Project Proposal

Initial Problem Statement

This is an open-ended design project to provide a way for 1-2 year-old children to experiment with ramps. They have an existing teaching tool to use (shown in the figures below), but the children struggle to use it and the teachers need a solution that is more effective, safer, easier to work with, and easier to store that will help the children to learn about ramps systems.

Key Insights from the First Meeting

We primarily worked with Sylvia since the product will be going into her classroom. When discussing the current system with Sylvia, it became clear that the biggest frustration with the system comes from the fact that the track pieces have no way of connecting to one another so a child designs could easily come apart. Another concern of Sylvia's is the current system is bulky with many pieces that are difficult to store.

Key Insights from Later in the Project

As we continued to work on the project and discuss the designs with the client about what they were looking for, we came across new insights that heavily influenced our final product. The main goal for the system we were fabricating was for it to have multiple functions to stimulate child creativity. It was essential for them to have the ability for the children to create a different design every time the system was used. As we proceeded through our design process Yvette proposed the idea to us seen below in Figure C. Following this suggestion, we worked to create a product with similar functions to the one shown in the image.

Final Detailed Problem Statement

The Children's Center at Boise State University works with children to promote their physical, social, emotional, creative, and intellectual development. Yvette, Clinical Assistant Professor at the Children's Center, requested this project and worked with us throughout the process. Sylvia, who works in the toddler classroom with children ranging from one to two years old, was also a major contributor through her communication of what she needs throughout our design process. Sylvia desired a ramp system that the toddlers could interact with in order to learn problem-solving skills, experiment with the concept of angles, create their own unique designs each time they use it, and fosters creativity for the children. The current system (seen above in Figure A and Figure B) is frustrating for everyone involved in this process since it is easily disrupted as other children move about the room and the size of the system is too large to store efficiently.