Playful Products

Playful Products 1.2 Charles Hough

contents • DESIGN BRIEF • RESEARCH • TOY SAFETY • CURRENT PRODUCTS • PRODUCT ANALYSIS • QUESTIONAIRE AND RESULTS • ERGONOMICS AND ANTHROPOMETRICS • MATERIALS • SPECIFICATION • SKETCHES/FINAL DESIGN IDEA • FURTHER RESEARCH • MODELS • CAD • MATERIAL CHOICE EXPLAINED • FINAL DESIGN JUSTIFICATION Charles Hough

Design Brief • I am designing product aimed at improving everyday mundane tasks making them more fun and interesting, trying to get away from the blandness of the everyday products we come across. • I've started off my project by identifying everyday tasks in a spider diagram then from there expanding out to show the products used in the task. Next, I had decided to target my interests towards showers/baths because it is generally known that children don’t enjoy taking a bath. I feel it is a mundane routine for children and that this can be easily made more enjoyable. There is currently thousands of toys on the market already, so I am aiming to make my unique design to encourage children to wash by themselves and encourage clean hygiene. • As my end product will be used in a bath by children, ages 1-8, there will be certain safety aspects I will need to look into. Charles Hough

research These gloves have different animals on each finger, allowing the parent(s) to use to interact and distract the child from washing. Source: Google images Here are some sponges that have been designed to make bath time more enjoyable. They have integrated cute, playful animals to make it easier for the child to play and therefore clean themselves. Source: Personal photo In these photos, you can see that the child is enjoying their playtime in the bath, but isn’t thinking about cleaning themselves. These simple toys are making bath time enjoyable for the child but not making her clean. Source: http://www.thedailybuzz.com.au/page/8/ These take on a different approach from animals to food. These classic food items make bath time more interesting and exciting for a child and will encourage them to use the food sponge rather than the boring sponge. Source: Personal photo Source: Google images Source: http://www.thisnext.com/tag/sponges-for-kids/ Source: http://www.brothermax.com/ This set of toys have been designed to clean, teach, and play with. The orange dots will turn yellow if the bath water is too hot. Charles Hough

“Toy safety audit” • “In the lead-up to Christmas of 2009, our Product Safety team conducted a safety inspection blitz on children's toys. More than five and half thousand toys throughout almost 200 stores across Queensland were checked to ensure that the products meet strict safety standards. • As a result of these checks, 17 toys (pictured below) were removed from sale after failing safety standards. Of these, 13 were removed after failing mandatory safety requirements for children under three years of age, two for failing projectile toy standards, and one each for not having a mandatory warning and for being a banned toy. • If you think you've purchased one of these toys, return it for a refund. • To help make sure that the children's toys you buy are safe, look for toys that: • are an appropriate size • don't have small detachable parts that a child could choke on • are strong and safe in design • are made from non-toxic substances • do not have loose straps or cords” • source: http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/toy-safety-audit.htm Charles Hough

Current Products • “fun” products • Cleaning products Charles Hough

Product analysis Fun products Charles Hough

Product analysis Children's cleaning products Charles Hough

Questionnaire and results Students When you were between the ages 1-8, how enjoyable did you find bath time? (10=most enjoyable) Parents 10 0 5 Louis: 4 Where you satisfied with the bath toys your children had and did it make bath time easier? Yes: 3 No: 8 Rob: 7 Jessica: 3 Matthew: 8 Danielle: 6 Daniel: 4 Shirley: 7 Chris: 8 James: 5 Emma: 6 Did the toys attract to you greatly when buying them? Not really: 9 Some: 2 Hollie: 5 Justin: 6 Mathew: 6 Did you find bath time for your child more of a chore or a fun filled experience with your child? Chore: 6 Fun fun filled experience: 5 How many bath toys did you roughly own? non Above average average a lot little Analysis non: 0 Little: 1 Average: 3 Above average: 6 A lot: 3 From speaking with my parents and other parents I have come to find some every day tasks for parents to be quite hard and difficult due to the child not wanting to behave in the manner the parent want them to. They have all said they have found that the child will automatically rebel against there parents as an act of boredom. This I feel is a great area for designing in. I have also noticed from speaking to parents that there are currently no products on the market at the moment which are truly innovative. Charles Hough

Ergonomics/anthropometrics These pictures are showing the natural hand position The pictures help demonstrate how the natural hand position is almost perfect for holding a ball. This position also allows for the maximum force to be applied by grasping Charles Hough

materials • Sponges are commonly made from cellulose wood fibers, or foamed plastic polymers. Some natural sponges are still sold for the same purpose, although most natural sponges are now used ether as body/facial sponges (bath sponges) or as decorating tools used for sponge painting. *All biodegradable so good for the environment Charles Hough

