Story Gears
Developed for the University of Minnesota's STEM summer courses for middle schoolers, Story Gears focuses on essential STEM learning objectives. The concepts of teaching the iterative process, collaboration, and creativity informed the final design.
Meet our team
Jaylee
Prototyping, Concept direction
Ali
Market research
Seth
Prototyping, mechanical engineering assistant
Cole
Packaging design
Kathy
Graphic Lead
Ryan
Mechanical Engineer
Ideation
Please note: this drawing was completed by a member of my team, not me.
Our team took this concept, and decided to prototype a 2D focused movement version, instead of something 3D.
Rapid Prototype
Feedback - Rapid Prototype
Pros
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Creativity
Users enjoyed the customizable aspects, and the idea they could design their own backgrounds -
Flat & Buildable
Users/parents liked the building step to begin, and enjoyed it for storage -
Gears & Motion
People were very invested in the gear motions, and wanted more options
Cons
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Too Small
Size overall was not suitable for more than 1 user at a time -
Wood = Not Ideal
Next model should be made out of a different material for cost + usability -
Gears Kept Falling
The gears would fall off the pegboard when in use.
Revised Concept
Revised Prototype
Feedback - Revised Concept
Pros
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Creative Look
People loved the decorative and artistic style! Most noted that the creative design was very important. -
Size = Perfect
This model was 2x the scale of the previous prototype, measuring about 14" X 17". -
Magnetic Gears
Gears sat perfectly on the magnetic board, and did not fall.
Cons
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Aesthetic = Limited
Some users did not enjoy the aesthetic direction and wanted something a bit different. -
Doors = Annoying
The front doors got in the way of users playing with the model -
More gears needed
More gear options are essential for this toy's success; this model prototyped only the spur gear.
Final Concept
Packaging
Final Model: Research
