Forever YoungReport for the project

University: TU/eFaculteit: Industrial DesignStudents: Bram Bervoets Vivian van der Burgt Inge van den Heuvel Annusia Jaybalan

Coach: Bert Lonsain

Abstract

This report explains the design process of the project ‘Forever young’ and the creation of the concept ‘Stepping Stones’. The chapters are organized in chronological order. The last chapter explains the design process according to the Competency Framework as used in the study of Industrial Design.

Date: 15 - 06 - 2010Report by: Bram Bervoets Vivian van der Burgt Inge van den Heuvel Annusia Jaybalan

Coach: Bert Lonsain

Content Page

1. Design brief2. First client meeting3. Understanding user profile4. Idea generation5. Sketching6. Idea selection7. Concept selection8. Models and mechanism9. Exhibition10. Expert Meetings11. Concept development (Iteration 1)12. Technology13. Form development14. Concept development (Iteration 2)15. Final concept16. Hydraulics17. Safety Considerations18. Value Proposition19. Process overviewAppendix AAppendix B

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Design brief

We started our process with the interpretation of the project brief. In appendix A the original project brief can be found. From project brief: The best way to stay fit is to stay active. Knowing this is one thing, but putting it into prac-tice is quite another. Discipline is the key for some of us. For all the others different motivators are needed. A good answer may be found in an old evolutionary ele-ment: play. Play is in our nature and in our culture, as was already convincingly stated in Huizinga’s breakthrough book “Homo Ludens” in 1938 [1].

From the interpretation of the design brief and the first client meeting (see next chap-ter) we stated our design goal and some keywords for the project.

The design goal is to motivate busy adults to stay active by playing in the public space. The focus for this project is on play-ful interactive solutions in public spaces and on recreating the city to a playground for adults. Our focus is on public space in an urban environment. We want to create a playground for adults and motivate them to play and to be active by playing.

Keywords for the project are: 1. Rewarding2. Fun3. Group oriented, individual also possible4. Social5. Competition6. Mature looking7. Low treshold8. Sustainable9. Safety

ClientThe client for this project is the company Kompan. Kompan, founded by the artist Tom Lindhardt Wils, is a leading company in playground development, production and sales. It has strong emphasis on de-sign, quality and societal aspects.

First client meeting

First Kompan explained something about playgrounds for children and adult people. When making playgrounds in public for children it is important to make colorful, round forms that are playful and organic forms. In these play objects the discover-ing element is important. Playgrounds for older ages are less colorful and the chal-lenge, competition, award-winning and so-cial aspects are important things to put in such a ‘playground’. Actually adults don’t play anymore, sports are more interested for adult people. The client is interested in making sports in public spaces. There are already outdoor fitness centers. Elderly have difficulties with balancing so that is an important aspect to think about while designing a playground. Further the safety and sustainability of the playground becomes more important for older ages: Recycling, non-toxic and paint free mate-rial.

The lifestyle of the user group is often too busy with work and children. They like to be socially active in a physical surround-ing. The playground has to have a low entrance with adaptable activity. Open-ended play is one requirement for the playground.

After this information we proposed our first ideas and starting points. We pro-posed some ideas where adults influence the play of children and play together with children. This was a nice combination to Kompan. Team play with children is a kind of excuse for doing movements in public spaces. Also adding something to what’s already there is a nice starting point. Like walking the stairs is a boring activity. If you can add something to that movement that makes it more fun is a good idea. With this information and feedback we continued with our user focus and idea generation.

Understanding user profile

The next step in the process was to gain more insight in the user group. The project originally focused on working busy adults who aren’t active in playing sports in the age of 35 to 65, but this user group could be stretched or merged down.

SurveyTo involve the target group in our process and to get more understanding about our target group we designed a survey. The first part is about the personal information. In the second part we are asking about the lifestyle of people.In the third part we ask specific questions about performing physical exercises or sports. In the fourth and last part we ask specific questions about our concept. We designed this survey to get the most data and usable results to use as input for the design process. The survey can be found in appendix B.

The results were useful for our concept selection and development. We received 25 completed surveys from people thatfitted our target group. The results were that adult people between 25 and 50 years old all perform some kind of physical exercises or sports but are not spending a lot of time on it. They are busy with their work and taking care of their children. with their family or friends and sometimes with their children.

