OCEAN EXPLORER

Date

2023.10 - 2023.11

Type

Toy design, Package design

Materials

Valchromat, 3D print

Skill

3D print, 3D modeling,

Package design

Hand-made, Bend saw

Sanding

Introduction

Ocean Explorer is a series of bath toys with multiple ways to play, designed to educate 3-5-year-old children about animal conservation and help them understand the habitats of different animals.

Proposal

Ocean Explorer is a series of bath toys with multiple ways to play, designed to educate 3-5-year-old children about animal conservation and help them understand the habitats of different animals. This toy subtly combines elements of puzzles, ring games, and push-and-pull toys to provide children with both enjoyment and knowledge during bath time.

Social Justice topic: Animal protection, animal habitats

Fostering environmental awareness in children from a young age can play a crucial role in shaping them into responsible adults with a deep responsibility for the natural world. When children understand the significance of animal conservation, they begin to recognize that every species plays a vital role in the ecosystem.

Inspiration-Story behind

Humpbacks Delta and her daughter, Dawn, swam 72 miles into the Sacramento River Delta in 2007, farther inland than humpbacks are known to travel.

Rescue teams soon discovered that both whales had trauma wounds, likely caused by boat motors. The wounds soon became infected, so the team used a specially designed dart gun to administer antibiotics to Delta and Dawn. This helped them recover enough to swim back to sea — but only after spending nearly two weeks in freshwater.

Child-User Persona

Sketch and Moodboard

Moodboard

Color, Style, Texture and Font

Material-Valchromat

Valchromat is a panel made of wood fibers colored in the production process. The fibers are impregnated with organic coloring agents and chemically bound to one another by a special resin which lends Valchromat unique physicochemical features.

Rendering

Storyboard

Making Process

Product1-Whale

Body

The main character of the toy is an adorable whale that plays the role of a mommy whale, and its body consists of four parts. Children can assemble the whale by themselves, practicing hands-on skills and enhancing their affinity with the toy. Once assembled, the whale floats freely on the water, and when children gently push it, the splash mechanism on the whale's head rotates as it moves.

Test

Ring

Another toy part is a whale-shaped ring accessory representing a baby whale. Children are tasked with helping the baby whale reunite with its mother by completing the rescue through a throwing and pulling motion. They can attach the baby whale ring to the mommy whale and pull it back.

Storyboard

Accompanying the toy is a colorful storybook and instructions. Parents can use these materials to share animal conservation stories while their children bathe and play, helping them understand each animal's habitat and why it is essential to protect them. The material of the storybook allows it to stick to the bathroom wall when exposed to water, so children can use it to decorate the bathroom while they play.

Product2-Coral and Clownfish

Product3-Penguin and Polar bear

Logo and Package

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