Loc Bloc Toy

Yoon Seo Bae...Jacqueline Hon...Sean Jo...Zackary Lauth Design Research and Development Spring 2009 Professor : Kimberly Snyder

Project Statement Loc Bloc is an interactive childrens toy that inspires independence, motor skills, basic geometry, and creative thinking, for all children 2+ years. Loc Bloc makes no seperation between the visually impaired and sighted children - equally as fun for everyone. We employ the classic building blocks with noise makers, tactile response, and magnets that defy normal block stacking abilities to further engage the children in play as well as the social skills of cooperative play, and fine motor skills. The noise makers give audio feedback whether by just shaking the block or as their creation comes crumbling down. On an educational level, Loc

Bloc comes included with an interactive book. Each page of the book

utilizes the different block shapes to create pictures, when the correct shape is put in place it snaps in, so they know they got it right. The skill level of the book pages increase as the child grows, making

Loc Bloc a timeless toy everyone can enjoy.

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Research Atypical Child Development 2-3 yrs Old Physical Development

- Moves around large obstacles - Walks up and down stairs with help - Squats, runs, jumps, climbs, throws - Stacks large objects - Uses hands for complex tasks - Copies simple shapes

Mental Development

- Likes to be praised after doing simple tasks - Plays with other children - Understands Rules - Communicates Clearly - Asks many questions - Simple puzzles, sorts objects and counts

2 - 2.3”

4.1 - 5”

Cognitive Development

- Child can think about objects, people, or events in their absence - Child learns not only by sensing and doing, but by thinking as well - Basic understanding of cause and effect

Average width and length of child’s hand from 2-5 years old

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atypical Children 0-3 years Market Research

Images are taken from the internet as well as at the schools we visited. A lot of the toys were very colorful and had a lot of freedom on how to play with it.

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Ideation

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Prototyping

Prototypes were made with basswood. Textures and objects to create sounds used were household items. Idea of game: introduce concept of two halves making a whole. Matching and sorting with blocks Stacking with less limitations - because of magnets embedded inside the blocks. 7

User Testing

We tested out our prototype with sighted chidren aged 10+months to 3-6 yrs old. The 10 month old baby could hold on to the block and when encouraged shook the block in his hands. He also responded to sounds of the block when we shook it around him. With the 3-6 years group, they enjoyed stacking and matching the sounds that the blocks produced when shaken. We also blindfolded some of the children to let them experience playing with the blocks without vision. The size of the blocks were perfect, however the textures were getting in the way of the stackability of the blocks. Lips will be added around the textures, some of the problematic textures will also be changed. 8

Design Development

After user testing, idea of “game station” came to us where all the blocks would be bought with a set of templates as well as a magnetic platform for children to play. With the addition of the templates, older children would be able to play a different game with the same blocks. There will be differences in difficulty to enhance engagement and interest. The game platform can be used on a regular table or set on the floor in convenience of classroom or home environments. The magnetic table top will allow the children to stack and use the templates without the need to fear losing the blocks when playing.

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Materials and Processes omitting household items in blocks as well as the recycled fabric samples from the materials library

Loc Bloc will be manufactured using a natural kiln dry process, in place of chemical treatment, to preserve and stabilize the wood, thus making it preservative-free. Loc Bloc will be finished with nontoxic lacquer paint. New materials for tactile function are upholstery textiles with different textures, found at the Donghia Materials Library.

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19.00

R1 .0 0

Technical Rendering

19.00

R2.83

1.00

1.00

5.00

3.01

19.00

10.50

11

3.01

R2.83

10.50

2.

50

3.38 3.01

9.

26

91.32° 88.6

3.50

3.00

10.50

8°

1.65

1.65

3.30

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Product Illustration

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Final Model Loc Bloc can be played differently as the child grows. First as

a rattle at age 2, then it can be played with as stacking blocks. Creativity is encouraged as children can stack with less limit. As they get older they can also use the templates to create abstract images by matching the shapes on the templates.

Loc Bloc is universal, whether or not child is sighted, he or she can have fun.

User Scenario

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Resources The Measure of Man and Woman, Alvin R. Tilley & Henry Dreyfuss Associates, Whitney Library of Design, New York 1993 The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two, William Sears, Little, Brown, 1993 American Foundation for the Blind, http://www.afb.org/ The Lighthouse Child Development Center, 111 East 59th Street, New York, New York The Jewish Guild for the Blind, 15 West 65th Street New York, NY 10023-6601 Donghia Materials Library, 25 East 13th Street, New York, NY 10011

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