Project
Team (Sue, Adrija, Sahana)
Duration
6 Weeks
January 2026~ April 2026
Tools
Figma, Adobe After Effects, Illustrator
Tools
Figma, Adobe After Effects, Illustrator
My Role
Cross-functional Product designer
Concept design Led UX design and user research. Independently developed UI design. Coordinated project timeline and cross-team collaboration.
My Role
Cross-functional Product designer
Concept design Led UX design and user research. Independently developed UI design. Coordinated project timeline and cross-team collaboration.
Overview
A children's museum installation that turns building blocks into a living wall.
As children combine blocks into creatures, the wall reads each build and places it inside a projected ecosystem — a forest, river, or sky where the creature begins to grow, hide, and change alongside others. I led the tangible design (block form, weight, and grip for ages 4–8) and directed the concept video (narration, copy, and motion sequences).
Overview
A children's museum installation that turns building blocks into a living wall.
As children combine blocks into creatures, the wall reads each build and places it inside a projected ecosystem — a forest, river, or sky where the creature begins to grow, hide, and change alongside others. I led the tangible design (block form, weight, and grip for ages 4–8) and directed the concept video (narration, copy, and motion sequences).
Final Design
Concept video
Final Design
Concept video
The components
Shape of the structures are matched to things from nature
As kids build different shapes with blocks, the detection mechanism identifies the shape and associates it to objects in the natural world. We built a prototype of this system by detecting overall shape, and matching these words to natural objects that shared the same properties.
The components
Shape of the structures are matched to things from nature
As kids build different shapes with blocks, the detection mechanism identifies the shape and associates it to objects in the natural world. We built a prototype of this system by detecting overall shape, and matching these words to natural objects that shared the same properties.
Tall
Branching
Wide, low
Curved
The table and the blocks
Kids build and press the button, the detection is activated, and they see the object they're made which travels to the wall.
The table and the blocks
Kids build and press the button, the detection is activated, and they see the object they're made which travels to the wall.
Toys activate parts of the wall.
At the wall, where they discover these hidden creatures, the toys are intentionally placed toys at a height that matched it for kids. As they do so, the animations that come up are animated upwards to add to scale and wonder.
Toys activate parts of the wall.
At the wall, where they discover these hidden creatures, the toys are intentionally placed toys at a height that matched it for kids. As they do so, the animations that come up are animated upwards to add to scale and wonder.
Four types of the toys
we have 4 toys, and they are each designed for different actions, to account for different age groups, they have varying levels of resistance and sizes. They are designed to have textures on them, to activate perceptual curiosity in children
Four types of the toys
we have 4 toys, and they are each designed for different actions, to account for different age groups, they have varying levels of resistance and sizes. They are designed to have textures on them, to activate perceptual curiosity in children
The problem we started with
The Frictionless Childhood
Early use of touchscreens has started to strip children of the "micro-challenges" that naturally build hand strength and coordination. Children are exposed to the digital world at a very early age. 40% of two-year-olds already own a personal tablet.
The problem we started with
The Frictionless Childhood
Early use of touchscreens has started to strip children of the "micro-challenges" that naturally build hand strength and coordination. Children are exposed to the digital world at a very early age. 40% of two-year-olds already own a personal tablet.
Young children's ability to execute precise movements in the classroom is significantly diminishing.
Young children's ability to execute precise movements in the classroom is significantly diminishing.
Teachers say students are struggling with basic tools as compared to 5 years ago
Teachers say there is an increase in students who cannot perform life skills like tying shoelaces or zipping coats
The average handgrip strength of children starting kindergarten has dropped by about 15–20% compared to ten years ago. This is called Manual Thinning.
The average handgrip strength of children starting kindergarten has dropped by about 15–20% compared to ten years ago. This is called Manual Thinning.
How this impacts curiosity
Limited manual dexterity leads to underdeveloped fine motor skills, which lowers intellectual engagement during play. The gap between what a child can imagine and what their hands can execute widens. Over time, this suppresses the natural inquiry that drives a child to ask why and how.
How this impacts curiosity
Limited manual dexterity leads to underdeveloped fine motor skills, which lowers intellectual engagement during play. The gap between what a child can imagine and what their hands can execute widens. Over time, this suppresses the natural inquiry that drives a child to ask why and how.
