Overview

Shadowgram, named from Shadowgraph of Tangram, is an interactive projector, which can recognize over 1600 shapes made by Tangram and project them as interactive characters for kids to play around with.

Role
Solo , designed all except animation design

Tools
Rhino, CAD, CNC, Hand Crafting, Python

FINAL DEMO

The video will take 1 minute and is showing a real kid is using my fully functional prototype.

BACKGROUND

Motivation
As modern toys become increasingly popular, the ancient toys were quickly gotten tired of by picky children, just like the abandoned aged. However, some ancient toys are the brainchild of wise ancients, and they should be inherited.

Why Choose Tangram
Tangram is an ancient Chinese toy, consisting of seven flat shapes, which can be put together to form characters. According to the record, tangram can form over 1600 shapes and not only serve as a playful toy but also an educational tool.

Problems
However, when I talked with parents in the toyshop, all of them don’t buy tangram because their kids like games in iPad more.

How can we save this endangered traditional toy?

MARKET RESEARCH

From the research, I found some key data of toy market:

In China, toy industry e-commerce sales reached $4.8 billion in 2022. (Source: Circana)
In the U.S. market, retail toy sales reached $29.2 billion in 2022. While total sales were nearly flat year over year, games and puzzles remained a relevant category, showing that puzzle-based play continued to hold market interest beyond short-term growth spikes. (Source: Circana / The NPD Group)
Globally, the toy market remained strong in 2022. Across the 12 global markets tracked by NPD, toy industry sales grew 2% year to date through September 2022 to $36.7 billion, and were 30% higher than in 2019, suggesting that interactive and play-based products had moved beyond an emerging trend into a more established market. (Source: The NPD Group / Circana)

FIELD STUDY and user interview

I observed how kids play toys in Toys "R" Us and interviewed their parents about their kids’ preference of toys.

I also asked cashiers in toy store about their selling condition. Right side are three main findings:

While kids are playing toys, parents are playing smartphones and there are no conversations between them.
Kids have a strong preference for the toys which are derived from their familiar cartoon character.
The most popular toys are electronic toys and toys from Lego, Hasbro.

Images taken by Yohe in Toys “R“ Us, Hangzhou, 2017

INTERACTIVE TOY analysis

I searched the features of interactive toys and found they are compelling to kids because:

Multiple interactive ways
Vivid digital avatars
Real-time feedback

target user definition

Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget defined the mental development of children into four different stages. Based on this theory, I chose preschool-age children as our target users, because they are in the Pre-operational Stage, the most critical phase for children’s physical and psychological development. It is exactly Tangram can help.

DESIGN Principle

MIND MAP

DESIGN DECISION

Finally I decided to design a projector that can recognize the different shapes of tangram and project them on the wall as interactive cartoon characters.

Here are three reasons why I come up with my final concept:

From field research, I found kids love interactive toys and cartoon IP. Since kids can use Tangram to make up thousands of shapes, why not use tangram to make up cartoon characters?
In front of toy store, parents and their kids played their toys respectively due to absence of common topics on certain toys, tangram could act as a bridge to link their childhood happiness together.
I searched internet and realized kids like playing with shadows, so I got inspired by another traditional art form, Shadow Puppetry, the early form of animation and film. It can help animate the shape made by Tangram.