Most of the people wouldn’t exercise in public spaces in the city. They would feel embarrassed. Maybe if they exercise in less crowded places like the woods they would feel less embarrassed. To the question what their motivation is or would be to perform a sport was because of social contacts, for fun and to stay healthy. The last open question turned out to be hard to answer. Most people found it hard to say what kind of ‘playground’ they would like. The most common answer to this question was some kind of publicfitness object to do exercises. We concluded that it is too hard for people to imagine a playground for adults, because they have no real frame of refer-ence. For the conclusions it was clear that the average time people from our target group spend on physical exercise varies a lot, but most people would want to do more exercise. The reasons for not doing enough exercise also vary. We decided to make the concept social were you could play together and have social contacts. Also the fun factor is very important. In the end we got more understanding about our user group and good input for our concept development.

MoodboardsNext to the survey we made moodboards, to gain deeper insight into our target group and further define it. We stereotyped them to sort the adults in different categories. These moodboards helped us not just look at adults as potential users of our design but also as a social being. This is because we attempted to discover their likes, dislikes, responsibilities, habits and commitments on top of their involvement in physical activity.

We found that we were constantly linking each image back to an adult we knew. This ensured that we were designing to fit their lifestyles and not impose our designs on their lifestyles.

Persona’sTo come up with user groups and to gain more insight in the possible user groups we made personas. We started by all wrote down adults we know in real life and analyzed their habits according to their personalities. This way we created several people profiles. We compared the persons’ habits and personalities with each other and discussed their needs. By comparing and discussing we could make groups of persons with the same habits or needs. From these groups of persons we extracted different personas.

Some examples of the people profiles:

Loes: mother from 4 kids, no job, doesn’t sport, is always busy with the household and family.Leon: Dad from 4 kids. Full time job, sports, but get’s injured a lot, like to go to the soccer games of the kids.Jan: dad of 1 child, full time job, runs a lot (marathons), fitness , likes to go to friends.

Possible user groupsBy doing these previous actions we could in the end come up with multiple possible user groups.

Adults and children together:A possible user group is adults and children playing together. By focusing on intergenerational play the threshold is lowered for the adults to join in. Adults that don’t sport:These adults don’t have the intention to stay fit in a way that they really have to put effort in it. They probably will exercise, but this will probably come from daily things like groceries.

Adults that want to be fit and sport on a low level:These adults do sport, to keep moving, but not too often. They also like the social part after sporting. They sport once a week and not on a low level.

Adults that sport a lot:These adults like to sport and they really want to stay fit and healthy. They sport twice a week or more, and it is really about the sport and staying healthy and less about the social part.

Working people:These people have a busy life, they work five days a week and to sport there is not a lot of time, in the evenings and the weekends they have to keep track of the household, but also like to relax., there’s not much time to sport.

Adults during daily activities:Adults do daily activities, things that needs to be done, but also are done by the adults more often. An example is grocery shopping. By making a concept integrated in these activities, so that they don’t need to plan extra time to sport, but can do it with a little more effort on their daily activities.

Idea generation

In the beginning of the project we found it hard to come up with ideas because we saw a lot of restrictions. We used multiple brainstorming techniques to overcome this problem. We started the idea generation process with multiple mind maps generating important keywords for the project. We did brainstorming on different directions in the project and the different user groups. From these keywords and different direction we started to generate ideas. Directions for example were; parents influence play of children, social fitness for adults and collaboration between children and parents. We used some techniques to come up with more crazy ideas to overcome the restrictions. We referred to ‘Thinkering Toys’ and multiple other brainstorming tools in the idea generation process; passing on ideas, drawing to text conversion, random word associations, “Superman” and “Like a bear”.

The drawing to text conversion technique was really helpful for creating more crazy ideas. There were four rounds of two minutes. In the first round, people made a drawing. This drawing did not neces-sarily have to have something to do with the design goal. In the second round, the drawings were passed on to the next person, who translated this drawing into words. In the third and fourth round, the text was converted to drawing and back to text again. When the last drawing was translated to text, it had to be an idea for a concept.

Sketching

We indulged in a lot of sketching during the initial stages of our design process. The sketches were the results of brainstorming techniques that we utilized. Sketching helped us delve deeper into each concept and proved to be an effective tool for communication between the team mates.