Raw Materials • Many different types of sponge are harvested and dried for human use, but the most common one is the Spongiaoficinalis, also known as the glove sponge. Another common type used commercially is the sheep's wool sponge, or Hippospongiacanaliculata. Synthetic sponges are made of three basic ingredients: cellulose derived from wood pulp, sodium sulphate, and hemp fiber. Other materials needed are chemical softeners, which break the cellulose down into the proper consistency, bleach, and dye. • Harvesting Sea Sponges • To gather natural sponges, specially trained divers descend into sponge-growing waters with a large two-pronged hook and a string bag. Traditional sponge divers in Greece used no special breathing equipment. The men of seaside villages were trained from childhood and were expert deep water divers. The sponge industry in the United States centers around Tarpon Springs, Florida, a community that was founded by Greek immigrant divers. Today's sponge divers use modern diving equipment such as wet suits and oxygen tanks. The divers pry sponges off the rocks or reefs where they grow, and bring them up in their string bags. The divers pile the sponges on the deck of their boat and cover them with wet cloths. The animals die on the boat, and their skins rot off. After the skins have decayed, the harvesters wash the sponges and string them on a long, thin rope to dry in the sun. After they have dried completely, the harvesters wash the sponges several more times. This is all the preparation the sponges need to be ready for sale. • Natural sponges are the skeletons of a kind of simple sea animal. They grow in worm, shallow waters, and are particularly plentiful in the eastern Mediterranean and off the western coast of Florida. Artificial sponges have largely replaced natural ones in the United States, where at least 80% of the sponges in use are manmade. Charles Hough Information from:http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Sponge.html

The Manufacturing  Process • The steps necessary in the manufacture of synthetic sponge is discussed below. • The cellulose used for sponges arrives at the sponge factory in large, stiff sheets. Workers take the sheets and soak them in a vat of water mixed with certain chemical softeners. The cellulose becomes soft and jelly-like. Then workers load the cellulose into a revolving mixer, which is a large rotating metal drum. Workers add the sodium sulphate crystals, cut hemp fibers, and dye, and close the mixer. The mixer is set to rotate, and it churns the ingredients so that they are thoroughly amalgamated. • From the mixer, workers pour the material into a large rectangular mold that may be 2 ft (61 cm) high, 2 ft (61 cm) wide, and 6 ft (1.8 m) long. The mold is heated, and the cellulose mixture cooks. As it cooks, the sodium sulphate crystals melt, and drain away through openings in the bottom of the mold. It is their melting that leaves the characteristic pores in the finished sponge. The size of the pores is determined by the size of the sodium sulphate crystals. A rough sponge used for washing a car, for instance, is made with coarse crystals, while a fine sponge of the type used for applying makeup is made with very fine crystals. As the celluolose mix cooks, then cools, it becomes a hard, porous block. • The sponge block is then soaked in a vat of bleach. This removes dirt and impurities, and also brightens the color. Next the sponge is cleaned in water. Additional washings alter the texture, making the sponge more pliable. The sponge is left to dry, to prepare it for cutting. • Some manufacturers make the sponge and cut and package it themselves. Others produce the raw blocks of sponge, and then sell them to a company known as a converter. The converter cuts the sponges according to its customers needs, and takes care of the packaging and distribution. Whether at the first manufacturing facility or at the converter, workers cut the sponges on an automatic cutter. They load each big rectangle of sponge into a machine that slices it into the desired size. Because the sponge block is rectangular, it can be cut into many smaller rectangles with little or no waste. • Many household sponges have a textured plastic scouring pad attached to one side. This is attached in a process called laminating, after the sponge is cut. The scouring pad, which is cut to the same size as the sponge, is affixed to the sponge in a laminating Softened cellulose is mixed with sodium sulphate crystals, cut hemp fibers, and dye in a large, revolving metal drum. Once blended, the material is poured into a large rectangulor mold, which may be 2 ft (61 cm) high, 2 ft (61 cm) wide, and 6 h (182.9 cm) long. As the mold cooks, the sodium sulphate crystals melt, and drain away through openings in the bottom of the mold. It is their melting that leaves the characteristic pores in the finished sponge.   machine that uses a specialized sponge glue made of moisture-cured polyurethane. Next, the sponges move to a packaging area where they are sealed in plastic. The packaged sponges are boxed, and the boxes sent to a warehouse for further distribution. Charles Hough Information from:http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Sponge.html

Quality Control • A sponge manufacturer typically checks the product for quality at many steps along the manufacturing process. The raw ingredients are analyzed when they come into the plant to make sure they conform to standards. In a modern facility, most of the machinery is monitored by computers, that maintain the proper proportions in the mix, for example, and control the temperature of the mold during the cooking process. The finished sponges are checked for tenacity, that is, how easily they tear. An inspector takes a random sample from the batch and puts it in a specially built machine. The machine measures the force needed to tear the sponge. Another test is of color. In this case, a sample sponge is examined under a spectrograph. • Byproducts/Waste • Sponge manufacturing produces no harmful byproducts and little waste. Sponge material that is lost in trimming, such as when an uneven end is cut off the large block, is ground up and recycled. It can be thrown in the mixer at the beginning of the process, and become part of a new sponge. Charles Hough Information from:http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Sponge.html

