Photon
Photon
Turns out the best screen-time solution for our children isn’t another app. It’s a blaster, a chip, and a reason to chase your friends around the room.
Turns out the best screen-time solution for our children isn’t another app. It’s a blaster, a chip, and a reason to chase your friends around the room.
Year
2024
Mode
Team
Category
Toy System Design
Product Duration
2 Months
Context
Context
Children don't need more screen time, they need better reasons to put screens down.
Photon was designed as an inclusive modular play system for children aged 6+, encouraging movement, imagination, and social interaction while creating experiences that welcome both neurotypical and neurodivergent play.
Children don't need more screen time, they need better reasons to put screens down.
Photon was designed as an inclusive modular play system for children aged 6+, encouraging movement, imagination, and social interaction while creating experiences that welcome both neurotypical and neurodivergent play.
Research
Research
Research with children, parents, and educators explored changing play habits, screen dependency, and inclusive play behaviors.
Insights from user studies, product analysis, and testing at a UCMAS institute revealed a need for toys that remain engaging over time by combining physical activity, sensory interaction, and open-ended play.
Research with children, parents, and educators explored changing play habits, screen dependency, and inclusive play behaviors.
Insights from user studies, product analysis, and testing at a UCMAS institute revealed a need for toys that remain engaging over time by combining physical activity, sensory interaction, and open-ended play.
Analysis
Analysis
Play is deeply personal. Some children seek competition, others exploration, sensory feedback, or collaborative experiences.
Rather than designing for a single play style, the opportunity became creating a flexible system that adapts to different personalities, abilities, and moments of play.
Play is deeply personal. Some children seek competition, others exploration, sensory feedback, or collaborative experiences.
Rather than designing for a single play style, the opportunity became creating a flexible system that adapts to different personalities, abilities, and moments of play.
Conceptualization
Conceptualization
The solution evolved into a modular ecosystem built around two core elements: a handheld blaster and interactive play chips.
Together, they enable movement-based games, tabletop challenges, sensory activities, and entirely new experiences shaped by children's own imagination, extending replayability beyond predefined rules.
The solution evolved into a modular ecosystem built around two core elements: a handheld blaster and interactive play chips.
Together, they enable movement-based games, tabletop challenges, sensory activities, and entirely new experiences shaped by children's own imagination, extending replayability beyond predefined rules.
Development
Development
The system was refined through ergonomic studies, iterative prototyping, CAD development, and functional testing.
Comfortable handling, durable construction, and intuitive interaction guided every decision, while working Arduino prototypes and high-precision resin prints validated the electronics, mechanics, and overall play experience.
The system was refined through ergonomic studies, iterative prototyping, CAD development, and functional testing.
Comfortable handling, durable construction, and intuitive interaction guided every decision, while working Arduino prototypes and high-precision resin prints validated the electronics, mechanics, and overall play experience.
Impact
Impact
Photon is an inclusive modular play system that transforms active play into an evolving experience.
By combining a handheld blaster with interactive chips, it encourages movement, creativity, collaboration, and sensory engagement while naturally reducing screen time.
The project culminated in a fully functional prototype developed for the IIT National Design Competition, demonstrating the potential of inclusive, open-ended play.
Photon is an inclusive modular play system that transforms active play into an evolving experience.
By combining a handheld blaster with interactive chips, it encourages movement, creativity, collaboration, and sensory engagement while naturally reducing screen time.
The project culminated in a fully functional prototype developed for the IIT National Design Competition, demonstrating the potential of inclusive, open-ended play.
Reflections
Reflections
Thinking…
More Works More Works
Let'S WORK
TOGETHER
BASED IN INDIA,
ASIA
PRODUCT Designer
+ EXPERIENCE Designer
Available for freelance work in product design, branding, visuals, and creative direction. If you have an idea worth building,
let’s change the world.
Let'S WORK
TOGETHER
BASED IN INDIA,
ASIA
PRODUCT Designer
+ EXPERIENCE Designer
Available for freelance work in product design, branding, visuals, and creative direction. If you have an idea worth building,
let’s change the world.
Let'S WORK
TOGETHER