Concept Sketches

CONCEPTS / ACTIVITY TOOLKIT

CHILDREN CAN BE ENCOURAGED TO GO OUTSIDE BY EQUIPPING THEM WITH A TOOLKIT. THIS TOOLKIT SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY ACTIVITY PROMPTS AND MUST INCLUDE A REWARD SYSTEM.

INSPIRED

REWARDED

TOOLKIT REQUIREMENTS: TOOLS / LOGBOOK / WEARABLE GADGET / WORKSPACE EQUIPPED AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

10 / Concept Sketches

CONCEPTS / WEB-BASED PROMPTS CHILDREN

PARENTS

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

11 / Mock-ups & Testing

USER TESTING / ACTIVITY TOOLKITS ACTIVITY PINWHEEL The pinwheel acts as a starting point to get parents and kids to go outside. Ideally, it will be used weekly during the assigned ‘outdoor hour’ that parents schedule for their children. The arrow is spun and will stop at an activity category. For each category, an activity is hidden underneath. Pulling the tab will reveal the activity that parents and kids have to do together during the allocated ‘outdoor hour’.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

11 / Mock-ups & Testing

INSPIRED

REWARDED

EQUIPPED

EXPLORER CARDS Similar to the pinwheel, the explorer cards would give parents and children more flexibility. Cards can be played in many different game settings. It can simply be chance cards that kids pull out from a hat or a matching game with the odd one out being the activity chosen for that particular ‘outdoor hour’.

INSPIRED

REWARDED

EQUIPPED

REWARD SYSTEM I realized that both of these ideas are good for inspiring parents and kids to engage in outdoor activities, however they need to be accompanied by a reward system, or the design will quickly be a mundane and uninspiring task.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

11 / Mock-ups & Testing

EXPLORER KIT This kit is like a journal in a carrying case. It is multi-functional, and by far, and meets most of the requirements and project criteria stated earlier.

The kit can be part of an outdoor program or a web-base community that parents enrolled their kids into.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

11 / Mock-ups & Testing

PAIRING UP WITH A WEBSITE Although the kit itself is inspirational, it is not sufďŹ cient to sustain the interest of parents and children alike. In order to keep children curious about nature, suggestions of activities should be constantly updated. To achieve this, a website must be available for parents and children to provide new prompts and activities on a regular basis.

INSPIRED

REWARDED

EQUIPPED

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

SECTION D

REFINEMENT

12 / Product Solution 13 / Follow-up Analysis

12 / Product Solution AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

WELCOME / SIGN IN / REGISTER

BY DEFAULT, THE WELCOME PAGE IS IN THE EXPLORE TAB. SIGNING IN WILL BRING THE KIDS TO THEIR PROFILE PAGE.

KID’S PROFILE

THE PROFILE PAGE IS WHERE KIDS WILL SEE THEIR EXPLORER RANK AND THEIR PROGRESS TOWARDS EARNING BADGES FOR DIFFERENT EXPERT CATEGORIES. WHEN THEY COMPLETED ALL ACTIVITIES UNDER EACH CATEGORY, THEY RECEIVE A BADGE FOR IT.

12 / Product Solution AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

EXPLORE

IN THE EXPLORE TAB, ACTIVITIES ARE SORTED INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF NATURE SPECIALISTS. CLICKING ON EACH ONE WILL BRING THE KID TO THE CREATE PAGE THAT CONTAINS THE PROMPTS.

CREATE

THE CREATE TAB IS WHERE CHILDREN CAN BROWSE THROUGH ACTIVITIES. THEY CAN BE SORTED ACCORDING TO POPULARITY RATING OR BY DIFFICULTY LEVEL.S. WHEN AN ACTIVITY IS COMPLETELY UPLOADED, CHECK MARKS WILL APPEAR. THERE IS ALSO A LINK TO GALLERY PAGE AND A BOOKMARK OPTION

12 / Product Solution AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

SHARE - GALLERY

THE SHARE PAGE IS WHERE PARENTS CAN POST PICTURES OF THEIR CHILD’S ACCOMPLISHMENT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE BADGES OR SIMPLY TO SHARE WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SITE. THIS PAGE MUST BE MANAGED BY THE PARENTS.

SHARE - MAP

THE SHARE MAP ILLUSTRATES WHERE THE CHILD HAS PERFORMED HIS / HER ACTIVITIES. BY SHARING THEIR MAPS, PARENTS AND CHILDREN CAN SUGGEST LOCATIONS TO OTHER USERS AS TO WHERE TO PERFORM THE ACTIVITIES.

12 / Product Solution AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

PARENT SIGN IN

PARENTS CAN SIGN IN AND ACCESS THE DASHBOARD WHICH SUMMARIZES THEIR CHILD’S PROGRESS. THE PAGE REPORTS ACTIVITIES COMPLETED (UPLOADED BY PARENTS), AWARDS EARNED, AND ALSO SHOWS ACTIVITIES BOOKMARKED BY THE CHILDREN

DASHBOARD

BY DEFAULT, THE WELCOME PAGE IS IN THE EXPLORE TAB. SIGNING IN WILL BRING THE KIDS TO THEIR PROFILE PAGE. THE PROFILE PAGE IS WHERE KIDS WILL SEE THEIR EXPLORER RANK AND THEIR PROGRESS TOWARDS EARNING BADGES FOR DIFFERENT EXPERT CATEGORIES.

