BLU BLU BLOCKS

Collaborating with HCSA, we were to utilize the space given to us to design for the beneficiaries there.

The children there loved competition, were imaginative and full of creativity and energy! With BLU BLU, we envision the children exploring their creative potential on their own initiative by utilizing the coloured blocks and enjoy free play.

*Individual parts: Research, ideation, concept
*Group parts: Refinement onwards
Role in group project of 4: Graphics

ONSITE OBSERVATION

We visited HSCA with various games like soccer, maze games, origami, and painting, observing how children interacted with their surroundings.

Most activities sparked creativity, encouraging experimentation because of ‘promotion’ or appeal.

The children's imagination goes beyond limits, not making sense to us but it does to them. Foreign and new resources/ activities can allow them to broaden their creativity in a new and fresh way.

#1: INITIATIVE PLAY

My group created LEGO-like boxes in different sizes, but the children didn't engage with them much, possibly due to the plain cardboard colors and the limited variety of sizes. This may have restricted their exploration compared to more colorful and moldable options like playdough.

How might we spark children's curiosity and encourage them to explore their creativity on their own? One idea I explored is using the empty space beneath leveled playgrounds as storage for their games, offering more opportunities for independent discovery.

#2: COMPETITIVE PLAY

The children are generally competitive, adventurous, and prefer freedom. An emotional graph I drafted shows that they enjoyed the process of completing the activity more than the outcome.

How might we use free space to foster healthy competitiveness and motivation while creating memorable experiences?

One idea is to design mazes with various activity sections, offering side missions for the children to explore as they navigate the space.

MODULARITY - RECONSTRUCTING ENVIRONMENTS

Building on the initial maze concept with stations, my group expanded the idea to align with the question: "How might we allow children to explore their creative potential on their own initiative by utilizing free space for free play?"

What if the maze walls were modular, allowing children to create various structures based on their imagination?

REFINEMENT - GUIDANCE TO BOOST IMAGINATION

To motivate the kids to interact with the current block designs, we could arrange them in a few example structures that inspire creativity, demonstrating the possibilities.

Continuing to focus on the experience of modularity, we realized that both the shape of the modular pieces and the connectors for assembling complex combinations were crucial.

After exploring various designs, we settled on an early concept that best fit our theme.

INFOGRAPHICS - 'INSTRUCTION MANUAL'

To give the children an idea of the different possibilities they could make with the blocks, we came up with infographics for them to get inspired from. There were different stylings that resembled LEGO instruction manuals to aid easy understanding of assembly.

BLU BLU BLOCKS

Allow children to express themselves freely and individually.
Creates a safe and comfortable environment for them to interact with one another.
Simple and safe for the children to play with.
Designed with the beneficiaries' best interest at heart.
Engages both parents and children to have fun and create together.

This project allowed us to have a learning experience that no other project has. Seeing our hard work paid off to create something meaningful for the beneficiaries felt good! This project has been an amazing experience, allowing me to learn more about design and designing for the community.

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