3. 3
The goal for my capstone was to find some
way as a product designer to help humanity by
improving personal health or enable a better
standard of living.
I decided one way was to create a product
that could help prevent childhood obesity.
7. 7
more than skin deep
risks include but not limited to:
high cholesterol
high blood pressure
diabetes type 2
sleep apnea
early puberty
muscular development
asthma
18. 18
barriers for product play
parents
“the gate keepers”
permit the kids to play and in the end are
the ones who purchase the child’s toys kids
“the small critics”
decide if they want to play with the toy
and whether or not to keep playing
19. 19
how can we attract the parents?
parents need to know the product is safe and
nurtures their child’s play. getting their kids
physically active as well as providing some kind
of educational aspect is a plus
20. 20
how can we attract the kids?
it’s no simple task. while a child’s creativity
needs little encouragement they do need a
product that can foster their imagination, but
also compete with distractions and deterrents
such as video games and television
22. 22
Play is:
a behavior that is freely chosen, personally directed and
intrinsically motivated. it is open ended and is not bound
by defined rules or borders
physical social / emotional Cognitive
play aids the development and play provides the experience children learn to develop executive
refinement of children’s gross and children need to learn social skills; functioning, prioritizing, and basic
fine motor skills. as children use become sensitive to others’ needs planning skills. play has been shown
their bodies in physical exercise, and values; manage their emotions; to improve attention spans, attitudes,
they refine and develop skills that learn self-control; and share power, creativity, divergent thinking, and
enable them to feel confident, space, and ideas with others. language development.
secure, and self-assured.
23. 23
flexibility of open play
the element of creation is extremely
important to a child’s cognitive develop-
ment and well-being. open play is flexible
and non-linear. rules can be constantly
redefined and changed by the child. toys
such as wooden blocks allow the child to
project their own imagination onto their
toys. products that can promote play and
creativity have just as positive influence on
health as daily exercise.
24. 24
enhancing the fantasy
a child’s play is never complete. pretend play is
different every time. children love items and toys
that can help them make their imaginations more
real and interactive. playing dress up or using
props are just a few ways that kids do this.
25. 25
electronic components
adding interactive components to products is a
recent and growing trend. with kids becoming so
adaptive to the digital world it’s no surprise that
they are such a huge hit with younger generations.
26. 26
unlocking the levels
children today are more adept at understanding
layers and levels underneath the obvious. today’s
toys need to provide a level of interaction not seen
in products of the past. the knowledge of that
there is more can keep a child’s interest in a toy.
27. 27
outdoor exposure
in today’s world of increasing digital media
it’s important our future adults stay in touch
with nature. the term nature deficit disorder
has been coined for the recent generations
that have grown up around modern day
technology with minimal exposure to the
outdoors. a factor that has led to the rise of
children with illnesses and allergies
28. 28
encourage interaction
common solutions to childhood obesity
have been a lot like adding a treadmill in
front of a screen. this idea lacks the
overall goal of getting kids outside and
above all enabling children to interact with
one another. child product design should
not only aspire to get kids to interact but
parents as well.
29. 29
in class research
as part of my research I went to a 2nd grade
classroom and observed the kids during a
show and tell and also asked them to draw
their idea of the coolest playground. what I
learned was that the kids got most excited
when I asked them to create the playground.
they were mostly excited that the control to
create was given to them instead of others.
30. 30
children are the inventors
and the designers are the translators
designers are the ones who can give form to something that will
meet the diverse imaginative needs of children
31. 31
main design goal:
get kids outdoors and physically active
Design Objectives
a. Provide kids the opportunity to get physically active
b. Provide an open ended play experience that encourages
interaction among kids and parents
c. Create a play system that appeals to both kids and parents
Executional Considerations
a. Needs to empower children
b. Needs to be a safe product for kids to play with
c. Needs to be used without a screen
design brief
32. 32
initial secondary
research design brief research concept
45. 45
™
act!ve is a toy system for kids that encourages
physical activity. it provides children a way to
control the level of interaction in all aspects of
play. act!ve enables children to take control of
their play and bring it to the next level.
46. 46
accelerometers in the bracelet detect different types of
movement and trigger various feedback according to what
the child chooses.
small speaker similar micro vibration motor SMD LEDs provide visual
to ones in cell phones provides tactile feedback feedback with color changes
gives auditory response and light patterns
for charging, the child can
place the bracelet on the
induction charger which
turns it into a night light.
47. 47
these are the act!ve chips. they use rfid tags that tell the
act!ve bracelet what to do and when to do it.
action chips program effect chips program the location of the small
the trigger activity the bracelet response rfid scanner is marked by
the exclamation.
48. 48
supeorsh
who
1. first child swipes 2. then the effect
the action chip chip
3. now the bracelet is
ready for play!
50. 50
one programs the action, the more act!ve levels
one programs the effect... you unlock the more
chips you can use
these are the act!ve chips
51. 51
to see what act!ve when the light is full
level you are just you have unlocked
press the button a new level!
act!ve levels become
unlocked the more you
play with act!ve
52. 52
red means
low battery remember to charge it on
but don’t forget to green means it’s full
your stand so your act!ve can
charge your act!ve
be used as your night light!
53. 53
act!ve gives kids the ability to create their own
interactive games based around physical activity.
54. 54
kids can apply melodies to because act!ve attaches to the
their act!ves and become wrist, it makes anything the child
their own band. picks up interactive.
55. 55
alternative applications could be act!ve could create a completely
using act!ve as way to increase new playground experience with
interaction in existing playgrounds minimal cost and labor.
56. 56
thank you for taking the time
to look at this book and view my work...
if you have questions or
comments contact:
Jonathan Levy
614-218-4532
jonathan.s.levy@gmail.com
