Multi-Sensory Instrument
Early childhood music exploration
2018
Current children's toys, focused on noise and touch, miss opportunities for deeper engagement and learning.
Multi-sensory toys are proven to enhance children's cognitive, social, and emotional development, fostering a greater willingness to explore and learn. While many existing musical toys lack intentionality in their auditory feedback, children are remarkably fast learners, capable of much deeper musical exploration than current toys allow.
Project Background
The piano, with its low barrier to entry, often serves as a child's first real instrument, which is why many toys mimic its push-to-play functionality and vast sound options. However, a significant and unfortunate gap exists between when a child outgrows these basic plastic sound toys and when they gain access to a genuine musical instrument, potentially missing a critical window for musical engagement during early childhood development.
How might we design a multi-sensory instrument that encourages early-childhood musical exploration?
Key objectives:
Calming, fidget-to-relax experience.
Dynamic lights subtly encourage users to experiment and discover new possibilities.
Programmable MIDI design ensures it remains relevant and engaging, resisting obsolescence.
Form exploration
I designed many forms, but sought a geometric, tactile shape with a rubber frame for younger children, prioritizing comfortable handling over sleek details.
Prototyping
To prototype the concept and validate the user experience, I designed with readily available materials before collaborating with an electrical engineer for final component sourcing. This involved using stretched balloons for buttons, polystyrene for switches, and even a musical birthday card speaker for a flattened audio output. Each I/O button was programmed to play a distinct musical note.
How it works
The final prototype proved highly entertaining: individual notes corresponded to a blue light, while combining two notes yielded a green light, and three notes produced a yellow light. This intentional feedback loop provided engaging visual reinforcement for musical exploration.
