Moomin Prototype
One of my sisters moved to Finland when I was young, and introduced me to Moomin. He still retains a magical quality and has already got an inviting plush figure. My son’s Moomin plush quickly became one of the few bedtime indispensables–so potentially even more magic than I was aware of.
After a few days, I came up with ideas that didn’t involve a beloved children’s character protected by Finnish copyright law.
Bedtime Balloons
Story and target users: My son love balloons. I thought this would be a fun way to let him be able to sleep with balloons, when the real ones have to sleep on the couch. He’s also getting closer to potentially wanting a nightlight, so, safety permitting, this might be a fun way to do that 🙂 I see this being a cute idea for helping bedtime be a little more fun.
Materials: Battery pack, LEDs (red, yellow, blue), Thin Felt (red, yellow, blue, white), polyfill, Buttons, or iron-on embroidered eyes.
Pilea Plush
Story and target users: I love plants–especially ones that trail. But some rooms just don’t get enough sunlight. Pilea Plush could be a charming way to incorporate a bit of flora into your child’s room (and mayyyybe the bathroom). Depending on execution, it could potentially work for adults as well. I’d need: A battery pack, LEDs (white), Felt (green, brown, tan), polyfill.
Pomodoro Pillow
Story and target users: Since we’re shopping for one now, I started with the idea of an ‘OK to Wake’ Clock for toddlers. I got the idea for a plush stoplight version, but then I saw that there is already an Elmo Stoplight OK to Wake Clock–so it looks like Elmo bested me again. So I thought about other use cases for a stoplight style plush, and thought about socks on doors that signal–among other things–”don’t come in.” But the product here doesn’t fit the target audience.
Then I remembered that for another class I’ve been working on a design to tackle task management for people with ADHD or who face challenges with their executive functions. So, slightly returning to the clock idea, I thought about the pomodoro method, of having a visual countdown. Personally, and having ADHD, I find a countdown to be a distraction from my intended task. But what if, instead of a clock, it was something more interactive? What if my pomodoro were a small pillow on which I would rest what distracts me most, until it’s light shut off to signifying I could pick it up again? I’m too invested now–I’m going to have to see if this works. I’ll need: A battery pack, LEDs (white), a timer module, plush fabric, polyfill.