Around The World
Physical Computing & Prototyping
role
Product Designer, UX Researcher
overview
Playful, physical prototype of an interactive checklist that helps children keep track of their bedtime routine. The project was the outcome of a graduate level Prototyping Studio course.
team
Carista Eliani, Minchu Kulkarni, Larry Tian
tools
Figma, Laser printing, Arduino
timeline
10 weeks
context
Background
Designing an interactive prototype that mediates care in the home
For Prototyping Studio, a graduate level class, we were tasked with designing an interactive digital-physical prototype that mediates care in the home. How we defined “care in the home” was up to our own interpretation. Collectively, we ideated, iterated, prototyped, and evaluated an interactive artifact over the course of 10 weeks. In addition to design methodologies, we experimented with different prototyping tools and techniques in order to bring our concept to life.
My team and I experimented with different prototyping tools and techniques to develop an interactive artifact that mediates care in the home.
context
Design Challenge
Focusing on parent-child care
My group and I were interested in designing an artifact that mediates parent-child care. We landed on the following design challenge:
"how might we" statement
How might we help children keep track of, build, and structure their bedtime routines?
context
Rationale
Routine is important to child care
Based on our primary research, we found that parents liked having structured routines for their children to reduce stresses and anxieties around parenting. Parents noted that routine was particularly important right before their child’s bedtime. It is a struggle for parents when children lack motivation or desire to perform those routines.
context
My Role
I played a big role in the design direction of this project
I was a significant contributor to the ideation, down-selection, and concept refinement stages. For the three prototype iterations, I played a big role in the look-and-feel of the prototype, focusing on the visual and aesthetic elements of the artifact. I also led the evaluative user testing sessions for the high-fidelity prototype and wrote the session guides.
Conducting a user test to evaluate our high-fidelity prototype.
result
Final Concept
An interactive checklist for bedtime routines
Using lights and fun facts audio, the interactive checklist motivates children to perform and check off tasks before bedtime. The prototype is composed of three main features.
result
Feature /1
Customizable tasks
The checklist was composed of tiles that snap together. On each tile, parents and children can write a checklist task. Each tile has a monument from around the world.
Parents and children can write their own tasks on the dry-erase tags on each tile.
result
Feature /2
Bird magnet
After the child performs a task, they can check off that task by placing the bird magnet onto the corresponding tile. This triggers the light and audio feedback.
Attaching the bird magnet to a tile signifies the task has been checked off. This then triggers the tile to light up around the perimeter.
result
Feature /3
Fun facts from around the world
As a small delight factor, after the task has been checked off, the tiles will light up and recite a short fun fact about the monument of the corresponding tile. Every night, the child can hear new fun facts about that monument.
A user reacts to the lit-up tiles once all tasks have been checked off.
research
Secondary Research
Defining what “care in the home” means
The design prompt “care in the home” was open-ended. To scope down what problem space we were interested in, we conducted desk research and literature reviews to understand what types of care exist and what challenges there are. Areas of interest included plant care, at-home patient care, child care, and environmental care.
Figjam session to brainstorm different types of care in the home.
research
Problem Setting
Down-selecting to the parent-child care challenge space
To down-select our problem space, we used a dot-voting process with considerations around relevance to the design prompt, implementation/feasibility, and personal interest. We down-selected to two areas which focused on care within the realm of child-parent relationships. We further narrowed down to the challenge of potty-trained children who experience nighttime bed wetting.
research
Hypothesis
Some assumptions about children who experience night-time incontinence
For our design solution, we had to make a few assumptions. We hypothesized that parents with potty-trained children who experience night-time incontinence struggle to get their children to use the bathroom before bed. We furthermore hypothesized that children needed some form of external motivation or reward for using the bathroom.
ideation
Preliminary Sketches
Over 20 quick sketches
I sketched out quick concepts for over 20 potential ideas that addressed our problem space. The ideas were centered around motivating and rewarding children to use the bathroom before bed. I explored different rewards (stories, fun facts) and form factors (wallpaper, interactive toys) when generating ideas for this interactive system.
Together, we ideated over 20 concepts using sketches and story-telling.
ideation
Down-selection
Down-selecting to the parent-child care challenge space
To down-select our problem space, we used a dot-voting process with considerations around relevance to the design prompt, implementation/feasibility, and personal interest. We down-selected to two areas which focused on care within the realm of child-parent relationships. We further narrowed down to the challenge of potty-trained children who experience nighttime bed wetting.
A snapshot of our ideas board pin-up with comments and dot-votes from class peers.
Prototype iteration I
The Concept
Wizard-of-Oz’ing an interactive map
The first physical iteration of our prototype was a light-up map with a speaker that took the form of an interactive bird friend. Using sound and light activated via touch, the bird friend reminds the user to use the bathroom before bed.

In the bathroom, the user will receive positive affirmation from the interactive bird friend after they use the bathroom. When the user returns to their bedroom, a country on the map lights up. Tapping the country will play a bedtime story from the lit-up country, rewarding the user for using the bathroom.
Testing the “tap” interaction which we Wizard-of-Oz’d using capacitive touch.
Prototype iteration I
Building
Faking the light and sound output using a human wizard
I ideated the interactions and ways to “Wizard-of-Oz” (“WoZ”) the outputs. I built out the map form factor using a foam board, map print-outs, and LED strips. To WoZ the light-up map interaction, one team member (hidden from the user) controlled a potentiometer to change the map’s color when the user taps the map. We WoZ’d the audio of the interactive bird friend by playing audio recordings with our phone and a hidden bluetooth speaker.