Names of concepts shown at the left:1. Movement Screen2. Sculpt to Play3. Interactive Pavement4. Light Rail5. Throw Wall

Idea selection

After all the sketches we categorized all the nineteen ideas into three groups: - Individual play- Parent influence children’s play- Parent plays together with child

It turned out that the individual play was not as strong as the other two groups. The social aspect of parents influencing the children’s play or plays together with children is very strong. Also from our survey it turned out that the social contacts during exercising is very important for people. That’s why we focused on the concepts that have that.

We selected four ideas to present to the client at the interim presentation; Finding Wally, Stepping stones, Obstacle course and Music creating system. We selected the four ideas we thought had most potential. We developed these ideas to concepts by sketching and discussing the ideas. This chapter will first describe the concepts and will show some of the sketches.

Finding WallyThis design will add a little of excitement and activity to the daily and mundane ritual of walking. There will be a field with bendable, flexible tubes of different heights. One tube differs from all other tubes. This can be in different characteristics; bend ability, color, texture, vibrating and shape. Every tube can variety in one of these characteristics. The adult has to find the one that is different. When the adult finds the one that is different he has to push it into the ground. He will receive immediate feedback because all the tubes will bend down. In this way the user can see where he is in the field and be encouraged to continue integrating this path into his daily life.

Stepping StonesA play area of stones, each of varying height and surface area. This concept allows for adults to play with their chil-dren, as children would require the help of adults, in order to experience a whole-some playtime on these stones. Adults will have to step on the stones, in order to, lift children to the central stone. Each stone has a specific property that adds to the user experience of game play. For exam-ple, some stones could vibrate while a few other stones could wobble and need to be balanced on. Additionally, there should not be a clear division between adult and children stones to contribute further to an integrated play time.

Obstacle CourseThe obstacle course is a playground for adults and children to participate in, through collaboration. Several objects are implemented: The children section is aimed at improving the stamina and flexibility of children, whilst the adults’ section consists of resistance and weight training. The adults have to do a weight training to influence the object of the child. In this way the child can continue his way through the course.

Music Creating SystemMusic-generating play area, that is divided in two parts - children and adults section. There is an abstract exercise machine where adults can do different exercises, like stepping, pushing, running. When the adults do these exercises a beat will start playing and the children will get the ability to make melody. The children can make a melody by playing on the playground. This looks like a traditional playground, but sounds are added. For example, the climb-ing rack represents snares. This design will ensure that there is a connection (in spirit) between people’s actions and the sounds they produce.

Concept Selection

In the end we had to choose one concept that would be the final concept. We did this with a SWOT-analysis; our justifications for choosing the final con-cept.

There are 2 ways one can make a decision – objectively or subjectively. We chose to do it both ways during our process of selecting a final concept. This section elaborates on our concept selection process.

From the SWOT analysis it became clear that the obstacle course had not that much potential. It had a lot of threats. Playing music with the music creating system is hard to learn and complicated to make a nice beat. Therefore it is hard to make an attractive sound that will not disturb the public space. The user got to have the feeling that they are really creating or influencing music. You have to use visual language: the moves have to be translated into matching sound. Also the client remarked on the music: it is a critical thing to use music in public spaces. It can cause nuisance. Because of these critical points we didn’t choose the music creating system.

Finding Wally is an individual play. This is not as strong as the collaboration or influ-ence play. Also the sustainability of the play will not be long. And for us the con-cept still was a little vague and we were not sure about its potential.In the end we choose to go for the Step-ping stones. This concept had the most potential because it was really about collaboration between adults and chil-dren. It is really about exploration and open-ended play. The strong point is that you can manipulate the environment and influence the object. It was still not clear what the rules and the game play should be but that was something to explore. Also with this concept our goal changed. Our goal now was to let adults collaborate with children in the play object to explore the game play.

Models and mechanism

After concept selection we did a form exploration for the chosen concept. We created several mock-ups and focused on the appearance of the total landscape and the loose stones in the object. We created several models with different appearances focusing on variety in shape and compositions.

In the exploration we tried two of the landscapes we already had in mind; a landscape with organically shaped stones (1) and a landscape with square stones (2). We also explored with the space between the blocks in these landscapes. Next to these two landscapes we tried to come up with additional landscapes that were less obvious for the concept so far. Two landscapes focused on different interpretations of the up and downward movement. The first uses trampoline like surfaces to create the movement (3). The other is build out of strips that can move and can be pushed up and down on different points (4). The fifth landscape focuses on a different composition for the landscape. The stones are put in such a way that a trail is created (7). The children have to reach the end and the adults have to find out which are connected. The final model was a landscape with a different appearance for the stones (6).

