SPROUT CHANNEL CUBBY TABLET
In 2014, Android tablet producer Ematic was tapped by the Sprout Channel children’s television network to create a children’s tablet that would feature branded learning content and tailored industrial design to match. Working cross-functionally with an outsourced UI team and consulting closely with the Sprout brand, I helped direct the industrial design of the tablet and the silicone bumper.
FINDING FORM
Designing the device went smoothly thanks in part to Ematic’s long relationships with experienced tablet vendors. The silicone bumper however managed to draw more hours for iterations and refinement concerning form as well as locking in a material recipe for mass production.
In addition to protecting the device from accidental drops and toddler-sized tantrums, I felt that the silicone bumper could add value to the UX beyond basic impact protection. Using the same material mass that would produce a basic full-jacket shell case, this bumper protector, with its purposeful contours, gives an enriched tactile experience that a rushed uniform-thickness offset shell would fall short of providing. Also, the large pronounced cutaways make removal less daunting. This was considered after validating the device's standalone durability and prospects that the bumper could be used as "training wheels" to graduate into bumper-less use.
HANDLE ZONE - Dynamic contours command attention. Hands are intuitively invited into this area.
NON-HANDLE ZONE - Straight, visually uninteresting lines in this area concede attention to handles. Hands intuitively avoid this zone.
