ZIGGY & LOOPY
2024
For curiosity, collaboration, and catharsis.
Designed for children in the Gorom Refugee Settlement, ZIGGY & LOOPY present movement-based play as a path to processing trauma.
Context: School Project
Duration: 2 Months
Client: The Power of Play (TPOP)
Co-Designers: Sophie Ryznar, Alice Minsuh Kim
The Story
Fueled by the chance to have a real-world impact, the philosophy that guided my team was that if we didn’t have fun while designing, the outcome would fall flat. What grew from this was a heartfelt design process, rooted in seeking wonder and exploring human connections. I threw myself into research and experience-based empathy, reconnecting with my inner child.
At each design stage, I witnessed genuine looks of awe from our testers, signifying whenever we were on the right path. Based on intuitive exploration and seeking the fun, this process has stuck with me and deeply altered how I approach all design challenges.
Research
To gain perspective, we gathered a base knowledge of the history, people, and environment of Gorum
The psychology of play was key in understanding the brain-body connection we could tap into.
We defined our team values with guiding words, “digging” being most important as it reminded us to be vulnerable.
Prototyping
A 1:1 scale in all iterative stages allowed for realistic and immediate use
We watched peers gravitate toward a tube-and-stick tower-building prototype. It morphed into a throw-and-catch challenge that made everyone's eyes light up in excitement.
We rapidly prototyped several more low-fi iterations in this specific direction.
Resolution + Make
Manufacturability and durability were the biggest learning curve:
Our rings snapped in plywood, so we had to make them wider, and laminated walnut.
To make the stick grip comfortable we were inspired by traditional rope wrapping techniques seen in South Sudan. Hemp was simple, very strong, and added brightness!
To protect the disks on hard ground, we designed feet to keep them lifted. These evolved into an interlocking wheel feature. However, we had issues late in production with these peeling. We are currently testing alternative plastics for when TPOP takes it to manufacturing.
This project taught me how to balance intuitive, playful designing, with practical, and efficient product development. It has recently been approved by the UBC psychology board for manufacturing and testing in Gorum by TPOP. There are small details to be sorted out before ZIGGY & LOOPY are ready, regarding the durability of the 3D-printed feet, and then they will be placed in the hands of children!