DIPLOMAPROJECTPROPOSALPriyankaChaurasiaVisualCommunicationDesign

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MYTOYFACTORY

ForthisprojectIwillbeworkingwithaclient,MadRatGames,acompanybasedinBangalorefocusedonbringingfuntolearning,forchildren.

BRIEFANDBACKGROUND

Theprojectinvolvesworkingwithchildren,encouragingthemtobuildsimpletoysthemselvesandteachingmathematical/scientificetc.conceptsthroughthetoys.

Attheprimaryleveltheprojectaimstopropagatethe"Makeyourowntoys"ideologyofArvindGuptaToys.Hiswebsitehttp://www.arvindguptatoys.com/toys.htmldisplaysaseriesoftoyswhichusesbasicmaterialsandsimpletechniquestobuildthetoy.Mostofthetoysaimtoteachthechildaboutaparticularconcept(maybescientific,forexample:centrifugalforce).

IhavealreadyattendedandhelpedataworkshopconductedbytheclientinBangalore.Itwasdoneatanexperimentalleveltotesttheviabilityoftheproject.Theactivitieswerefairlysimple–a“gettingtoknoweachother”gamefollowedbyasetoftoysthatthekidsweretaughthowtomake.Whiletheymadethetoysthefacilitatorspokeofwhatprinciplethetoyworkedon.Beforetheyleft,theywereeachgivenakit,whichgavetheminstructionstomaketwotoys,andprovidedthematerialforthetoys.Theyalsocarriedbackallthetoystheymadethemselvesduringtheworkshop.Thiswastoencouragethemtocontinuetheactivitiesathomewithpossibleinvolvementfromtheparents.

NEED

‐An“outoftextbook”systemwhichcanbetakenanywhereandinitiatedbyanyone.‐Theelementofinteractivitywherethechildisabletorelatetosomethingbetterbecauseofbuildingitfromscratch.Amorehands‐on,learningthroughdoingapproach.Thisislikelytomaketheexperiencemoreeducative.‐Theavailabilityofsciencethroughtoystochildrenatnocost.‐IntroducingchildrentoamoreDIYculturepossiblymakingthemmoreindependentwhilelearning.Itcouldalsoaddtheelementofplaytomostsubjects.‐Propagationofthissystemthroughsharingthewaysinwhichthetoyscanbemadeandwhattheyteachyou.Thiswouldmakeitmoreavailabletoeverychild,makingitseemlesslikeanextracurricularactivityandmakingitmoreapartoftheireverydaylives.‐Encouragementforthe“younginventor”inchildrentocreatefromscratchsomethingtheyhavethoughtupcompletelythemselves.‐Reinforcingthefunandsatisfactioninworkingwithtactilematerials.

RESEARCHQUESTIONS

‐Theexistingmethodsofsuchteaching.Therelevanceofthesystemoftoysamidsttheseexistingteachingmethodologies.‐Thepointofwhatthechildisbeingtaughtgettinglostduetoinvolvementinwhathe/sheisbuilding.‐Parentalinvolvementinsuchasystem.Thesystemworkingbetterasanextracurricularactivity(withanoutsidefacilitator)orsomethingmoreapartofdailyactivities.‐Thelimitationsofthissystemwithregardtodifferentgroupsofchildren.Whaturbanchildrenrespondandrelatetoasopposedtoruralchildren.‐Myroleasacommunicatorintheproject.Thelanguage(visual,textualandverbal)thatisbestunderstoodandrespondedtobychildren.APPROACHANDPROCESS

Theprojectwillbeginwithmeunderstandingthealreadyexistingsimpleeducationaltoys(ref:ArvindGuptaToys).Theywillneedtobelookedatwithregardto‐Thesimplemechanicaltechniquesthatareusedtobuildthetoys/themechanicaltechniquesthatneedtobekeptinmindwhilecreatingmyownsetoftoys.‐Theagegroupsthataremostreceptivetothesetoys.‐Thecontentthatintendedtobetaughtthroughtheconstructionofthesetoys.‐Topicsthatarenottoucheduponthroughthesetoys.Iwillbecompilingalistofsuchtopicswhichseemrelevant(throughtalkingtoteacherswhoteachtheseagegroups).ThislistwillhelpmetofixonareasthatIwishtoconcentrateonwhilecreatingmyownsetoftoys.

ThisinitialresearchwillprovidethebaseforthreedirectionsthatIwillbeconcentratingonthroughtheproject;(a)Comingupwithmyownsetoftoysthatteachprinciples/conceptsthatIfeelarelackinginthealreadyexistingtoys.Ideationwillinclude:‐Exploringareasthatcouldbetoucheduponthroughthismedium.‐Usingsimpleeverydaymaterialstoideateuponandbuildthesetoys.Itwillhelpmelookatamorehandsonandexperimentalapproachtoproblemsolving.Itwillalsobechallengingasacommunicatortomatchtheintentofthetoywithwhatthechildlearnsfromit.ThesetoyswillbetestedthroughintroducingthemintheworkshopsthatIwillbeideatinguponandconductinginthesecondphaseoftheproject.(b)Creatingworkshopmodulesforthesetoystobeintroducedtochildren.Researchforthiswillbethrough:‐Lookingatthewaycertainextracurricularactivitiesareconductedinandoutsideschoolforchildren.

‐Lookingatalreadyexistingworkshopsforchildren,centeredaroundtoys.‐Analyzingandderivingfromtheworkshopalreadyconductedbytheclientasanexperiment.‐Lookingatthemarketandaudienceforthesekindsofworkshops.ThroughcreatingthesemodulesIwillbeexploringthepotentialforsuchamediumbeingviableforachildtolearn.Theworkshopmoduleswillbeputtotestwithmebeingaco‐facilitator(alongsidetheclient).(c)Communicativedocumentationoftheproject.Thiscouldleadtothreekindsofcompilations/products.‐Akit,whichwouldcontainthematerialstoconstructthetoyalongwith,illustratedinstructionsforbuildingit.Iwillbebreakingdowntheprocessofbuildingthetoyintosimplecoherentsteps,illustratingthemandprovidingeasy‐to‐followcopy.Thiskitwouldbeprimarilyforthechildrenbutmaycallforparentalinvolvement.‐Amanual(whichIwilldesign)containingtheworkshopmodulealongwiththeDIYinstructions.Thiswouldbeofusetoanyoutsideteacher/parent/facilitatorwhomaywanttoconductthesesessions.Itwouldalsoactasaarchiveforthemtoreferto.‐Apublication(whichIwillcompile,illustrateanddesign)drivenbyanarrative.Thenarrativewouldstringtogetherscenarioswheretheprinciple/concept(taughtbythetoy)comesupusingcharactersandprops(thetoysthemselvesmaybe).TheDIYinstructionsforthetoyswouldalsobestrungintothenarrative.

AUDIENCE

Theaudienceattheprimarylevelisthechildrenofdifferentagegroupsforwhomthetoysareusedasteachingtools.Thekits/publicationwouldalsobedirectedatthem.Atasecondarylevel,parents/educators/facilitatorsofsuchasystemaretheaudience.Thecompilationwouldbeanarchivefortheirreference.

PERSONALSTATEMENT

Iamdrawntothisprojectduetoaninherentinterestofworkingwithchildrenandgainingsomeexperienceinthearea.Asadesigner,understandingtheimportanceoftheelementofplay,thescopeoftheprojectisexciting.Theroleofacommunicatorinthisprojectalsoopensupthepossibilityoflookingatthesubjectthroughthelensofanarrativewherethecompilationcouldturnintoacompletelynewproduct.