After the exploration of the form, we came up with two possible mechanisms for the concept. The first mechanism was based on a seesaw. With this mechanism two stones could be connected. The sec-ond mechanism we tried was based on a simple hydraulic system. We created this system with syringes and flexible tubes. With this system we had more possibilities and it was easier to connect the stones.

Exhibition

For the exhibition we choose to present or concept in three parts. The first part was about the form exploration, in which we showed the mock ups for the form. The second part was about the technology. We made a little prototype from syringes and flexible tubes which show how the hydraulics could work. The last and third part was about the game play. We made a movie which shows how the system works and possible game play.

We received a lot of Feedback during the exhibition: Most feedback about the form were that they liked the squares, because they are nice and mature. They also liked that there are some fixed stones. For the game play there was some more feedback. We should think of a way that it becomes really sustainable for the user, and we should maybe focus more on play than on games. They also found it really nice when you can see how the hydraulics is work-ing and when a hint is given that the users know the stones can move. Something where everyone was really worried about and what we definitely should take in ac-count are the safety issues.

Expert Meetings

After the exhibition, we wanted to have more input to continue. Therefore, we contacted 3 experts from our department to ask their opinion about our concept.

Mark de Graaf: Mark thought that when only two stones are connected and there is no switching or randomness, it will be too limited. He saw a lot of possibilities to change the environment when the stones differ in different lowest and high-est points. When he thought about open ended play he suggests we could better focus on play and not on the game. For him it was really important to know how the environment behaves. He mentioned we could explore that to define the rules for one particular game play, and then expand the rules or change them a bit so that other games could also be played.

Sam Nemeth: Sam thought that hydrau-lics are too expensive to use. With our concepts he thinks that it is impossible to make more than one game play, and therefore we should keep it simple. The game we develop should be challenging and people should really fast understand it. He would like the stones to also go up and down when no one uses it. There should also be a reward for the user; pos-sible rewards are satisfaction and feed-back.

Time is an really important factor in this concept, when it goes fast, there is no room for thinking and therefore it be-cause a game, when it goes slow, it leaves more opportunity for exploration and it becomes more play or an open ended puzzle. We should divide the game play in different factors: challenge / speed / time / reward / feedback. What we should ask ourselves is how communicate the idea through game play? He likes it when we show the mechanics, because you see what happens and it communicates how it is build. The form should be really attrac-tive and dynamic.

Ronald Tienhoven: The first thing Ronald thought of was what happens and how it looks when he enters the playground. Maybe everything is flat? He thinks we should add something more and create another dimension, for example, sound or music. Also a visual dimension could be considered. He also likes that there is randomness in connecting the stones and that there is no clear difference for the parents or children in the playground. We should collect some product or design that looks like ours, form that we can get new input and we can make a collection of sim-ilar situations. For a prototype we could use a seesaw to test it. Very important is the configuration from for example the height, width and number of the stones.

Concept development

For the defining of the game play for our object we got more understanding about how to do that by talking to some experts. We found out that you can develop a concrete game play with specific rules. On the other hand you can develop more a play, where people can explore the object, which is more open-ended. In the last op-tion you have to develop a certain behav-ior for the object.

We decided to develop a play for the object, a behavior that certain elements should have. One part of the behavior of the stones was already defined at the exhibition: The stones should go up and down because of the weight of the partici-pants. The concept is a landscape object with 16 blocks of different sizes. You can step and climb on the stones. The stones are connected to each other through hy-draulics, so if you stand on one, the stone will go down because of your weight, and the other one goes up.

Light is the new game play aspect that we put in our concept to develop more behavior for the object. Further it is up to our users to explore the object and play around with it.

The light is implemented in two different ways:• To facilitate the open-ended play we implemented a path of light that shows which two stones are connected. A detour of light that goes through the stones will give a subtle hint/indication of which stones are connected.• Nexttothat,eachindividualstonehaslightthatdimsaccordingtotheheightofthestone–lessintensewhenlowandextremelybrightwhenhigh.Thestoneshavedifferentlightintensity;whenastoneisonhislowestlevelthelightintensityislow.Whenthestoneisonthehighestlevel,thelightintensityishigh.Thiswillfacilitateplayandexploration.

