Project 4 – Inquiry
BuzzSteps
An interactive educational installation design for children to learn about honey-making process in a fun way.
The mind that opens to new ideas never returns to its original size.
Albert Einstein
Mediums:Adobe After Effects, Rhino 3D Modelling, Cardboard, Walnut Veneer, Monitor, Linear Polarizing Filter, 3D Printing
Project Specifications:
UX, Tangible Interaction, Industrial Design
Project Team Members:
Lilian Zhaotong Chen, Yingci Rebecca Zhong
Project quick summary
Overview
Buzzsteps is an interactive educational installation designed for children. Our project aims to create a fun, engaging and immersive experience about bees and the honey-making process.
Our design uses a polarized screen with an attached polarized filtered magnifier for children to follow the journey of bees and understand the process of honey production.
The technical inspiration
The polarizing filter
An LCD polarizer is a filter that controls light waves. It’s designed to block light waves of a certain polarization while simultaneously allowing light waves of a different polarization.
Inspirations
Field Study
As we are using polarizing filter, the medium itself is relating to the key word : exploration, information chasing and playfulness with the screen.
Therefore, we went to science world to do a field study to see how children would interact with the installations there.
We gratefully acknowledge that Science World is located on the traditional, unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.
Obervation
Digital interactive installation
Experience over knowledge
Before we enter the space, both of us agreed with a hypothesis that parents would want their little ones to learn new knowledges in science world. However, we quickly realized our assumption was incorrect. Instead, parents and children were more focused on enjoying time together, creating a memorable experience.While we are observing, we also noticed that children have a very short attention span and are primarily seeking new and exciting experiences rather than learning.
To cater to this, we decided to use interesting themes to engage them, focusing more on narration and storytelling. As we browse, I looked on an article about bee on the science world’s newsettler(refer to the article below: INSIDE THE SMALL BUT MIGHTY BRAIN OF BEES), and this led to the development of the theme: “How Honey is Made.” This approach aims to attract children’s interest by weaving educational content into engaging and interactive stories, making learning both fun and memorable.
The Science World’s Newsettler
INSIDE THE SMALL BUT MIGHTY BRAIN OF BEES
The article touched on an interesting fact that bees are not only able to find nectar sources, but also being able to find new homes if they’re forced out of their hive.
It also touched briefly on honey production and I feel like it is a great topic for us to explore. Especially considering the topic that is of interest to children, we wanted to tell a story like an illustrated book.
The insperitaion : ultraviolet light interactive installation
This is an ultraviolet light interactive installation we played. While interacting with it, we sensed that there are not much children get to experience this installation. There is no directions and indications on how to engage with it, and the appearance of it is not attractive for children as it is a huge touch screen. It made us to reflect on our own design that we want to avoid all the problems this installation has and make our design friendly to children.
Process
Sketch
Making(physical)
Making(digital)
The result
We buit a beehive house with a screen inside, with a door covering half of the monitor. On the door says “shy construction workers” with a visible polarized circile showing a bit content to attrct visitors. Without a polarizing filter, the public can only see a beehive with a title and a blank white screen along with buzzing sound of bees, it makes people curious and wanting to check the design out.
Reflection & Future steps
The project Buzzstep in the current stage, I belive has successfully engages children in an interactive and educational journey about bees and honey-making. Reflecting on the progress, it’s evident that the use of storytelling and interactive elements effectively captures the children’s interest, aligning with the initial observations at Science World.
For future enhancements, focusing on perfecting the animations to make them more captivating and educational is essential. Additionally, I would consider a wood appearance for the installation as it would add an organic, nature-inspired aesthetic that resonates with the theme of bees and honey-making. This approach not only aims to enrich the visual and tactile experience for children but also enhances the overall thematic consistency of the installation. The goal is to continue developing BuzzSteps into an even more immersive, educational, and visually appealing experience for its young audience.
Reflecting on the “BuzzSteps” project, it’s clear that a tight timeline brought some unique challenges, like not being able to fully craft the “door” for the “shy construction workers.” It’s a little reminder of how crucial early planning can be, especially for creative endeavors. Next time around, getting an early start on booking the woodshop sounds like a better plan. It’ll give me more time to bring those wonderful ideas to life, particularly for the physical aspects. The current version of the appearance is a bit fragile and needs a long time to set up for display. However, I’m sure the next version will be even more resilient and user-friendly! 🐝✨
