Designer
Tap N Play
Envisioning the Future: How Emerging Technologies Will Transform Playspaces
Project Type
Social Innovation
Role
Strategic Designer
Tech/Business Analyst
Team
Benedict
Tamara
Jeffy
Ria
Tools
Chat GPT (interview simulation)
Adobe Photoshop (Concept Rendering)
Client
Tim Cook (local Council representor)
University of Sydney
May 2024
As a design team, we've been provided with a brief for a conceptual design for the future. We conducted secondary research to narrow down our focus, performed primary research, redefined the problem statement, and identified opportunity areas for the growth of our solution.
Initial Brief
How might we design captivating and inclusive play spaces for the future, leveraging emerging technologies like AR, VR and AI to personalise experiences, cater to diverse abilities and learning styles, and spark endless possibilities for creative and social exploration for every child?
Problem Space
Children's thinking is profoundly shaped by social engagement and play, which are crucial for their cognitive development, imagination, and creativity. Family involvement in play fosters emotional well-being and family closeness. However, modern children spend nearly as much time with technology as with traditional play, using devices for various activities that enhance their familiarity with the digital world and boost confidence through positive reinforcement. Emerging technologies like VR, AR, and AI are integrated into play, providing immersive educational experiences, fostering empathy, and improving decision-making and conflict resolution. Inclusive play, involving children with and without disabilities, challenges stereotypes, builds friendships, and develops social-emotional skills. Technology aids in overcoming communication barriers, making play more accessible and inclusive, and offering parents insights into their children's play patterns.
Reframed Brief
How can we use technology to make play more inclusive and empower caretakers to facilitate meaningful play experiences?
Research insights
Design Principles and Objectives
Ideation and
Prototyping
During brainstorming sessions, participants generated several innovative ideas to enhance inclusive play, such as adaptive playgrounds with multi-sensory feedback using AR and tactile elements, interactive walls requiring communication through Braille or sound, and a chimney relaxation space with sensory modulation. Other concepts included community-building structures like sound pipe benches, game-based learning modules promoting cooperation and social skills, and nature-integrated play areas combining natural elements with AR technology. Sketch modeling helped visualize and refine these concepts, making abstract ideas actionable and aligning designs with JTBD insights and what-if scenario outcomes.
The Solution
"Tap n’ Play" is a pioneering play space that integrates AR technology with an outdoor park. Children wear tech wristbands to access digital games overlaid onto the physical world, blending imaginative play with physical activity. The wristbands enable various single and multiplayer games, promoting social interaction, physical movement, and cognitive challenges.
PlayGround
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Emerging technologies overlaid onto a natural outdoor play space.
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Children “tap into” games using smart wristbands.
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Parents use AI to personalize games for their children’s needs.
Technology
Technology
The first layer of additional features for the game is accessible through a mobile application. This video illustrates the process of one level of the game from beginning to end, demonstrating how players can interact with the game and enhance their learning experience through the app's interactive elements.
Games
Business Analysis
We created a simplified GANTT chart to estimate the time and cost for our 5-phase project. The plan includes one month for finalizing the design, three months for programming, and ten weeks for construction, with overlapping phases to ensure efficiency. The project concludes with two weeks for final adjustments and a three-week launch period. A 5-member team, including a product manager, two AI developers, an industrial designer, and a game designer, will execute the plan. Estimated costs are $160k for human resources, $100k for equipment, $80k for construction, and $40k for contingencies. The feasibility study involves an initial version completed within the proposed timeframe and ongoing updates, leveraging AI supervisors, Gen AI assistance, AR technologies, and redesigning existing elements to meet deadlines.
Reflection
This project was challenging for me. I had a group with whom I did not always agree, and the project timeframe was very tight, with only 7 weeks dedicated to it. Initially, we were asked to focus on the two middle parts of the double diamond model, but later, they demanded several rounds of prototyping and testing, leading to shifting standards throughout the project. Despite these challenges, I was able to help the team apply logical system thinking and business analysis to frame our ideas and concepts realistically. This ensured that our proposal could be implemented within the given timeframe and budget, making it a viable business case for our client, a representative from the local council in Sydney, Australia.