Technology

For the technology we wanted to have lights. The lights had two functions:1. Dimming of the light in comparison to the movement of the stone.2. Showing a path between stones that are connected.

Dimming of the lightsFor the dimming of the lights we use LEDs in the top of the stone. These LEDs are connected to a potmeter. This potmeter is connected to the movement of the stone. When the stone goes down, the potmeter will turn and the resistance will change. Therefore, the light will become more or less brighter.This is the circuit for the dimming of the lights:

The connection path For this part of the light there are lines of LEDs between two stones. When someone steps on the stone the path to the stones which it is connected to will light up. This is done through a parallel circuit of LEDs. At these LED’s capacitors are connected. Therefore, the light will light up a fraction after each other. In the circuit there is a switch, which will turn on the circuit when someone steps on a stone. This is done by the Arduino. To the arduino two sensor are connected, at each stone one, which detects that someone stands on it. When someone steps on a stone, a signal is given to the arduino and it will turn the switch, and therefore the lights, on.

What needed to be programmed is: If Sensor A in portal Q is high, then put the switch in portal X and Y on for T seconds.If Sensor B in portal Z is high, then put the switch in portal X and Y on for T seconds.If Sensor A in portal Q and Sensor B in por-tal Z are high, then put the switch in portal X and Y on for T seconds.If Sensor A in portal Q and Sensor B in portal Z are low, then do nothing.

Form development

ShapeAfter the exhibition we chose to have rectangular stones. We looked for a shape that allowed for a landscape that exists out of stones that are always placed against each other. We choose to go for this setting for the landscape to make it look as a whole and because creating a landscape without gaps creates a safe playground. Rectangular stones can be placed against each other in a way a whole can be created without gaps between the stones. The model and image of the square stones also received good feedback from the client on the exhibition. We also felt that the square shapes have an adult appearance and it helped to let the playground fit in the urban context.

A form study was done to explore multiple possibilities with the square stones. Models were made in foam and wood to see what can be done with a rectangular shape. In the image you can see the form study. Some models have fillet edges on one or more sides, other models have an added surface on one corner. Experimenting with these shapes helped seeing what these changes did to the appearance of the stones.After the form study we chose to have one fillet edge on every stone. We believe that this shape invites for sitting and that the fillet edge visualizes vertical movement. We created several real size fillets to see how big the fillet should be.

Modularity We decided to use three different dimensions for the length and depth of the stones. The dimensions for the stones are 40 centimeter, 60 centimeter and 80 centimeter. In the image you can see all possible stones from the top. We decided to go for these dimensions after exploring some other object in the public space and comparing them to one another. The smallest stone had to be of a size that still allowed people to sit on and two people to together stand on. The biggest stone had to be of a size that allowed for two people to sit on together, but also had to still be small enough in comparison to the rest of the playground. The dimensions also needed to have a connection to each other to make set of blocks that could be combined to each other without gaps.

By using this set of dimensions we created a modular system. This means that the stones can be organized in multiple ways. The system can be delivered to the client in a standard square composition, but according to the context other shapes can be created. The object can be installed in many possible compositions, without creating gaps between the stones.

LightsA form study was also done for the light in the stones. We sketched different ways of implementing the two ways of lighting in the stones. The dimming of the lights is light that’s different for every stone and therefore individual. We first focused on the individual light of the stones and sketched multiple possibilities for this. The path of the light is not individual, because it connects multiple stones to each other with light, creating a route. We sketched different possibilities to connect the stones. Some possibilities really created a connected path of light strips over the object. This was the clearest way to create the path, but to still make it possible to create different compositions with the modular system the light strips had to connect in every possible composition. This turned out to be a difficult demand, without adding too much light to the stones. Therefore we also explored multiple ways to give direction to the light without reallyconnecting the lights to each other.

The lights did not help in stimulating the adults and children to collaborate and for the adults to join in. After this conclusion we took a step back to the base of the concept and started to develop a new open-ended play with the design goal in mind. We went outside, to let the wind blow in our faces and refresh our minds and we talked to some coaches and asked for feedback.