How this impacts curiosity
Limited manual dexterity leads to underdeveloped fine motor skills, which lowers intellectual engagement during play. The gap between what a child can imagine and what their hands can execute widens. Over time, this suppresses the natural inquiry that drives a child to ask why and how.
How this impacts curiosity
Limited manual dexterity leads to underdeveloped fine motor skills, which lowers intellectual engagement during play. The gap between what a child can imagine and what their hands can execute widens. Over time, this suppresses the natural inquiry that drives a child to ask why and how.
Who is it most important for?
4-8 years old
Exploration over explanation
Sensory verification phase
Transition from sensory to systematic thinking
How Might We
Create multi-sensory interactions that stimulate motor skills in children to spark wonder and encourage perceptual curiosity?
Territory map
How might we create multi-sensory interactions that stimulate motor skills in children to spark wonder and encourage perceptual curiosity?
The years between sensory verification and systematic thinking. Old enough to ask why, young enough that the body still leads the mind. This is the window where children move from sensory verification — touching, mouthing, dropping — into systematic thinking. Exploration still happens before explanation, but the hands are starting to be asked to do real work.
Territory map
How might we create multi-sensory interactions that stimulate motor skills in children to spark wonder and encourage perceptual curiosity?
The years between sensory verification and systematic thinking. Old enough to ask why, young enough that the body still leads the mind. This is the window where children move from sensory verification — touching, mouthing, dropping — into systematic thinking. Exploration still happens before explanation, but the hands are starting to be asked to do real work.
What I made 1
The toys for the wall
Through 8 user interviews and 4 expert interviews, we identified monotony, confusion, and disconnection from clinical guidance as key barriers to sustained home rehabilitation. Patients don’t just want to perform exercises correctly but to feel supported. "I do my exercises, but I don't know if I'm doing them right." — Patient #3, 4 months post-surgery "When my therapist isn't watching, my form drifts within a week." — Patient #6 "Compliance drops after week 3 unless we add visual milestones." — Occupational Therapist, 12 years in upper-limb rehab
What I made 1
The toys for the wall
Through 8 user interviews and 4 expert interviews, we identified monotony, confusion, and disconnection from clinical guidance as key barriers to sustained home rehabilitation. Patients don’t just want to perform exercises correctly but to feel supported. "I do my exercises, but I don't know if I'm doing them right." — Patient #3, 4 months post-surgery "When my therapist isn't watching, my form drifts within a week." — Patient #6 "Compliance drops after week 3 unless we add visual milestones." — Occupational Therapist, 12 years in upper-limb rehab
Patient Interview
Full interview protocols and synthesis in case deck.
What I made 2
The concept video introducing Peek-a-World
I directed the concept video that is the first version of the work the museum sees, and it had to carry the same softness the installation itself carries.
What I made 2
The concept video introducing Peek-a-World
I directed the concept video that is the first version of the work the museum sees, and it had to carry the same softness the installation itself carries.
What I made 3
The thinking that connected them
The blocks and the video came from the same frame I helped shape: frictionless childhood needs friction returned, not removed. Once that frame held, the structure followed — physical build, digital response, ecosystem as the bridge. I designed both ends of that bridge so the seam wouldn't show.
What I made 3
The thinking that connected them
The blocks and the video came from the same frame I helped shape: frictionless childhood needs friction returned, not removed. Once that frame held, the structure followed — physical build, digital response, ecosystem as the bridge. I designed both ends of that bridge so the seam wouldn't show.
Concept evolution
The thinking that connected them
The blocks and the video came from the same frame I helped shape: frictionless childhood needs friction returned, not removed. Once that frame held, the structure followed — physical build, digital response, ecosystem as the bridge. I designed both ends of that bridge so the seam wouldn't show.
Concept evolution
The thinking that connected them
The blocks and the video came from the same frame I helped shape: frictionless childhood needs friction returned, not removed. Once that frame held, the structure followed — physical build, digital response, ecosystem as the bridge. I designed both ends of that bridge so the seam wouldn't show.
Overview
Context
Research
Solution
Validation