Flickza: A Playful Toolkit for Kids
Flickza is a playful musical ball mainly designed for children, it contains balls and a base, children can rotate and press the ball, and it can make a different spatial sound according to its rotation angle and direction. Different balls have different spatial sounds, so it is quite interesting to change and interact with different balls to make different styles of music. We aim to inspire children’s interest in learning music through a relaxing and interesting process.
Role: Interaction design, UX design
Timeframe: Jan 2019 - March 2019
Team: Yujie Yang, Tianyou Li, Ke Zhang
Design Process.
Persona.
Personas serve as tools for understanding user needs and goals, By referencing Emma throughout the project, the team can ensure that design decisions cater to her needs.
Ideation.
Kids who interested in music may find instruments hard to learn, instruments are too complicated in their early age, some of them may feel depressed when they have been studying for a long time but have no effective results, they may thereby lose interest of learning instrument. So we brainstormed ideas aimed to create a delightful play kit based on this problem and narrowed down to the best possible play kit for kids. We created storyboards for it to illustrate the possible interaction scenario.
Low-Fi Prototype.
In the beginning, we use wood to build the base. To improve the whole user experience, we built a 3D model for the base, and print it with 3D printer. The domed base allowing the ball to rotate more smoothly, and the ball can be just put in since the size of domed base is similar to ball.
Compared with the first prototype, this one can provide a smoother tactile experience and the semi-transparent material can provide a better condition for the lightning effects while also hide the circuit board inside the base.
Technical Realization.
We put track ball in the centre of base, and connect it with Arduino board. The track ball can be rotated 360 degree freely, which can provide a smooth rotation condition for the musical ball we made, besides, it can also work as a click button, allowing user to press it to change the light strip colour.
We use Max to create spatial sound effect, and put five sound resource in each channel. The sound will change based the rotation and the acceleration of the ball. Spatial sound enhanced immersive audio experience where sounds can flow around you.
If users put “Forest” ball into the base and rotate in different directions, they can hear the sound of footsteps, water flow, birds chirping, frog croaking respectively, those sound combine together, harmoniously create a forest exploration experience for users.
Prototype.
Inspired by clocks, the reminders and the whole system, uses rotational motion to indicate the quality of the food. The prototype of the device consists of a set of reminders, food labeled magnets, and a board that allows the connectivity of the system.
Overview
We combine haptic, sonic, visual interaction together. Users can press to change the light colour, and rotate to change the sound. Rotation direction can change the spacial direction of the sound, while the rotation speed can change the sound speed.
Three interaction influence each other, three interactions are dynamically combined to create a harmonious system.
Haptic Interaction
Visual Interaction
Haptic Interaction
We implemented different balls, each one has it’s own scenario and timbre.
Feedback.
We had a project exhibition in the main hall of library. During exhibition, our project attract many pass-by, and we got many feedback.
Ylva Fernaeus: “It can also be used when you are reading a book, and it turn to the horrible plot, you can rotate to the scary sound effect, when the plot becomes relaxing, you can rotate to the brisk sound”
A pass-by: “I like this ball most (Forest ball), it’s soothing sound effect really help me to relax. I think people can use it when they are doing meditation.”
Although the play kit design for kids, we find that adult can also use it as a meditation tool or sound player when reading books.
Video Present.