Design 21: Social Design Network

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(I blured the children faces because the parents don't want to put their children faces on the internet.)

Last weekend, I met a mother who has four children, one and half- year-old, three-year-old, seven-year-old and eleven-year-old children. Because she was a little bit busy at this moment, I just asked her to use the existing child tracker for a week with her children, and to tell what she feels about it. She will give me a feedback next weekend.

I also visited a family that has four-year-old and nine-year-old children to do user test. I made some sketch models such as a bandage, a hospital wristband, or a cartoon character type transmitter. The parents told me many experiences that they would lose their children. It was very helpful.

A bandage type transmitter that is attached children skin The four year old child felt uncomfortable and tried to take off the bandage style transmitter when his father put it on his back shoulder. So, I asked his father to stick it on his arm. Differ from putting it on his shoulder, the child smiled and said he didn’t feel anything. His mother said that when they go to hospital and get Disney character bandages, he loves to put them, and doesn’t want to take them off.

A hospital wristband type transmitter. I asked his father to tie the band on his wrist and ankle. When his father tied his wrist with it, he didn’t like and tried to remove it. On the other hand, he didn’t feel anything when it is on his ankle....

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Levana Digital Wireless Child Tracker (Age 2+) $89.99

I ordered this child tracker to know how different between existing products and my thesis product.

A receiver for a parent.

• it is a portable size like a cell phone size.
• It has a channel selection button to manage many children (maximum 4 children)
• The 6 LED directional indicators show the direction where child is.
• There is a power and warning range switch, it indicates the warning range is set at 16ft to 32ft.
• It has a find button. When a parent press the find button, the child and the parent units will beep .

A Transmitter for a child

• It is simple.
• It has a find button, power indicator, and a speaker.
• When the child press the find button, the parent unit beeps to inform that the child is looking for his/her parents.
• It beeps when the parent press the find button on the receiver

Problem

Receiver for a parent

• The directional indicator is not accurate. 3 blue LED indicators of 6 LED show the direction. (It should be one LED to show exact direction.)
• The beep sound could be annoying. (It should have a vibration function)
• The unit size is big. If the parent put this unit in his/her bag or pocket, it takes a little time to take it out when he/she needs it.
• The unit belt clip is weak to hold. If the parent hangs the unit on his/her belt or pant, it could be losing because it is revolve.

Transmitter for a child

• The child can play with it (3 to 5 year old children are so curious.)
• It is too b...

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Mid-year review was very interesting. I was very nervous and embarrassed but there were many things that I had earned through the review. There were many feedbacks and suggestions that aid me to think in different ways.

About board:

• Showing more scenarios that can show different situations
• The board layout is confusing, make it clear.
• Draw an adult’s hand that wears the watch and a child hand that wears the transmitter to recognize actual size.

About Concept and design

• A watch is not a proper product for 3 to 5 year old children.
• Considering about Bio-Technique such as a mole transmitter.
• Thinking about interactive products.
• Making a Button that shows North direction or calls Police.
• This device could make parents not take care of their children carefully.
• Showing this idea to a group of parents who have 3 to 5 year old children and get feedback

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Larger Image of Board 2

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Mission: To create a product that helps locate and prevents missing children, so that there is no more families that worry about and suffer from missing children in the society. Although people are rich or poor, missing children issue is one of the common concerns that all parents have had or are having while they are raising their precious children. Besides, even though portable electric technology is developed such as cell phone, approximately 800,000 children are reported missing each year.

Target: My target is mid-class families having 3 to 5 aged children who do not memorize their information such as their home phone number, home address, or parents' name. Sometimes it is hard to understand those aged children's behavior with our sense. They tend to be absorbed in everything around them and like to play with it, so they could forget where they are or their parents are. Besides, they are in a defenseless about abduction without custody and impervious to reason, so they easily succumb to temptation from stranger.

Location/Context: For global uses

Cost & Marketing: It is not yet precise. I think I have to contact with a specialist about my project's technique field and discuss about it.

Evaluation/Prototype Testing: Doing many design sketches and modeling. Then I would obtain feedbacks though my NFP.

Colors/Materials: My product is going to be colorful to attract children's interests, and it will match with children's outfit. I have been thinking about making the p...

Design brief

Although people are rich or poor, missing children issue is one of the common concerns that all parents have had or are having while they are raising their precious children. Although portable electric technology is developed such as cell phone, approximately 800,000 children are reported missing each year. My mission statement is to create a product that helps locate and prevents missing children. The target age is 3 to 5 year old-children who do not memorize their information such as their home phone number, home address, or parents’ name. Sometimes it is hard to understand those aged children’s behavior with our sense. They tend to be absorbed in everything around them and like to play with it, so they could forget where they are or their parents are. Besides, they are in a defenseless about abduction without custody and impervious to reason, so they easily succumb to temptation from stranger. Even if the time that children are missing is short like one hour or less, it is the most horrible time for their parents. Therefore I think it is very good challenge to create a product that prevent missing children. My product for this project will be portable, durable, affordable and semi permanent. Preferentially, it will contain technology to locate the children but it will have simple and clear interface for both children and parents’ using. It will contain children’s information to easily return home when they are found on the street by people. Moreover, it will ...

It is my revised matrix map. Take a look.

Matrix map

Compass watch

• It leads the owner of the watch to find his child on the street.
• Compass watch Sketch

Child GPS monitor

• It is GPS system sticker that is easily attached on any parts of body and hide from stranger.
• Child GPS Monitor Sketch

*Noticeable Jaket *

• Most children are not familiar with getting strangers' help on the street. It helps them get aid from people on the street.
• Noticeable Jaket Sketch

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After the survey, I realized that many people would not allow an implant product because they worry about their children's health. Besides, many people want a simple product for preventing missing children, not a complicated product.