Concept development

On this point in the design process we discussed our concept so far. We reviewed the concept and our design goals and concluded that on the way in our process we lost our view on the main design goal of our concept and the game play does not totally connect to this goal anymore. Our design goal was letting adults collaborate with their children. We wanted to use the weight of the adults to let adults and children collaborate and to let this collaboration enrich the play. This goal was the most important thing that has to be in the concept. We also reviewed the lights in the stones and the use of these lights. We concluded that the path of light is of few added value to the play because you already see which stones are connected by the movement up and down. We also concluded that the light has to have a connection to the up- and downward movement of the stones, because this is the direction of the object. The dimming shows the connection with the movement and it accentuates this movement. But because it only accentuates something that is already in the object it does not add anything big to the game play. In addition, using lights when there would not be any real enhancement in play, adds unnecessary costs to this project.

Final concept

After discussing and a new concept devel-opment session, we came up with a new composition of our landscape object. The object has three different blocks; static high stones, static sitting stones and dy-namic stones. These stones slightly vary in appearance, through color and shape. This composition helps stimulating collaboration between adults and children in multiple ways. The dynamic stones have a varying minimum and maximum height. When stepping on a dynamic stone it doesn’t have to go all the way down or up. The static sitting stones also have a varying height. This creates a landscape that always has stones on different heights. In this composition adults and children have to work together to explore the play of the object.

Static high stones are the highest of the object. These stones are 1.50 meter high and are therefore always the highest stones of the object. These stones also stand out because of their shape and are located in the centre of the playground. Therefore they attract the children’s attention and children are triggered to reach these stones. The adults will have to help the children in reaching these stones.

The sitting stones are also static. Both the static high stones and the sitting stones have a fillet edge. These stones are divid-ed over the object and the shape invites the adults to go sit in the play object. This helps in involving the adult in the play and the object. By giving all static stones the same shape it helps communicating the difference between the static and dynamic stones. The fillet edge is always on the long side of stones, this allows for multiple people to sit on it together.

The dynamic stones are moveable in up- and downward direction. They are rect-angular with small fillet edges. This shape helps connecting the dynamic stones and makes it look as one landscape. The dynamic stones need to be safer because they will move. The shape is safe because it leaves no holes and it makes it less likely for people to slip off big fillet edges. It communicates the difference between the dynamic and static stones.

The color of the stones is a range of reds. We chose for red because we want the playground to stand out in the urban en-vironment. We chose for a range of colors because these different colors can help in facilitating open ended play.

We also decided that we want changing hydraulic connections. We want the con-nections between the stones to change over time so the connections between the stones will be different. This helps creat-ing a bigger sustainability of the game and the exploring factor becomes bigger. The connections of the hydraulics will change every 24 hours during the night.

ModulesThe playground will be, as explained ear-lier, delivered in modules. These modules of the stones exists out of fifteen stones. These fifteen stones are divided as follows:• One high static stone• Four static sitting stones• Ten dynamic stones

Fifteen stones is the minimum number of stones and will create a small playground. This number can be expanded with more modules of fifteen stones.

ScenariosOn the next page two possible game play scenarios are shown

Hydraulics

In the beginning we wanted to make a real working prototype with hydraulics in our blocks. When using hydraulics it is really important that you know what kind of hydraulic cylinder you need. You have to calculate what kind of pressure a hydrau-lic cylinder can have and if it fits in your object. First we wanted to make a hydrau-lic system on our own with drain pipes. We talked to a professor on the faculty of Mechanical Engineering and asked if it was possible to get a real hydraulic system for our prototype. It was not possible to bor-row a hydraulic system from the faculty, because they use totally different and far more complex types of hydraulic systems. In his opinion it would also be really hard to create a system ourselves within the given time, because there are a lot of things that have to be taken in account.

In the following part it is explained what kind of pressure, and therefore weight, you need to move a pipe with a certain di-ameter. Next to that it is explained how a lighter weight can lift up a heavier weight. These possibilities of hydraulic systems contribute to the play of the landscape object. Also the switching of connections between two blocks is explained. This will contribute to the sustainability of the object; the connections will always change so the surprise aspect will always be there in the play object.

How a lighter weight can lift up a heavier weight depends on the area of the pipes. The pressure in the pipes will be the same because they are connected. When you have a smaller area of the pipe on one side, and a bigger area on the other side, you need a heavier weight to push down the big area. In this way a child can lift up a heavier weight when that area of the pipe is larger. With the formula P = F/A you can calculate what kind of weight and area you need for that. In the next calculation we will take some random numbers to explain what happens in the system.