12 / Product Solution AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

THE PARENT HOMEPAGE EXPLAINS HOW THE TOOLKIT AND THE WEBSITE WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO RECONNECT CHILDREN TO NATURE.

TOOLKIT ORDERING

ADD-ONS FOR DIFFERENT ‘EXPERT’ CATEGORIES CAN BE PURCHASED AND PLACED IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TOOL BOX.

12 / Product Solution

MAGNETIC CLIPBOARD ADJUSTABLE STRAP (STORED)

STATIONERY COMPARTMENT

A LATCH THAT LOCKS THE CLAMSHELLS TOGETHER FOR LEVELED SURFACE WHEN FLIPPED OVER. HEMP STRING WIND TO CLOSE

EXPLORER TOOLKIT THE TOOLKIT IS A CLAMSHELL CARRYING CASE THAT CAN BE FLIPPED OVER AND USE AS A SMALL WORKSTATION.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

20 EXPLORER CARDS. WHEN ALL ARE FILLED IN, KID EARN THE NEXT RANKING

12 / Product Solution

EXPERT CATEGORY STICKERS

EXPLORER CARD

INSIDE THE ADD-ON PACK

ADD-ON PACK

CONTENT OF THE TOOLKIT: MAGNETIC CLIPBOARD KEEPS THE LEFT COMPARTMENT CLOSED AND PRINTED OUT INSTRUCTION CAN BE CLIPPED ON. LOGBOOK CARDS KIDS CAN RECORD ACTIVITIES AS THEY ARE COMPLETING THEM / OUTDOOR. STATIONERY PENCILS, SCISSORS AND GLUESTICK. AND STICKERS ARE IN THE SAME COMPARTMENT. EXPLORER ADD-ON PACK VELCROED INTO THE RIGHT COMPARTMENT AND COMES WITH SPECIAL TOOLS NEEDED FOR ACTIVITIES. AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

13 / Follow-up Analysis

OVERVIEW OF PRODUCT AND SYSTEM INTERVENTION

CHILDREN PAGE

PARENT PAGE

TOOLKIT

EXPLORE COMMUNITY

SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE

RECORDING ACHIEVEMENT

RECORDING ACHIEVEMENT

CONNECTION TO NATURE

REWARD SYSTEM AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

13 / Follow-up Analysis

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013

SECTION E

REFLECTION

14 / Summary of Process

14 / Summary of Process

I’VE LEARNED A LOT. THIS PROJECT CHALLENGED ME IN DIFFERENT WAYS. IT INTRODUCED ME TO A NEW WAY OF IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS, AND TOOK ME COMPLETELY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE.

MY REACTION TO ‘RISK’ I chose this senior lab because of the description given about the class. the idea of identifying risk interested me very much.

I agree with what is written in the syllabus that designers can play an active role in real world issues that have the potential to become a big-scale societal problem. I believe that good design solution can stop the ripple effects of ‘risky’ issues.

OVERCOMING PROBLEMS I believe that last semester ‘Agility Lab’ has prepped me well for this project. Just like its name, the labs had made me more agile. I worked faster and I’ve become more open to new ways of thinking and working. I am also grateful for my classmate’s feedback during crits, the brainstorm session on the table, and especially their feedbacks during the ‘gauntlet’.

Talking to Mark at critical points in the process was also very helpful in steering the project in the right direction

FOR THE FUTURE I will have to work even faster and start making prototypes as soon as I have a possible idea.

Although the way the project is set up has already encourage this change in work-flow that is different from studio projects in the past, I am still not use to it. I am looking forward to employ this design process in future projects and will do my best to work smarter and more efficient.

DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES The hardest part for me was identifying the ‘risk’.

The first week of the project was very fast-paced and I had trouble identifying an issue that has potential to become big. In the past projects, problems that I’ve identified are not very complex; they are merely one of the ripple effects of a bigger problem.

Halfway through the project I have a problem determining (and accepting) the direction that the project was heading. I had a very restricted acceptance of what I think an industrial design project should be. When I realized that the project needed a digital and web-based component, I tried to steer away from this direction. Fortunately, after talking to Mark, I was convinced that I should give it a try, even if it’s something far out of my comfort zone. And I’m glad I did.

WHAT I ENJOY MOST ABOUT THE PROJECT I enjoy making the process book as much as I enjoy making the prototype of the toolkit in the wood shop. Documenting my design process helped me verbalize my thinking. I enjoyed making diagrammatic analysis of the problem as it gives structure to my thinking. Taking photos and doing testing with actual kids was very fun yet tiring. It gave me so many thoughtful insights and I wished I had the opportunity to do it earlier so that I can incorporate these insights into the design.

AM SAIYAVATH - SENIOR THESIS PROJECT - CMU SPRING 2013