Name: Meow Mend

Reflections:

The idea “Design For Play” which focuses on creating experiences and leaves people more autonomous playing space inspired me. I want make a toy that allow users to play with imaginations rather than simply following instructions. Therefore, they could use the medical kit to attach the prosthetic leg when they feel the cat needs it, or leave it off and imagine ways the cat might adapt. It is an open-ended, role-playing experience. Users could also customize their toys to fulfill their needs. Also, I consider the “Play Value” of my designed toy, trying to inspire creativity, and provide learning. I wanted to create a toy that makes users more aware of disabilities in a gentle and playful way. I want to convey the disability inclusion by showing that being different is just another part of life. Through playful care-giving, users could learn about resilience, empathy, and the beauty of difference. 

I managed to combine analog and digital techniques, sewing the plush cat and laser-cutting the prosthetic leg and house. I also created a toy that invites users to care for and empathize with a disabled character. This could be a commercialized products of a story cats protection organization. I also met problems in the making process. I was not satisfied with my sewing in the facial expression of the cat. Taking the legs down sometimes makes people feel wired.

I believe I achieved the diversity and inclusion concept. Meow Mend represents disability inclusion through its physical design, one eye, three legs, and a removable prosthetic. Disability not as something “wrong,” but as a part of the character’s story. When perfect characters dominated the market, the occurrence of disabled character shows the inclusion and visibility to the disabled group. Through adopting and caring for Meow Mend, user could engage with the idea that differences are natural and lovable. 

If I could have more time, I would like to develop a set of story cards or a simple storybook to accompany the toy, offering a complete scenarios. Additionally, I want to add simple sound or tactile feedback elements to make the toy even more engaging through sensory play.

3 Ideas for project 4:

“For parents looking for more diverse and inclusive toys, introducing dolls that showcase conditions like down syndrome or promote race equality is instrumental for children to learn about empathy, tolerance, and acceptance. Children who wear glasses or hearing implants would benefit greatly from playing with dolls which showcase these aids.”

I had no experience with diverse or inclusive toys before. The article by Laura helped me have basic knowledge of this kind of toys as well as the significance of this kind of toys. 

1. a tumbler toy – culture diversity

This is a tumbler body with a weighted body and interchangeable heads and clothing pieces. The heads have different skin tones, hair colors, and hair styles, reflecting different ethnic backgrounds. The clothes have ethnic patterns and symbols inspired by various global traditions.

The primary users would small kids. They can mix and match the heads and clothes, learning about the diversity of global cultures and creating their own inclusive characters. 

references: https://www.amazon.sg/Making-Believe-Diversity-Buddies-Plush/dp/B0BZ9SYRKN

I may use 3d printing and laser cutting to do the body and head parts. Clothes will use sewing technique.

2. a disabled cat – disability inclusion

This is a soft cat plush with magnetic, attachable legs, tail, ears, and eyes. Some of the parts represent physical differences, like a prosthetic leg or a missing eye. Inspired by real-life experiences with animals who live with disabilities, instead of being abandoned, some of them were well treated and adopted.

This toy invites both kids and adults to create their own unique version of the cat. It sends a message that differences are part of life, not flaws to fix. The toy also reflects on resilience, empathy, and the naturalness of physical difference.

This is a cat adopted by my neighbor. He lost one eye and has dental problems.

The majority of the toy will be made by sewing machine. For its prosthetic leg, I would consider 3d printing.

3. a soft music pillow

This is a soft pillow covered in patches of cultural patterns, each of which represents a different country or tradition. When pressed, each patch plays a unique sound sample from that culture. For example, a Chinese textile pattern might play a traditional Chinese instrument tune.

As a toy for small kids, it offers a multi-sensory, playful way to introduce users to world cultures through textiles and sound.

I will sew the patterns together and use digital techniques to play music.

3D printing model:

Mask:

Project Name: Cat Deity

Idea: Cat Deity looks evil but has a kind heart. A young person discovered saw Cat Deity and was frightened. However, sensing fear, the Cat Deity reached out its tentacles into a heart shape, instead of attacking the person. Cat Deity wasn’t a monster—it was offering kindness. 

I used laser cutting to create almost all the elements. After finishing the box, I continued drawing the character in Illustrator and designing slots to attach its tentacle parts. 

    

For the kinetic mechanism, I chose a system that allows vertical movement. However, due to friction, it didn’t always move smoothly—so I added rubber bands to help pull down the horizontal board. 

To simplify the action of the tentacles reaching into a heart shape, I redesigned it as a 45-degree rotation. I used sticks to push the two tentacles up, fixed them at one point so they could pivot, and relied on gravity and rubber bands to pull them back down. After measuring, a small heart was set between the two tentacles. I think overall mechanism is good, while it wasn’t as smooth as I expected. If I had more time, I would improve the motion. Also, I would make the Cat Deity fluffy to conform to the original character setting.

I have no experience with 3D modeling before, so this task wad quite challenging for me. I’m still getting used to the Blender interface, and I find the tutorial moves quickly. I think it perhaps more suited for those with some background in Blender or related 3D modeling software. Creating my own character has been especially difficult, as it has many tentacles that are complex to control. I gave up lots of details to simplify the character. The model was not as good as I expected.

• Name: Cat Deity
• Age:???
• Species: A mixture of octopus and cat
• Favorite food: Fish
• Favorite activity: Sleep

Cat Deity is a mysterious, ancient being with the body of a cat and tentacles of an octopus. Lived in a temple, it adores sleeping in the sun. Fish is its favorite food. It looks evil, but it is very kind.

