Industrial - Bachelor
SaplingCare is an emotional regulation and communication tool designed to help parents and carers of physically disabled children discuss and manage day-to-day emotions. From doctor’s appointments to school assignments, SaplingCare guides families in navigating the home environment, strengthening relationships and fostering understanding.
To positively impact and a support a CWPD wellbeing, parents/carers must first create a safe, supportive, and nurturing home environment. This becomes difficult as parents/carers undertake both paid employment as well as the intense responsibility that comes with being a full time or even part time carer of their physically disabled child/ children.
For children aged 6-8 the relationship they have with their parent/ primary carer is extremely important in sowing the seeds of healthy development. This includes autonomy/ independence, identity, personal growth, social development and most significantly emotional regulation. CWPD are extremely dependent on their parent/care giver for their physical needs day to day, this creates a skew in a child’s natural level of autonomy compared to an able-bodied child.
This has a negative impact on CWPD, especially when paired with their limited ability to participate in school activities and social events, while also undertaking stressful doctors’ appointments and health check-ups.
‘CWPD’ stands for Children with Physical Disabilities, this is used to focus on ‘Person First’ language surrounding disabilities.
When undertaking primary research through 3 in-depth interviews with experts on child psychology and development, primary education and pediatric rehabilitation, (+ survey responses from parents/carers), the key findings concluded that better support from within the home was an undeniable need for this user group.
From the Research there was significant evidence to procure a gap in the market for a form of communication tool to connect CWPD to their environment to better support their emotional regulation and overall wellbeing. The primary environment was within the home, as this carries the most emotional and physical determinates of impact for personal growth and social and emotional development for primary school aged children.
From these key findings, ‘Parental Education’ was singled out to be the most appropriate area to design within to meet all user needs. Thus, as seen below concept #3 was chosen, as not only a teaching tool for emotional regulation but also as a communication and relationship tool to help the overall home environment.
Physical prototyping, sketching, modelling all centers on the parent/carer user while also making sure the ergonomics and design is ‘childlike’ and enjoyable enough. This includes the interaction and step-by-step experience so both parent and child have a positive experience and can focus on connection and their relationship together throughout the use of the product.
SaplingCare is an emotional regulation and communication tool designed to help parents and carer givers of children with physical disabilities (CWPD) discuss and manage day-to-day emotions. Significant events and emotions can range from doctor’s/ physical therapy appointments to school assignments and activities. SaplingCare’s aim is to guide families while navigating the feelings and stressors in the typical home environment, promoting and strengthening relationships and understanding.
SaplingCare is a product that helps parents/ carers teach emotional regulation to their CWPD aged 6-8, by talking through their feelings day-to-day.
SaplingCare assists in home teaching by allowing parent/carers to process feelings with their CWPD from everyday events/ activities by: ‘discussing’, ‘documenting’, and ‘displaying’ them.
The base of SaplingCare is hollow, made from pine wood with CNC machined groves/ slots within the lathed form.
Holes are drilled within these groves to allow for the neodymium magnets to be fastened in and wires connecting them all back to the circuit board at the bottom.
This allows for the leaves to connect via the same magnets.
The ‘colour palette’ presented at the front of the base is for the leaves to be tapped too, allowing the colour change when signaled.
The leaves have a back base of pine wood, with injection molded PET front and top parts. This allows for the LED to shine through the top semi-transparent plastic when displaying colour.
Each leaf has a small circuit board, battery, and LED allowing the leaves to light up individually as well as when connected and charged at the base.
A magnetic writing screen is cut and fitted to each leaf (as well as a small round magnet attached to the back of each) allowing for the pen to write and document events.
The pen is injection molded from PET as well, with two magnets, differing in strength, fitted to the top and bottom slots.
This allows for the magnet behind the leaf’s screen to connect to the stronger magnet (the ‘eraser’ part of the pen) to clear the screen, while the weaker magnet (the top of the pen) allows the user to write without connecting to the magnet below.
By promoting care, support, and connection, SaplingCare helps build a foundation for lasting wellbeing and a positive future for all family members!
As a designer Eliri takes pride in her refined aesthetics and immersive attention to detail. She is dedicated to integrating functionality and ergonomic principles into her designs to enhance everyday experiences. By deeply engaging with user needs, Eliri develops thoughtful and effective solutions that foster enjoyable interactions and create positive user experiences.