Individual academic project
I conducted the research, selected and developed the concept, designed the interaction and product architecture, built the CAD and study prototypes, and produced the CMF, visualisations, and film.
Hero Project 02 / Human-centred Product System Design / Melody Adventurer
From User Insight to Tangible Play
Melody Adventurer / Musical Construction Game
A modular physical–digital product system that translates user research into configurable interaction, prototype-led iteration, and a calm CMF direction for children aged 6–10.
- OwnershipIndividual project
- TestedRolling path & key activation
- ProposedAudio-recognition electronics
Ownership & Current Status
A resolved concept with a clear boundary between evidence and proposal.
Mechanical interaction & design logic
Study models verified the rolling path and basic key activation; benchmarking and kinematic simulation informed the next iteration.
Sound, electronics & child usability
Next: engineer audio recognition, tune acoustics, validate production materials, and test comprehension, setup, and replay with children and educators.
01 / Context & Design Question
Designing a slower reward loop through tangible play.
Children aged 6–10, playing at home or in shared learning environments.
The project explores an alternative to highly immediate digital feedback: an activity where children first construct, predict, and adjust before receiving a musical and narrative reward.
How might tangible play create a clear sequence of construction, prediction, correction, and reward?
The project translates research on motivation, manageable challenge, and error recovery into a physical interaction; it does not claim measured behavioural or clinical outcomes.
02 / Research to Design Criteria
Research moved from observed behaviour to explicit product rules.
Interview / Self-report
Relaxing feedback could also be difficult to leave.
One qualitative interview suggested that screen use could feel relaxing yet difficult to stop, while longer concentration felt harder to sustain.
Design implication → Make progress visible without continuous stimulation
Domestic Observation
Self-directed sequencing created a quieter focus.
In one after-school session, initial restlessness eased as the child began arranging small tabletop objects into a repeated sequence.
Interaction implication → Make hands-on sequencing the core action
Shared-activity Observation
Clear shared structure helped the group stay with the task.
A common goal and adaptable rules supported attention and negotiation; greater complexity disrupted the action sequence.
System implication → Keep rules legible and difficulty adjustable- 01 / ChallengePredictable steps with adjustable difficulty
- 02 / FocusConstruction before digital feedback
- 03 / RewardMelody and story mark visible progress
- 04 / RetryReconfigurable modules make errors recoverable
Scope note: this was a small qualitative study used to direct concept development, not to claim behavioural or clinical outcomes.
03 / From Concept Selection to Product Direction
Two decisions focused an early interaction idea into a coherent tabletop system.
Decision 01 / Interaction Direction
Which concept should be developed?
Three parallel directions were compared—not presented as chronological iterations.
Selection priorities
- 01Research fit
- 02Cause-and-effect clarity
- 03Configurability & replay
- 04Development potential
Direction Selected for Development
Melody Engineer
Music, construction, and movement created a multisensory, configurable play system.
Why it advanced Delayed musical reward, flexible paths, and solo or collaborative play gave it the strongest combination of research fit, replay, and development potential.
Alternative B
Roll in Peace!
Strength Immediate rolling-ball cause and effect.
Not selected → Its fixed board limited configuration and replay.
Alternative C
AirPath
Strength Focused, embodied breath control.
Not selected → It offered less construction, replay, and collaborative potential.Decision 02 / Architecture & Form
Which architecture best supports that interaction?
Three system proposals exposed different usability and hierarchy risks.
Selected System Direction
Compact tabletop panel and task-focused module
Selected because The physical path remains primary, while the smaller module clearly supports story, score, and the next action.
Project boundary The physical product system was resolved as a design concept; final electronics remain a proposed architecture.
Development EvidenceReview three architecture alternatives and identified risks
Proposal 01
Separate story reader
Risk identified It split the information hierarchy and left system feasibility unresolved.
Proposal 02
Tall easel architecture
Risk identified Its footprint and elevated interaction area conflicted with seated tabletop play.
Proposal 03
Large narrative module
Risk identified Its visual volume competed with the child-built physical path.
04 / Interaction Logic
The reward arrives after the child builds, predicts, and tests.
- 01
Choose a story
Insert a narrative card and listen until the story pauses.
- 02
Read the sequence
The module displays the musical pattern to recreate.
- 03
Build the path
Configure tracks and place colour-coded musical keys.
- 04
Release the ball
The ball strikes the keys and plays the sequence.
- 05
Continue or retry
A correct melody advances the story; errors invite adjustment.
05 / Product System
One modular platform supports construction, music, storytelling, and replay.
System Architecture
Configurable parts make difficulty and melody visible.
The foldable perforated panel accepts one-, three-, and five-level tracks. Colour- and length-coded keys map notes from Do to Sol, while the detachable narrative module manages the story, score, and play states.
- Foldable perforated play panel
- Reconfigurable stepped tracks
- Colour-coded musical keys
- Detachable narrative module and story cards
Narrative Module
Story, score & audio verification
A proposed NFC story-card workflow and note-recognition PCB compare the played sequence with the stored score. The module can also detach for listening mode.
Concept architecture — electronics not yet engineered
Physical Platform
Fold, configure & correct
The perforation matrix, magnetic modules, collection tray, and foldable support were designed to simplify setup, error correction, transport, and storage.
Preliminary construction proposal06 / Ergonomics & CMF
Scale and visual hierarchy were designed around clear reach and calm domestic use.
Anthropometric Reference / Ages 7–10
Reference data defines the preliminary play envelope
For the broader 6–10 target, preliminary sizing used available 7–10-year-old data. An 8-year-old 95th-percentile reference limited the active area to 310 mm high × 462.5 mm wide; a 7.5–8.5-year-old grip reference limited track width to 91 mm.
Fit and reach for six-year-old users still require testing
CMF Direction
Neutral surfaces, functional colour
Warm wood and lightly textured matte parts reduce visual noise; vivid keys remain functional note identifiers. Proposed materials include FSC-certified rubberwood, fibre-reinforced ABS, PP, and anodized aluminium.
Material and manufacturing choices remain preliminary
CMF Material Evidence
Comparing real samples before fixing the rendered palette.
I purchased and compared anodized-metal colour chips, a light wood sample, and fibre-reinforced polymer pellets to assess tactility, perceived quality, and coherence with the calm domestic direction.
- Light woodWarm domestic base and visible grain
- Textured polymerSofter touch and lower visual glare
- Anodized metalClear functional colour cues for the notes
Sample-level evaluation—production materials and finishes remain proposed.
07 / Prototype & Validation
Early tests exposed the difference between making a sound and making a clear note.
Prototype-led Iteration
The stepped path worked; the first keys did not sound clear enough.
The study verified sequential ball travel and basic key activation. Compared with a commercial xylophone, the first keys sounded muffled; this led to a proposed architecture with stiffer keys, elastic supports, and a resonance cavity.
Path & basic activation
The physical model confirmed sequential ball movement across the stepped route. A SolidWorks motion study checked travel to the collection tray without interference.
Key support & resonance
The first keys sounded quieter and less bright than the commercial reference. Greater key stiffness, elastic supports, and a resonance cavity informed the next architecture.
Final sound, electronics & use
Acoustic tuning, note-recognition electronics, production durability, and comprehension, setup, and replay behaviour with children still require testing.
08 / Final Concept
A physical sequence becomes a melody—and a reason to continue the story.
Product Introduction Film
From setup to story progression
The film brings product architecture, play sequence, interaction modes, and CMF into one concise final presentation.