Story:

A young person discovered a dark temple. Inside slept the Cat Deity—its large eyes closed, tentacles slowly swaying in its dreams. 

The creature’s strange form—fur and suction cups, whiskers and writhing limbs—frightened the person. The person reached for the weapon in panic.

Sensing fear, the Cat Deity opened its golden eyes. Instead of attacking, it purred softly. Its tentacles gently reached out into a heart shape. 

The person’s fear melted. The creature wasn’t a monster—it was offering kindness. The Cat Deity blinked slowly, then tucked itself back into sleep.

Kinetic Element:

Tentacle Forms Heart Shape: The tentacle slowly lifts and curls into a heart shape in front of the Cat Deity.

Use two flexible arms like iron wire connected to a wind-up mechanism with gears that could rotate the tentacles to form a symmetrical heart. Each “half” of the heart is one curved section of the tentacle.

The toy I made is a fat bird designed for my cat. He could play the toy in all ways he wants, biting, scratching or kicking.

[As my cat is not with me in Shanghai, I cannot provide his response. This is a video showing the toy and my cat’s daily playing.]

When I started to design the toy, I was inspired by Cas Holman that play is an intuitive process. I realized the importance of designing for engagement rather than rigid functions. Instead of forcing my cat into a specific way of interacting, I incorporated multiple elements that allowed him to explore different ways of playing. I hope the toy could stimulate the natural instincts of my cat.

I selected blue and yellow as the main colors, as they are eye-catching for cats. My cat also likes fluffy blankets, so I choose a similar fabric. Adding a bell inside the toy could easily catches his attention. He also usually grinds his teeth, so I added an airbag in the head part. Consequently, when he bites the head, the toy could make some sounds just like real bird. Yarns are also his favorite elements, so I added some on wings and tail part. He can scratches them with his paws for fun.

I think the overall appearance of the toy is good. And this making process helped me greatly improve my sewing skill. However, currently, the airbag moves within the toy, which reduces its effectiveness. I would fix it in the head to ensure a consistent sound response. In addition, I could consider filling the toy with catnips to increase its attraction to my cat.

 

Here is my process documentation:

This is a Kapibara toy. It has a pull ring on top, which is connected to a string. When you pull the ring, the string retracts, and Kapibara’s wings move and produce some mechanical sounds. The string and the wings are involved in the movement. We think that the string is connected to a machine that moves rapidly when the string is pulled. Inside this machine, several gears likely work together. To make the wings move, the machine should be linked to the wings in a way that enables synchronized motion, as shown in the sketch.

Documentations and Analysis: 

The toy features a wind-up mechanism containing three gears. When the string is pulled, it activates a thick gear, which in turn drives a larger, thinner gear beneath it. This thinner gear then transfers motion to the smallest adjacent gear, causing it to spin rapidly.

The smallest gear drives a plastic piece, which is interlocked with the wings. As the string is pulled, the plastic piece moves, causing the wings of Kapibara to flap. The plastic plate is a rectangular shape with a hole in the center. This hole connects to a movable gear in the spring mechanism. When the gear is pulled into motion, the plastic plate moves along with it. The rod at the top of the plastic plate is connected to the wings. This setup likely utilizes the lever principle—when the plastic plate moves up and down, the wings on the other side follow the same movement.

Two white plastic pieces are securely attached to both sides of the body. The wings, together with these plastic pieces, form a small mechanical system. A round, elongated rod beneath the wings keeps them fixed within this system, allowing only up-and-down movement. This design prevents the wings from moving freely or detaching.

Suggestions:

1. Sound or Light Effects – Integrate a small sound module or LED lights that activate when the wings flap. A gentle sound or a soft glow could make the toy more appealing.

2. Upgraded String Material – Use a low-friction, durable material for the string to reduce resistance and make the pulling action smoother, which would enhance the overall user experience.

3. Weighted Base for Stability – Add a slightly weighted or a bottom with legs to keep the toy stable while not in use. This would prevent wobbling, ensuring a more consistent play experience.

Reflection:

Through the process of analyzing and deconstructing the toy, I gained valuable insights into how simple mechanical systems work and how each component contributes to the overall movement. It allowed me to understand the relationship between gears, levers, and structural elements, as well as how they work together to produce motion. The key takeaway was the importance of precision in design. Each gear and connector had to fit perfectly for the mechanism to function smoothly. Even a small misalignment could lead to inefficiencies or complete failure in movement. I aim to apply these learnings to future projects, especially in designing more attracting toys.

For my needle felting task, I made a cat head pin based on the image of my cat.

Here is how he looks.

I started with basic shape of cat’s head and then add two small triangular ears. After these steps, I gathered wool in black the color matching his fur and his yellow eyeballs.

This is what I sewed for the assignment.

I met some problems when making it. The ball turned out a bit flattened, likely because I didn’t leave enough seam allowance for sewing. The non-woven fabric’s toughness also posed a challenge—it resisted detailing, and hiding the stitching was very hard. To solve the flattening issue, I could redesign the pattern with a larger seam allowance (perhaps an extra 0.5-1 cm). For the fabric, I would consider using more fluffy and soft material for my soft toy. And if the stitch evidence is inevitable, a decorative one could turn the visible seams into an interesting feature.