For my bachelor's final thesis in Visual and Communication Design - Product Design at Politecnico di Torino, I undertook the redesign of the children's game "La Fabbrica delle Emozioni" that I had initially developed during my second year at university.
The primary objective was to create a simple, cost-effective cardboard game in collaboration with UGI - Unione Genitori Italiani, a volunteer association that supports families of children battling oncological diseases. The idea was for them to sell the product as a means of self-funding. This project aimed to combine the emotional space promoted by UGI, the sharing nature of games, and the creative potential offered by cardboard as a material. As a result, the project's central theme emerged as "emotional education."
Specifically, the developed game focused on recognizing facial expressions. A set of stencils representing various facial features allowed for free interpretation and arrangement within a frame, enabling the creation of multiple expressions. Moreover, these figures could be traced to produce drawings that could be further decorated and transformed into masks.
To assess the game's actual effectiveness, I conducted a facial recognition test involving 36 children aged 4 to 10 years, based on Paul Ekman's 60 faces test. The results of this test provided insights into necessary adjustments to the initial design concept. While the changes were relatively minor, they were indeed significant. The final results demonstrated a remarkable 15% improvement in the recognition of facial expressions after a single use of the game.
The concluding phase of the project involved developing the packaging and instructions. Based on the insights emerged from the test, it became evident that subdividing the stencils based on facial features was crucial. The cardboard box was accordingly designed with compartments that kept these parts of the face separated, making it easier for children to identify and use them. Furthermore, the black and white graphic box cover was designed to be interactive, allowing children to enjoy coloring it and fostering their creativity.
Politecnico di Torino, 2020
Students: Alice Fischer Schilling, Giacomo Garetto, Virginia Facciotto and Viola Redaelli
Redesign: Alice Fischer Schilling
Thesis title "Il gioco "La Fabbrica delle Emozioni" come strumento per l'educazione emotiva per bambini: uno studio sulla sua efficacia e proposta di redesign"