We use a weight of 30 kilograms for children (F = 30*9,81 = 294,3 N ) and a weight of 90 kilograms for adult people ( F = 90*9,81 = 882,9 N ). Further we take a diameter of 5 centimeters for the child, which is an area of A1 = π*2.52 = 19,6 cm2. For the adult we take a diameter of 10 centimeters, which is an area of A2 = π*52 = 78,5 cm2

P = F1/A1P = 294,3/19,6 = 15 N/cm2 = 1,5 barThe pressure in the first pipe is 1,5 bar and also in the second pipe. The force F in the second pipe is:F2 = P*A2F2 = 15*78,5 = 1177.5 = 120 kg

So with a small weight you can lift a heavier weight by using different pipe diameters. With a weight of 30 kilograms you can lift up a weight of 120 kilograms. But in the case above the lighter weight need to go down 4 centimeters to lift the heavier weight 1 centimeter.

Next to this there is more that influence the pressure and that you need to take into account and that is the friction. The surface of a PVC pipe is not very smooth so there will be a lot of friction between the pipe and the rubber ring that closes the pipes.

For the switch system between two con-nections we explain one way to do it. You connect multiple pipes with each other and close them with several taps. You can operate them automatically or mechani-cally. In the drawing on the left you can see the system.

Safety considerations

when making a playground you need to consider a lot of safety issues: Your play object shouldn’t be too high, there shouldn’t be space between two objects where you can get stuck with your feet or hands, it shouldn’t be too smooth for avoiding slipping away and more. We considered the safety issues and thought about them while choosing the form and material of the object.It is not allowed to have a height of 1.00 meter if it is one single object. We choose a maximum height of 1.30 meter for the stones. If it is not a standalone ob-ject it is allowed to have a higher height than 1.00 meter. The minimum age for the playground will be 7 years old. This minimum age is needed because of safety considerations. Further there is no space between the blocks so no feet or hands can get stuck between two blocks if they are moving. The blocks have an up- and downward movement which can create unsafe situations, but the movement of the stones will be slowly so people will be able to stay on the blocks and don’t fall off. Further there are no sharp edges on the blocks; all the edges are rounded and there will be attached a rubber strip around the edges.

Also the top of the blocks will have a rough surface. This will prevent slipping away and provide grip with your feet. The material for the object has to have all these functional properties. Further the material of the object has to have the properties of smoothness, but not shininess. Shininess will not arouse a safe feeling. The smooth surface looks mature and playful. All these consider-ations will contribute to a safe but fun play object.

Value proposition

The costumers can be grouped into dis-tinct segments with common needs, com-mon behaviors, or other attributes. For our concept we can identify three differ-ent Costumers Segments; the adults, the children and city councils. The city councils will be the actual buyers in most situa-tions, but the adults and children are the actual users. These Customer Segments can be divided in two diversified groups. Diversified groups are unrelated Customer Segments with very different needs. For our concept the two groups are:• The city council, the actual buyer• The users, the actual users The users can be divided in two segment-ed groups again. Segmented groups are Customer Segments with slightly different needs. The two segmented groups are:• The adults• The childrenThe Value Proposition is an aggregation, or bundle, of benefits that a company of-fers customers. These benefits are divided over the different Customer Segments. The benefits of the two segmented groups will be very similar.

Adults: • Playing together and collaborating with children.• Having fun and playing without gene because the children can be blamed.• Being active in time that would normally be spend on sitting on the bench next to the playground.

Children:• Playing together and collaborating with adults.• A fun playground that will be en-riched by intergenerational play.

City councils: • The playground helps keeping inhabitants more fit and healthy.• The object is a landscape object that is designed to have an aesthetic and adult appearance in the surroundings.• The composition of the playground can be adjusted to the surroundings and the available space. • Multiple user groups are enter-tained by the object.

