XIUZHEN - A TOY ABOUT LOVE&LOSS
Product / Industrial Design Porject / Ian Jia, Jul. – Aug. 2021
"PROJECT WAS INSPIRED BY MY TRUE STORY"
“I used to live with my grandmother when I was a child, and her habits or values have had a profound influence on me. Her death has given me a new perspective on death. Every time I think that she has left me forever, I can’t help myself. I still want her to accompany me and help me in the important moments of my life.”
WHAT DOES DEATH MEAN TO THE GRANDCHILD?
Children can sometimes seem not to be very affected by the death. Then some day, they become aware that someone important is missing, and always will be. Many grandparents have a key role to play in a child’s life. The loss of this special relationship can be very upsetting for them.
Research
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDREN AND GRANDPARENTS.
of grandparents say they play an important role in their grandchildren’s lives.
grandchildren feel their grandparents have a big influence on their values and behaviors.
WHAT DO CHILDREN CONSIDER THEIR GRANDPARENTS AS?
Apart from being a caregiver, most children consider their grandparents to be a source of wisdom and family history. Therefore, children always ask them for advice before making big decisions, even though they already have their own choices.
"TOYS AND GAMES CAN BE A GIFT, COMPANION OR MEMORY FOR GRANDCHILDREN."
A man lives his whole life in his childhood. In this sense, perhaps the toys of childhood are the most important partners in your life.
MODES OF TOY/GAME.
ROLE PLAY
Let the player play the role of the lost one, retrace his/her life by completing game tasks. You can repeat it.
CARD COOPERATION
Accumulate cards to get old people’s stories. Rules always are difficult, low interaction, boring.
TREASURE HUNT
Grandparents hide their belongings for the player to find. Games are more immersive and interactive.
"SCENT IS CLOSELY LINKED TO MEMORY AND EMOTION."
The smells we experience play a crucial role in how we associate with memories and places.
People can remember a scent with 65% accuracy after one year.
While visual memory drops to 25% for the same time period.
Mood Board
"I want to design a toy that children or teenagers can play with. It can give users advice and companionship when they are in trouble. It can be an emotional anchor for users as they miss their departed relatives."
Ideation
Storyboard
DIMENSION & Material
Rubber Wood
Pro:
- Strong adsorption property, easy to paint.
- Good wear resistance, good hardness.
Con:
- Not easy to dry.
- Plate processing easily deformed.
PINE
Pro:
- Low cost.
- Clear grain.
- Strong air permeability, simple maintenance.
Con:
- Soft wood, easy to crack and deform, easily damaged by water.
- Easy to change color.
BEECH
Pro:
- High strength, high density, hard.
- Soft wood color, rich tone, even grain.
Con:
- Easy to crack during drying process.
- Easy to have heterochromatic.
- High cost.
MAPLE
Pro:
- Good processability, firm and durable.
- Easy to decorate, good coating performance.
Con:
- The surface is not smooth.
- Dry shrinkage is relatively large, it is easy to warp when dry.
- High cost.
GAME BACKGROUND
TRACING MEMORIES
At the beginning of the game, you have to follow the clues to find items left by the grandparents, so as to try to trace the history and story in their life.
GIVING SUGGESTIONS
When old people die, they can continue to be your mentors. They will give suggestions when you are facing a choice, and they will always be there with you in other ways.
Features
WOOD SURFACE TEXTURE
XIUZHEN is made of rubber wood and sprayed with environmental protection spray paint. On closer inspection, the surface also has a wood texture.
MAZE AND DECISION
Each maze module is different in order to maximize the randomness of the outcome.
Making decision feels like walking through a maze. When you ask for advice, you already have a choice. What you want is his/her presence and company.
ABOUT SMELL
For individual user odor retention, this product only needs to put a small part of the item into the vacuum tank to save the odor.
PACKAGING
CARDS
Each card corresponds to a scent, and behind each scent is a short story about our grandparents’ life experience. These cards also has a QR code for users to customize. An audio or video can be recorded by scanning the code.
CASES
The exterior of the box is composed of a black base color scheme, which is decorated with rainbow and light leak elements. The reason for using these elements is to show a peaceful feeling, like a rainbow after the rain.
Prototype
- The size is too large.
- The surface is too rough and the material is of poor quality.
- There is no tolerance left in the magnet position.
- Changed the position of the magnet, making it more stable and easier to absorb.
- The material is changed from PCL to resin.
- The size has been resized.