Building the form factor of the interactive map using print-outs and a foam core board.
Prototype iteration I
User Testing
Testing on the target group to validate our hypothesis
I led the pilot user testing session on Participant 1. Although Participant 1 was not in our target user group, we gained valuable insights about the interactions and user flow of our prototype. Following the pilot session, we tested on three children between the ages of 5 and 8. I wrote the session guide (view here) and was responsible for WoZ-ing the audio.
A participant following the accompanying storybook alongside our prototype during a user testing session.
Key findings from user tests
About our problem space...
evaluative research
1/ Bed wetting is a complex problem
There needs to be a more holistic design response than using the bathroom before bed.
2 / Parents are part of the user journey
Parents will be inevitably involved. Our design should not attempt to “replace” the parent.
3/ More medical research may be required
This was exacerbated by our constraints from time and access to subject matter experts.
About our prototype...
evaluative research
1/ The map analogy was too abstract for usersThe map analogy was  too abstract for our users. A 5-year old participant did not understand what the concepts of maps or countries were.
2/  Multiple interactions in two spaces can be confusingSince there were multiple interactions in both the bedroom and the bathroom, this led to a non-intuitive and messy user flow.
3/ Bedtime story is an intimate momentStory time before bed is a precious, intimate moment between parent and child. It should not be replace by our design intervention.
Prototype iteration II
Pivoting
A key insight from parents led us to a new problem space
We discovered there were many disconnects in our user flow, and that bedwetting was too complex of a problem space which required medical understanding. A key insight from user testing was that parents liked having structured routines for their children right before their child’s bedtime. With this feedback, we re-ideated and pivoted to developing a checklist to help children structure their bedtime routine.
User quote
“The sleep routine...there’s a routine. For my son, you can’t just pick him up from whatever he was doing and take him to the bathroom”
- Participant on parenting challenges
Prototype iteration II
Re-Ideating
Ideating a checklist prototype
We broke down the checklist into two parts: the form factor and the “delight factor”. The delight factor would be some output in response to performing tasks on the checklist– this output would bring a quick moment of joy. In the early phases, I experimented with actuations as the delight factor, but we quickly realized there was no longevity. We returned to the travel/map theme and landed on using short, fun facts about different parts of the world as our delight factor.
The team had many thoughtful discussions on pivoting and considered many desired features of the “checklist” prototype.
Key design principles for the checklist
design principles
1/ Fun form factorWe wanted a non-digital screen form factor since the artifact would be used before bedtime. We also wanted the form factor to be something young children resonated with.
2/  Enticing interactionWe wanted to build off the traditional pencil and paper “check-off-the-checkbox” interaction. What would a fun and satisfying interaction look like?
3/ A special "delight factor"This is the output in response to the child checking off an item. What moment of joy can we bring to the child so that they are motivated to continue using the checklist?
Prototype iteration II
Building
Getting crafty to build the medium-fidelity prototype
Using simple materials such as foam core, cotton balls, and felt, I crafted a medium-fidelity prototype of the checklist. The light and audio feedback were programmed with an Arduino and LED strips.
Using LED strips, foam core board, and cotton to build the light-up tiles. Experimenting with magnets and copper strips for the “check” interaction.
Prototype iteration III
Refining
Building a higher-fidelity look and feel prototype
I led the planning and material procurement for the high-fidelity prototype. For this iteration, we preserved the concept from the medium fidelity prototype and focused on a higher fidelity look and feel. To achieve this, we used materials such as wood, plastic tubing, and felt with stitching.
Sketches of the prototype including the individual tiles (left) and the backboard/side view (right).
The high-fidelity tiles were built with laser-cut wood, plastic tubing, and LED lights (left). We crafted the tile exterior with stitched felt to preserve the playful element (right).
Prototype iteration III
User Testing
Focusing on parent needs and perspectives during the user tests
We tested our high-fidelity prototype on three participants between the ages of 5-8. For these sessions, our objective was to focus on parent needs and perspectives and understand how we can extend the longevity of the prototype. I led the user testing sessions by guiding parent and child participants through the checklist user journey and conducted follow-up interviews with the parents.
Two participants interacting with our prototype in an unexpected way.
The participant’s parent watches as he interacts with the checklist.
Key findings from user tests
findings
1/ AugmentationThe checklist served as an augmentation to parents guiding their children through a bedtime routine.
2/ CustomizabilityParents liked the customizability of writing their own tasks for their children.
3/ LongevityThis is the output in response to the child checking off an item. What moment of joy can we bring to the child so that they are motivated to continue using the checklist?
Reflection
What I Learned
1/ Ideation and research go hand-in-hand
Ideas should be backed up with research, whether from primary or secondary research. There is no linear approach to this; rather designers need to go back and forth between research and ideation.
2/ Try to iterate on gained knowledge first before pivoting
My group and I had the tendency to pivot on our prototype when we gathered any critical insights from users. It’s better to iterate on ideas before throwing them out.
3/ Testing with and designing for children is a challenge
Children have fundamentally different ways of thinking, feeling, and experiencing from adults. We needed to structure our user sessions with that in mind.
4/ Question and verify any assumptions
The purpose of testing is to validate or quash any assumptions we made about our design. What works out in our heads (assumptions) may not align with users in contextual situations.
© 2023 Emily Shu