In the starting the project the main questions were ‘what toys do kids like?’ or ‘why do kids like toys?’ Thus, ‘play’ was a central concept in the thinking and researching process. My aim was to find some useful answers to these questions and morph those answers into a toy.

 During the research process and exploring the literature notions of ‘play’, ‘experiment’, ‘flow’ and ‘fun’ became apparent to focus on. In order to provide these answers, the project process developed and then realized on two separate levels that are; the physical and the visual part. Since the toys are physical objects and the feelings are abstract notions, my project had to follow and use that knowledge. Therefore, the project is a physical object and feelings are represented through the visuals. 

 On the physical part of the project, the focus is on creating tactile sensations with textures of different qualities, in order to make the adults feel and imagine something by their own past experiments. The textures had to be catchy and be able to direct and create a reasonable degree of flow in the users. In order to grasp that the textures chosen are; sandpaper, lenticular plastic, slime, sponge ball, wool ball and silicon buttons.

 7 different textures that provide different tactile senses are chosen to trigger and encourage different ways of interacting. All textures have their own peculiar feeling when touched, so it is hoped that the users with interact on impulse. This might be one way of exploring new things, joining flow and having fun as adults. Every piece of the project is created with this purpose. 

 In order to represent the chosen physical textures visually, abstract animated patterns are used to give an a ect of the textures. Like Sponge ball encourages the movement of squeezing with its so texture. In the visuals it is represented by 20 turning circles in start, that increases in number, enlarges and spreads in accordance with the time and force of the squeezing movement.

 Overall, the project is an interactive toy that allows the relationship between physical textures and visual elements. 

Tactron Box Circuit Process 

Tactron Box Process 

.Exhibition Pictures