Bright Drops
Services
Toy Design
UX Research
Year
2022
Bright Drops is a fun and educational toy for 5 year olds to learn sequencing and pattern recognition while playing with lights to make art.
Design a toy that teaches 5 year olds to recognize, repeat, and create color patterns. The toy should support directed and undirected play and emphasize creativity.
Background ＋ Research
I conducted background research on early childhood education to
understand what five-year-olds have already learned and what
concepts they are currently developing. This helped me identify key
opportunities for teaching pattern recognition in a way that aligns with
their cognitive and motor skill development.
FInal concept
Electronic testing
Final Design
Bright Drops consists of a 9x9 board of LEDs which when pressed,
cycles through WROYGBV, allowing users to create art with lights.
The toy is made using Adafruit NeoTrellis boards is coded in Arduino IDE.
Bright Drops is accompanied by a pattern book that provides both
structured challenges and space for creativity.
The book includes:
Pre-designed patterns for children to follow, reinforcing pattern
recognition.Blank grids that allow children to document their own creations,
encouraging freeform play.Color-number correlations, helping children connect numbers
to colors in a simple, intuitive way.
By combining interactive lights with a structured yet flexible learning
approach, Bright Drops supports both directed and undirected play,
helping children build confidence in pattern-making while fostering
creativity.
