Core Question
How might we introduce kids to sustainable thinking?
a playful approach to sustainability education
Project Info
2020, two weeks
Umeå Institute of Design
Teammates
Soheum Hwang
& Fabian Böttcher
Focus
Industrial Design
Interaction Design
Sound Design
Story Telling
Film Making
About Joul
JOUL is a set of toys that playfully introduces kids to the topic of sustainability and resources through the concept of energy.
„"JOUL" looks at sustainability from a different angle, and empathizes the roles and responsibilities of a designer. The product focuses on educating a younger generation to have a more profound impact on the planet. It has a refined aesthetic with careful consideration paid to color and materials.”
– Ralph Wiegmann | iF CEO
The Challenge
Current generations of kids are born into an increasingly digitized and consumer driven world. They are surrounded by disposable products and electronic devices, with power always at their disposal.
An Overwhelming Task for Parents
Knowing about the current climate crisis, parents feel the urgency to teach their kids sustainable thinking, yet often feel overwhelmed with the complexity of the topic.
Joul's Approach
Joul was created out of the belief that we have to start small and focus on the origins: our planet's resources.
Three Different Types
It breaks down the energy cycle into three stages: generation, storage, and usage, which are embodied in three different types of modules.
1. The Generators
the generator blocks help understand where energy comes from and how much effort it takes to create different types of power, be it through sun, wind, kinetic energy, water – you name it!
2. The Storage Blocks
The storage blocks make it possible to save, transport and use energy.
3. The Output Modules
And lastly the output blocks establish the connection to the power we use in our everyday lives through fun interactions with light, motion, vibration etc.
1. The Generators
the generator blocks help understand where energy comes from and how much effort it takes to create different types of power, be it through sun, wind, kinetic energy, water – you name it!
2. The Storage Blocks
The storage blocks make it possible to save, transport and use energy.
3. The Output Modules
And lastly the output blocks establish the connection to the power we use in our everyday lives through fun interactions with light, motion, vibration etc.
Charging Indication
The modules can be freely mixed and matched, while the three little lights on the battery blocks help the child to keep an overview of their charging status.
Immediate Feedback!
The generators can charge batteries, but can also be directly attached to e.g. a light! This way the kid can directly see the effect of the generated power.
Control It!
The energy used can be controlled by attaching the switch module between the stored energy and the output module. Thereby energy can not just be generated and used but also saved.
A Good Conversation Starter
While it is focused on the kid’s exploration and playfulness, it serves as a conversation starter for parents to help them introduce sustainable thinking in a more tangible and explorative way.
The Process...
Sound Design
Joul incorporates sound as an interaction factor to make the process more playful and easily comprehensible. Early on in the process foam mockups were used to film a simple video sketch to test sound effects for different actions.
Specially designed sounds help the children link different sounds to the energy sources. The sound concept focuses on playful, wooden sounds, which go hand in hand with the natural material of the wooden blocks.
Prototyping
Early on in the process rudimentary foam mockups and magnets helped to visualize the different types of modules and to test interactions. A user journey map helped us understand the ideal use case from the kids point of view.
Modelbuilding
The physical models of the blocks allowed for a real life test of the concept and the interaction sounds.
