Student Names: Sophia Corrao, Micki Grover, Julius Hardy, Aayush Patkar, Amanda Vang
Project Name: Blending Blocks
Course Name: PDES 3711/5711 Spring 2022 | Product Innovation Lab
Course Instructor: Barry Kurdowitz
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Blending Blocks are both a freeform construction block set for all ages and an innovative color blending puzzle game for ages 4+. The toy comes complete with 33 blocks in 11 different shapes, a wooden storage case, a graphic guide booklet, and a challenge card deck with 4 levels of difficulty. Playing with Blending Blocks is a fun way for children to explore color theory and geometry as they grow!
Staying true to Plan Toy's priority of environmental preservation, Blending Blocks are designed for sustainability. Reclaimed rubber tree wood surrounds each colorful center and the construction and puzzle game elements grow with the child for product longevity. To ensure product viability, the toy was iterated based on consultations with toy designers and toy store professionals. A market analysis was conducted to uncover opportunities for innovation, including the unique shapes offered and the first-of-its-kind color blending puzzle game concept. Guided by user-centered design principles, Blending Blocks were tested with parents and children at every stage of the product development process to extract meaningful findings related to desirability, engagement, ergonomics, cognitive and emotional human factors, and play patterns across age groups.
ABOUT THE COURSE
A hands-on experience in integrated product design and development processes. Elements of industrial design, engineering, business, and humanities are applied to a semester-long product design project. Cross-functional teams of students in different majors work together to design and develop new consumer product concepts with guidance from a community of industry mentors. During this semester the teams of students worked with Plan Toys.