Specification • The main idea (due to the questionnaire results) behind this is to vastly improve the relationship and experience between parent and child whilst making it an easy/fun experience. So one of the main specification points besides health and safety has to be the interaction. • To improve the interaction the ergonomics are key for the child since ideally just the child will be using it but both of them will be using the product at some stage through the parent helping/interacting with the child. So this means the product must also consider the ergonomics for the parent of both sex types. • Health and safety is the most important asset when designing this product due to if it isn’t perfect it can create a bad atmosphere around the product along with the product not reaching the market due to the health and safety regulations not met. • With most product the Aesthetics are key when designing for toddlers/children's bath toys but with my product the function needs to go hand in hand with the aesthetics, because I aim to teach the child whilst creating a good fun environment which encourages toddlers/children to bath. • Needs to be appealing to parents ether by being unique or making it look like something they would buy for themselves since they are the ones buying the product. • Needs to be enjoyable for the child in or out of the bath. The greater the child/toddlers wants to interact with the product the more the child will learn from it. • Must have a way of cleaning. • Needs to be able to with stand high force and pressure along with being durable due to the child/toddler being rough with the product. Charles Hough

Average bath dimensions Minimum Distances You will need to establish the minimum requirements for space around your bathroom. Allow at least 600mm in front of the toilet and approximately 200mm either side of the bowl for elbowroom. 700mm should be allowed between the front of the basin and the nearest wall or object. Power points should be located at least 500mm from splash zones. Shower recesses should be at least 900 x 900mm square, however this is a minimum and more space is recommended if available. The average bath is approximately 1700mm long, 800mm wide and 400m deep. Average bath dimensions approx: 30 (76.2cm) inches by 60 inches. Source wikianswers.com Charles Hough

Model photos and sizes Arms stretched Small (dry size) 5.1cm 7.5cm 7.5cm 5.1cm 76.2cm (average stretch/expanded) Large (expanded) Arms stretched 34.35cm (average stretch) Charles Hough

Model photos Natural shape Eyes 1cm Legs:2.8cm Charles Hough

CAD Charles Hough

Final design materials. • Main material: compressed PVA • The 2 elastic arms: made from a latex skin filled with an agueous sugar solution • Eyes: PMMA • Circuit: thermometer, battery (kinetic), light bulb (red and ocean blue). (one set per bulb colour). • Suction cup: silicone • why? • Compressed PVA: increases with size with water, absorbs water well, works well as a sponge for the bath. • Elastic tentacles: latex skin: due to its elasticity. • Agueous sugar solution (filling): because it does not dissolve, decay or destroy the latex skin. • PMMA: high light transmittance, can with stand high water immersion in water, comes transparent. Charles Hough

Final design justification • For the entire design, the dimensions were chosen due to the health, safety, ergonomics and anthropometrics. The main body of the octopus was designed in almost a ball shape because from my research I discovered that a ball fitted well in most comfortable and natural hand position. The body also had to be big enough to pass the health and safety check whilst being big enough for the Childs hand when not expanded. It is to expand to 7.5cm because the adults average hand size is 7.5cm The adults hand size has been taken under consideration because the adult will have to help clean the child in areas the child cant reach and the adult will also have to teach the child how to clean them selves/encourage them to. The leg sizes were chosen because they are short enough for the child not to put in their mouth and for it to choke them, which is important for the health and safety check. The 2 legs average expansion is to that size due to the average bath size being 30 inches. The 2 legs diameter is chosen due to the anthropometric data of the children’s finger sizes. The octopus shape design was also chosen due to the market being overwhelmed with rubber ducks, so by designing an octopus for the initial shape makes it stand out in the market. From the questionnaire results it is designed to answer the pleads put out from the answers from helping the relationships to encouraging self-cleaning for toddlers. The product first makes it easier for parents due to how the product detects if the bath water is to hot for the child to help encourage a good positive atmosphere around bath time. Secondly the toy being designed to stretch, spins, grow, enhance coordination and strength (from trying to spin the octopus when stuck down), help encourage playtime and skills. Due to the way the sponge expands it will encourage the toddler to take baths and wash up due the water making the sponge grow and look healthier. This works well for the octopus because makes the child want to put the octopus back in its natural habitat (being water) and stop it looking like it is an unhealthy state. This all helps the child interact with the product due to it being like the huge selling Tamagotchi products which is all about interaction, keeping children busy and encourage play time with a fun product. It also teaches child to care for the product and every day objects. Charles Hough

Playful Products