clic

Projects “My Garage” About

What if a building block does not look like a block?

Mission:

Multi-sensory and open-ended play is increasingly valued in early childhood. “clic” is a set of 3D building blocks that is designed to enhance this playful experience by incorporating textures and an innovative ball joint mechanism.

Individual Project
Project Duration: 14 weeks (2024 Spring)
Skillsets: Concept development, user research, SolidWorks modeling, KeyShot rendering, Photoshop, prototyping, packaging designAwards:

Everything began with an idea of puzzle...

Originally, I wanted to design a set of puzzle that helps kids from 3-6 years old with visual impairment understand the color blending theory through the mixture of different textures.

This is the initial sketch

Personas & Play Patterns:

Lily, 4 years old
Curious, Introverted, Sensitive
Try to put the puzzle pieces following the color scheme.

George, 5 years old (visually impaired at 2)Active, Outgoing, Artistic
Try to put the puzzle pieces by feeing the pattern

Jack, 6 years
Science, Sport, Experiment
Besides playing it as a puzzle, also play it as a stacking toy

Prototype 01: Blending Texture

- Hard to differentiate the textures by touching the pieces
- The texture blending didn’t work well
- Too simple

Prototype 2: Continuous Texture

- Too complex for even young adults
- Sharp corners posed a safety risk
- Not open-ended

Then I started to think how to make the puzzle more interactive.
Or, does it have to be a puzzle?

It went three-dimensional.

Prototype 3: Transparent Circles

- 3D feature makes it more interesting
- Color overlay

- The joints were not strong enough to provide stability
- Missing the different texture

Prototype 4: Ball Joint

What is a strong yet flexible joint? While discussing with my designer friend Jocelyn, we came up with the idea of a ball joint.

I invited Jocelyn to a play test with the prototype, and she noted that once she realized she could play with it in a three-dimensional way, she no longer saw it as a flat puzzle.

With the joint, the prototype transformed into a set of building blocks rather than a flat puzzle. The joints proved strong enough to support the structure, and the ability to rotate the pieces in different directions added an exciting dynamic, setting it apart from traditional building blocks.

“We built soft drums.”

Types Of Textures

- Fleece
- Wool felt
- Leather
- Paper
- Sandpaper
- Textured fabric
- 3D-printed plastic

White tapes serve as guide lines for kids to help them connect the pieces if they like to.

Here’s my play test:

Toy Gun

Tree

Loch Ness Monster

I sought help from my teacher and conducted a play test with her neighbor’s 4-year-old daughter. She loved the game, especially the soft textured pieces, but was confused by the white lines.

I realized then that the design should require minimal instructions to encourage kids to unleash their imagination, allowing them to create things we may never have thought of.

On my note given to the parents with the toy, I included the question: "What did you build?" Her mom replied,

“We built soft drums.”

Think of how to manufacture.

Make it unified.

To have a cleaner edge from the fabric cutting, I added a round of lip on the pieces so the fabric can sit inside. And I narrowed it down to 6 differents types of blocks.

It is essential for kids to be comfortable with eye contacts even with toys. So the 3D-printed texture becomes the eyes.

This is a frog robot that I made.

The trademark is inspired by the form of the socket and the ball joint.

The set includes seven textures: fleece, leather, suede, vinyl, foam sheet, wool felt, and 3D-printed TPU. To enhance the play experience, I’m looking to incorporate more soft, flexible, or fluffy textures. Adding materials that can bend or nice to feel would provide greater tactile variety and open up more creative possibilities for imaginative play.

The benifits

Beyond my initial goal of creating a puzzle set to teach kids with visual impairments about color blending, "clic" has evolved into an inclusive design that enhances the play experience through tactile engagement. Its innovative design, distinct from traditional building blocks, opens up opportunities for parents and children to play together, fostering deeper bonding and enriching quality playtime through shared interaction.

The abstract form of the blocks encourages children to explore endless possibilities through their imagination, which is a crucial step in developing their ability to think abstractly from an early age. This open-ended play nurtures creativity and cognitive growth, allowing kids to see beyond the obvious and build unique structures and ideas.

The ball joint mechanism serves as a valuable tool for fine motor skill development, offering kids a fun way to practice hand coordination and precision as they connect and rotate the pieces. This interactive feature not only enhances play but also supports essential motor skill growth during early childhood.