A short round up of all the people-related research i have done so far.

1. Pallavi M | Diploma Project
Review Panel Meeting 3
18th August 2009

2. Basic Process
What the concept has to offer
Workshops Ideation
Interviews Insights and Prototyping User testing Final Product
Observation Opportunities Experiment- Making
ing
Market and User trends & needs

3. What the concept has to offer
What it aims to be What it aims to change
Imagine Follow
Creative Scientific/ logical
Physical Virtual
Natural Synthetic
Constructive Destructive
Soft Hard
Group Individual
Collaborative Competitive
Sharing Accumulating
Open/Wide Close/Narrow
Abstract Defined

4. USER MAPPING
Focus: Primary user group: Upper middle class, working parents | Secondary user group: Middle /Upper middle class, one stay at home parent
RICH
MAIS SONALI
GEETHA SUBRAMANYAM
JETIN CHANDRA
HARINI
KAVITA GEORGIE
GAZALLA PATEL
SONIA JOSEPH
SISHU GRIHA SCHOOL DHEERAJ
ANU NIRALE DAYCARE CENTRE
TEJSI
LITTLE ANGEL’S PLAYHOME
KIDZEE DAYCARE CENTRE
STAY AT HOME WORKING
Economic status
Level of awareness and involvement
POOR

5. USER MAPPING
Conscientious Mothers RICH Working Parents
This category of people have consciously Category of people where the family is
Economic status
chosen to stay at home to bring up the child. usually a nuclear family and both parents
They believe that the onus of the raising work. They usually live in apartment spaces
their child lies predominantly with them. and depend on external support to occupy
They dedicate their time and give up their and care for the child.
careers to give their children time and Parents look for security, quality education
attention. with holistic learning and try to give their
Cultural values, education systems, social children whatever they want or need.
dynamics and play spaces are always
looked at and are never compromised on
STAY AT HOME WORKING
Level of awareness and involvement
POOR

6. Characteristics and common patterns
Focus: Primary user group: Upper middle class, working parents | Secondary user group: Middle /Upper middle class, one stay at home parent
Family: Nuclear family, with very few relatives in the city, Education: No particular views on education, schools are chosen
occassional visits to their native- usually a small town where time either out of force or because of distance: travel time is cut down as
is spent with cousins and relatives, regular holidays of which quite much as possible, the parents look for a stree free schooling and all
a few are abroad. round development.
Work: Average time at work is from 9 in the morning to 6 to 7 in Toys: A lot of emphasis on books and reading, so money is spent all
the evening. The child is usually left at a daycare centre or in the around the year for it, toys are bought sometimes from all around
care of a full time employed nanny. The parents get about one hour the world, when the parents feel there arent enough of it, or when
in the morning and 2 hours in the evening with the children during they find something interesting. Cost is not really looked at, a
the week and the weekends as well. The time is usually spent mall minimum of 400 to 500 Rs is spent, and a maximum of 2000 Rs.
hopping or at the cinemas. Sometimes, the parents are forced to
carry work back home. Views on Childhood: Overexposure - too much information fed:
TV and Internet, commercialized education: focus more on finishing
Spaces: Usually live in apartments because of security and the curriculum rather than understanding concept, unhealthy food
playspace facilities and opportunity for the child to make friends. habits, restricted environments, health and security: low immunity
However, the playspaces are seldom used and friends are very few. of children, too much protection.

7. INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
INSIGHT OPPORTUNITY
Dheeraj believes value of education today is null. Information is How do we create toys that are tiered into the educational system we
dropped onto children. Concept is not taught. have and help teach concepts to children. Importance on foundation.
Dheeraj buys toys when he feels that the children need something to How do we create toys that creates a sense of flow and bring in a
engage themselves or when they see something interesting. longer attention span to kids?
Jatin places more emphasis on reading, and a lot of time and money is Can a book ever take the place of a toy? How can we create toys that
spent on books rather than toys and activities. Parents feel that toys provide room for imagination, storytelling, value and learning in a
are easily destructable as compared to books, and that they provide constructive and tangible manner?
more value to the child.
Jatin feels that group interaction and social skills are important for the How can we create opportunities to enrich group interaction among
child to learn and believes that conventional schooling provides this . children and teach the value of collaboration and sharing?
Dheeraj feels that today’s children have a low immunity as compared How can we create toys that mediates and introduces to children
to their generation when they grew up in tune with nature. This has nature and its systems of survival and adaptation?
to influenced his choice of schools: he insisted on having his child
study in a regular school without luxurious amenities like AC buses or
sophisticated eateries etc.
Children are more comfortable with and attracted to household objects How can we use everyday objects as tools to create interactive and fun
and technological gadgets as toys toys?
Children live in a protected environment and would not be let to play How can we create toys or play spaces that establish a sense of
outside (if not for a gated community) even though the parents feels security, but also allow for freedom and expression?
they need physical play.

8. INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
INSIGHT OPPORTUNITY
Children are exposed to perversion through media How do we create toys that influence kids thinking abilities and
imagination more than popularity and cult following through
media?
Kavita has a full time nanny to look after him. The nanny takes care of How can we alter the role of a nanny to make a child’s play
the child’s food habits as well as play activities. As a result of this, the patterns and learning methods richer and to also bring about
child has problems with things like language, friends, detachment etc. positive growth and development?
Toys are often bought from abroad when parents travel to different How can we bring about glocalization in a toy? How can this
countries. They are well exposed to global as well as local trends in toys phenomenon teach the importance of a local culture with a global
and storybooks. outlook?
Kavita feels that mental and physical stimulation is required for children How can we create toys that allow for tactile, interactive, and
while playing. Hence she prefers say a transformer toy as compared to mentally stimulating play?
any board games as it allows for a lot of construction and interaction.
Kavitha is worried that she will not be able to help her child with school How can we teach children the importance of inter-dependance
work when he grows older. She also wishes for him to learn to do things and independence of a system?
by himself and become an independent individual.
With a constant race against time, Parents are looking for definitive How can we bring about customized learning?
results within a short span and hence, finishing has become more
important than understanding.
Georgie spends limited time with his kids in the evenings and gets only How do we create toys that cuts across age boundries and allows
about 2 hours with his child. for parents and kids to share a memorable play experience?

9. INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
INSIGHT OPPORTUNITY
Kirti and Khyati have different tastes in toys and books and this is Can we create play modes where children and their originality/
respected by their parents tastes are shared and their are differences encouraged?
Harini feels that toys that last long and occupy less space are How can one create play that is memorable, durable and imparts
important. They also need to teach the right values to children. value education in a subtle, non-imposing manner?
Kids sometimes insist on getting toys that their friends have. How can we create play that aids sharing and teaches the
importance of individuality and variety?
Geetha Subramanyam is insistant that son spends time with family, the With today’s ‘nuclear family’ mantra, how can we make quality
grandparents and cousins time with family a memorable and valuable experience?
Aditya is petrified of insects. He hasnt had any encounters with natural How can we introduce to children the importance of natural
environments like the insect kingdom and is too scared to experience it. environments and replace their fears towards it with curiosity?
Aditya has a plastic animal toy collection which he likes very much. He How can we introduce and popularize natural material among
doesnt feel that his toy’s plastic harms the environment like the other children?
plastics. He feels it is cooler than paper toys. But he does understand
that they can break very easily.
There is a definite difference in the knowledge sources and systems How do we introduce alternative/different knowledge sources and
between urban and rural environments. systems that bring in variety and stimulation to children.
Technology has a dominating role in an urban space. Hence knowledge
resources are more textual and virtual. This is a one way interaction.
Where as people, for eg. a grandmother in a storytelling activity
becomes a knowledge resource that is an oral two way interaction.

10. INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
INSIGHT OPPORTUNITY
A constant effort to keep up with time and make the most of it, have How can we create opportunities for children to slow pace,
resulted in children being” over occupied” with summer camps, bring in longer attention spans and value simpler activities in
classes, books and technology. a daily routine?
Today, the focus on play is more materialistic rather than attaching How can we create toys that deliver a memorable experience and a
simple emotions to the activity and being more of an experience. heritage rather than an object?