Process overview

In this chapter the design process is analyzed according to the Competency Framework. The stages of our design pro-cess:

I. Concept brief - Interpretating & client meetingII. Understanding user profile - Mood-boards, Personas & SurveyIII. Brainstorms and idea generationIV. SketchingV. Idea selection and developmentVI. Finding WallieVII. Stepping StonesVIII. Music Creating SystemIX. Obstacle CourseX. Concept selection - SWOT AnalysesXI. Models and mechanismXII. ExhibitionXIII. Expert MeetingsXIV. Concept development (Iteration 1)XV. TechnologyXVI. Form developmentXVII. Concept development (Iteration 2)XVIII. Form developmentXIX. HydraulicsXX. Safety ConsiderationsXXI. Value PropositionXXII. Final concept

Appendix A

General information

Brief DescriptionHOMO LUDENSThe best way to stay fit is to stay active. Knowing this is one thing, but putting it into practice is quite another. Discipline is the key for some of us. For all the others different motivators are needed. A good answer may be found in an old evolutionary element: play. Play is in our nature and in our culture, as was already convincingly stated in Huiz-inga’s breakthrough book “Homo Ludens” in 1938 [1].

Objectives / Specifics(project objectives; learning goals)Motivate senior (50+) people to stay active. Focus on playful interactive solutions in public spaces. Recreate the city to a playground for them. You will explore concepts like open-ended play, emergent behaviour, embodiment.There are many opportunities for competency development.Essential in this project are:Idea Generation: you have to come with new visions on the appearance, use and func-tion of public spaces. Experts: several coaches in the Playful Interaction team.Integrating Technology: working interactive prototypes are required. Several technolo-gies are available, like Arduino’s, PIC microprcessor boards, ZigBee wireless communica-tion. Experts: Pepijn Rijnbout and Mark de GraafUser Focus: you will have to build an understanding of your users early in the project, and involve them in the design process. User testing is required after each design itera-tion. Expert: Tilde Bekker.Forms and Senses: the design iterations will lead to a finalized design proposal. Several experts in the Playful Interaction team.Good opportunities are further possible for:Business Process Design: identifying the real value proposition is not just good for creating business. It is a powerful way to identify the essence of your concept and gives direction to all aspects of concept development. Lu Yuan is our expert.

Descriptive and Mathematical Modeling: when a concept is spread over a larger area in for example a city, and consists of multiple connected objects, it is an interactive sys-tem. It will be a challenge to manage the complexity of it, during the design process and in the final deliverable. Expert: Mark de Graaf.Naturally, Self Directed Learning and Research and Design Processes are always impor-tant.

A global planning for the project is:first quartile interim:- present design research outcomes- first iteration of concepts, low tech prototypes, scale models, animations- first iteration of user testing- define further concept focussemester interim:- second iteration of concepts, interactive prototypes - second iteration user testing- final design specssecond quartile interim:- worked out interaction scenario’s, demonstrator systemfinal exhibition:- (partially) full scale interactive models

DeliverablesDemonstrator or working model of an interactive public space. Design studies. Report. Exhibition.Information SourcesSeveral papers will be provided.

ClientKompan, founded by the artist Tom Lindhardt Wils, is a leading company in playground develop-ment, production and sales. It has strong emphasis on design, quality and soci-etal aspects.

[1] Huizinga, J. Homo Ludens. A study of the play element in culture. Beacon Press. (1938).

Appendix B

Survey questions

1. Personal informationWhat is your year of birth?What is your gender?What is your occupation?

2. LifestyleGive an estimation in hours of the time spend on these activities in a regular week.Work/education Household chores Relaxation (TV, computer, reading Social activities (visiting family/friends)Exercises/sports

3. Exercise/SportsWhat kind of exercise/sports do you perform:

With whom do you perform your exercises/sports:

Where do you perform your exercises/sports:I would exercise in public spaces in the city: Yes - No

I would feel embarrassed while exercising in public spaces in the city: Yes – NoI reach the target of getting 30 minutes of exercise daily: Yes – NoI am satisfied with the amount of physical exercise I regularly get: Yes – No

What is (or would be) your motivation to perform a sport? (Yes, a lot – Yes, yo some extent – Neutral – No, not really - No, not at all)

To stay healthy Social contactsFor funStatusTo lose weightNice/content feeling

With whom would you feel most comfortable while exercising in public? (multiple an-swers are possible)

AloneFriends/familyWith my childrenWith a group of people from different agesWith a group of people with the same level of performanceWith a group of people with a different level performance

4. IdeaWe are designing a product or service in public spaces in the city that helps people to stay fit. Children have a lot of playgrounds available that give them the possibility to play, be social and be active. We are aiming to give adults the same possibilities by giv-ing them their own adult ‘playground’.What is your idea of a playground for adults? What would it look like? What would be important?