Industrial - Bachelor
Playscape is a multi-functional, modular product built to create space for Neurodivergent children in a playful way. Playscape allows children to collaborate and learn from each other in a holistic and natural way; through play.
Social development throughout childhood helps shape the way we interact with others and our relationships throughout our lives. By learning key skills such as reading body language, verbal communication, and empathy, we can collaborate and enjoy each other’s company with ease. However, this is not the case for everyone. Individuals with neurological conditions such as Autism (ASD), Attentive Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Down syndrome and more, tend to generally struggle in terms of development, one being socially.
Each neurodivergent child is different and experiences their condition differently. With this said, communication is the leading cause for relationship and play breakdown between themselves and their neurotypical peers. This is because they can come across as “blunt” or uninterested in other children. However, this is simply how they communicate and these children are more engaged when they are interested in the game or activity. Another topic that causes issue is self-regulation. There tends to be a disconnect between identifying a problem, the feelings it is causing and how to resolve the said problem, resulting in dysregulation in the child which can be overwhelming and leads to meltdowns, thus making it difficult for them to stay engaged.
Because of these differences, neurodivergent children are commonly isolated from play with neurotypical peers in numerous ways. Firstly, the children struggle to understand each other’s expectations and communication styles, creating conflict and commonly resulting in the exclusion of the neurodivergent child from play. Another is the parent or supervisors limiting the interactions of the neurodivergent child with neurotypical children out of fear of rejection of the child’s behalf. The parent will feel protective and want to avoid upsetting the child as this can lead to trauma and/meltdowns. Finally, a lack of interest. There are several types of play that children engage in as they develop and these serve as indicators of the child’s cognitive and physical progression. However, due to the condition, a neurodivergent child may only be interested and confident in solitary and constructive play, yet they still hold the desire to play with others. These barriers make it difficult for neurodivergent children to socialise and feel connected.
Many products out there function to assimilate the neurodivergent child to the neurotypical way of life and expectations. However our goal as designers should to encourage open-mindedness and acceptance of these individuals as they are.
Through a series of surveys, interviews, and background research, it was discovered that creating space is the goal of this project. By creating space we can offer opportunities for the neurodivergent children to learn and play with their peers comfortably and safely.
Finding the common ground between neurodivergent and neurotypical children in their play styles can help us understand and design for their needs and interests. This creates a space where they can collaborate and play together, leading to a multitude of benefits.
Exposure and experience are the best teachers and creating a space for these children to be together will not only allow them to develop naturally but also learn each other’s communication and play styles. This is known as an Integrated Play Group (IPG). Further, by finding the common ground between these two groups, we can create a space where both will be engaged as they are interested in the events taking place. Finally, this will encourage acceptance of neurodivergent individuals as neurotypical children engage with them and understand that there are people who see the world differently which is okay.
Throughout the research it was found that the common ground for these two groups was roleplay, followed by constructive, and physical play with elements of solitary and parallel play. The aim from there was to design a product that harnessed these forms of play to create a space for these children to play together seamlessly and engaged.
Creating a space that meets children’s regulation needs is imperative if we expect them to feel safe and stay engaged. Regulation for neurodivergent children can be found in stimulation which comes in 2 forms: proprioceptive and vestibular. Proprioceptive stimulation is about comfort and security. Soft textures, physical weight, and secluded spaces create a sense of safety for dysregulated children to help re-centre themselves. Vestibular stimulation involves jumping, swinging, spinning, and other motions to release pent-up energy.
Offering sources of regulation will help neurodivergent children feel safe in unfamiliar spaces and situations.
Guidance is about creating space for children to play together without direct adult intervention or involvement. Parents and carers need to support from afar to allow the children to engage naturally and learn. If they constantly take over the situation or prevent their children from interacting with others, they will struggle to learn and adapt.
Strategies help neurodivergent children navigate social situations and practice self-regulation skills. These include scripts and breathing techniques. Creating a space where children can play together and practice these techniques in real situations will help them gain confidence in themselves and social situations. As time goes on, they will adapt and learn new strategies and possibly improvise in uncharted situations.
Furniture is a product that children interact with on a daily basis and through research have been proven to create opportunities for regulation. Throughout the interviews and surveys, both parents and clinical experts reported that neurodivergent children found safety and security in furniture or furniture adjacent products through proprioceptive stimulation means. These products included traditional furniture such as beds and couches while unconventional furniture came in the form of cubby houses constructed out of pillows and sheets, crash-mats, and tents. Reports suggest that being comfortable and secluded allows a dysregulated child to recentre themselves because they feel safe.
Additionally, furniture can be found in most environments children play in such as home, daycare, and community spaces. Having consistent furniture throughout these spaces, children may begin to feel a sense of familiarity that further makes them safe.
Concept development began with breaking down roleplay and what that looks like for children. This includes the process of initiation, usual storylines, visual aids and scenes, and its conclusion. With that in mind and the general idea established through a series of mood boards, concept development emerged. Ideation started with some interesting shapes and locking mechanisms, focusing on playful interactions. The thought then arose of components being flexible rather than permanent and this got the ball rolling on the concept of modular legs that support interesting shapes that can be made into a series of furniture and play environments.
With the application of CAD into the design process, the realistic form began to take shape and the models were 3D printed and tested several times until it was functional. From there it was a matter of fine tuning and troubleshooting the issues with overlapping foam when the legs are orientated and dimensioning to a viable size.
The final concept is Playscape. Playscape is a modular, multi-functional system dedicating to creating space. The product as a whole can be disassembled and re-assembled into a range of uses including furniture, play-scenes, sensory spaces, and more.
To assemble, the user will orientate the legs as desired by holding down the button at the pivot points and push the leg, covering the mechanism with the straight or angled covers. From there they insert the seat supports and lock them in using the cam lock and tool. This is to be mirrored by another leg. Finally, the user can place the seat shape to form the seat and/or back rest.
As a furniture piece, playscape seamlessly blends into the environment whilst maintaining its usefulness in a range of exciting combinations. Using constructive play, children and adults can assemble the system into useful furniture to a variety of heights and uses.
Regulation is an important part of this project. A regulated child is a happy and relaxed child. This allows them to be more engaged and calmer in the activity. Playscape does this by offering safe, comforting spaces through proprioceptive stimulation. The seat shapes can be arranged to form a comfy floor bed or a secluded cubby house to feel separate from the chaos that can come from social play. Additionally, the range of fabric has been selected specifically for its sensory properties. They are soft and consist of 3D patterns that can be traced, helping a dysregulated child recentre themselves.
Playscape is based on play. Using constructive play, children can create whatever scenes, games, or environments they want to. Children can build grand forts and castles to fight dragons, construct pirate ships to sail the high seas or keep it cozy and create a cafe and serve tea. Placing the shapes down, they can play “the floor is lava” or “twister” type games where they must only be on the designated shapes/colours. This diversity and room to imagine gives children space to make it their own, play games that are familiar or come up with entirely new ones.
Kristen is a creator specialising in Industrial design with experience in Visual Communication. Her passions lie in multifunctional, user centred design, and furniture. Through hard work and readiness to learn, Kristen applies herself to create intuitive and useful products.