Brief
Requalify playground stuctures to make them more appropriate and suitable for today's children without carrying out interventions that roll up the parks.
Type of project
Individual project at Polimi
Year
2020
Partnership
Minibombo
My role
Product Designer
UX Designer
Tools used
Indesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Rhinoceros, Keyshot, Figma
IL MONDO NASCOSTO
PROBLEM
How can we requalify playground structures to make them more appropriate and suitable for today's children without carrying out interventions that shut down the parks?
SOLUTION
Designing a playful experience where the child can engage in a treasure hunt utilizing every park structures, guided by a story narrated by the parent through an app.
DESCRIPTION
"Il Mondo Nascosto" is a playful activity that aims to use and upgrade the play facilities in city playgrounds to provide better engagement for children aged 3 to 5 and their parents. It tries to help the imagination and the use of fantasy through a game that involves the release of several elves imprisoned in the park by some evil goblins.
The activity is guided by an adult through an App, while the game will be played by the child in the playground, in the real world and at the same time in a hidden, fantastic world existing only in the child's head, or even in the parent’s head, if he has let himself be carried away by the adventure. In fact, the experience also wants to involve adults to improve their interaction with children.
DESIGN PROCESS
RESEARCH
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Thorough online research, 30 case studies were analyzed, providing a detailed overview of playground types and various backyard games. The analysis revealed how playgrounds tend to promote autonomy and repetitiveness in individual enjoyment, while backyard games offer various stimuli through group interactions. Event games, on the other hand, require complex tools and involve a wide audience, while physical-digital interactions span greatly in originality. Finally, in museums, gaming activities offer a completely different way to experience the museum.
PERSONA
OBSERVATIONS
The research conducted in the playgrounds during the summer of 2020 revealed that the swing is a primary attraction point for children, not only for the swinging action itself but also for observing their peers' activities. This suggested the opportunity to place signs for new activities near the swings to capture children's attention. Parents prefer parks with a wide range of play structures but often complain about the lack of maintenance. However, they struggle to actively interact with their children during play. Children desire more imaginative and adventurous games, finding the repetitiveness of available activities boring. A well-received idea was a permanent treasure hunt in the parks. In summary, the research highlighted the need to develop an app that offers a more dynamic and engaging play experience, integrating physical and digital elements to meet the needs and desires of children and their families.
IDEATION
Il Mondo Nascosto focuses on providing an engaging experience for children and parents within city playgrounds, transporting them to an enchanted world guided by magical narratives. It aims to stimulate imagination, particularly in an era dominated by digital media, facilitating parent-child interaction during play. It is crucially about revitalizing old play structures through an adaptable and cost-effective concept, sponsored by a publishing house to gain visibility and advertising. It incorporates elements of nature and folklore, encouraging the rediscovery of traditional stories related to fairies. The game takes place within parks, guided by an app providing tales and stories about the fairies, involving children in the search for magical seals to free imprisoned fairies. The app also includes an area to create clothing for the fairies and offers rewards such as discounts on books from the sponsoring publishing house and free trials of other applications. The presence of the game is signaled by a trunk at the park entrance, with instructions to start.
DESIGN
Divided into six sections, the app offers a wide range of activities, from storytelling and seal hunting to customization and rewards, which can be enjoyed both inside and outside the parks, ensuring a complete and engaging gaming experience.
PLAYTEST
The playtests for the app development were conducted between mid and late September 2020, using non-final but functional materials to evaluate the experience. The storytelling with the search for seals was the main part, tested in two parks in Saronno.
Due to the rise in Covid-19 cases, it was not always possible to use smartphones during the actual tests, sometimes resorting to tablets and paper instead. The first playtest with 5 children aged 6-7 showed interest in the treasure hunt, although some points in the story required assistance. The second test with Andrea, a 5-year-old child, confirmed the suitability of the target audience and their interest in the storytelling. The third test with Simone, a 3-year-old child, highlighted the need to involve parents in the search for symbols, generating interest in the project. The fourth test with Anna, a 4-year-old girl, demonstrated enthusiasm for the world of elves and interest in app customization. The possibility of having a mapping of playgrounds was then appreciated by the mother.
CONCLUSION
The development process of the app has involved numerous modifications based on field analysis and playtests with children, confirming strong interest in the game. Despite the pandemic, the latest trial has solidified the gaming experience. Il Mondo Nascosto has exceeded initial expectations, stimulating parents and children's imagination. It is planned to reintroduce again the game in parks to gather further data. The project may undergo further variations to take into account children's observations.