Nehashree Tatavarthi is a product designer shaping human insights into visual impact. 

Mobile App Design
OpenGaza
Bridge
Sama
KiddyCare
Cop-Aid

Responsive Design
Cognition at home
Perdue Chicken: The Nugget Prom

Experiential/Sensory Design
Kindergarden
SenseScape


About
Resumé

Previous Project

Kindergarden
A projection-mapped learning tool to teach preschoolers spatial relationships, spellings, and numbers with tangible games.
Collaborative project with Luna Jiang and Rui Xu.


Role
Design Technologist

Timeline
Oct 2022 - Nov 2022 (4 weeks)

Methods
Desk Research, Interviewing, User Research, Journey Mapping, Branding, Visual Design, Interaction Design, Wireframing, Figma Prototyping, Physical Prototyping



Key Results

• Prototyped and demonstrated an interactive experience with the product using a “smoke-and-mirrors” technique of projection mapping.

• Designed a unique and relevant branding style for our target user group.
  

• Seamlessly integrated the digital interface with the physical form with inspiration from the shapes of children’s toys.

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Problem

Keeping energetic preschoolers engaged at daycare can be a challenging task. Their low attention span and a general lack of attentiveness can impede learning basic concepts of numbers, letters, and shapes. 



Intervention

Kindergarden creates a fun, interactive, and hybrid learning model that supports healthy and hands-on collaboration for children aged 3-5.







What makes Kindergarden unique?

• Physical tangrams, beads, and blocks, incentivizes kids to participate in a hands-on manner.

• The circular form encourages equal participation and play.  
  
  
• The garden concept offers a gamified reward system that encourages learning and growth.

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Early-stage concept sketches

We centered our initial brainstorming around the idea of hands-on collaboration, particularly for teams in design, strategy, and event planning. However, with feedback, we realized that most of the tasks could be performed on a digital interface alone. 

With multidisciplinary teams working across the world remotely, digital collaboration tools like Mural, Trello, Asana, and Miro, would be major competitors. 





Ideating and iterating

The concept that seemed the most unique was the one that was not catered to adults, but rather, children.

A conversation with a daycare teacher allowed us to solidify the challenges that come with teaching, engaging, and educating 3-5 year old kids. 







Developing the form of our physical prototype

• Taking inspiration from fine motor sensory toys and tokens for toddlers.

• Creating the “huddle up” circular form

Mapping out the screen interface

Screens were designed on Figma with each frame’s dimensions being approximate to the size of the circular form in real life.

We tested by projecting our prototype downwards, with the projector mounted on a tripod for extra height.






The prototype was placed on the floor against white card paper to increase the color contrast while filming.

The bin at the bottom was also designed to help teachers store away the toys after play.





Vibrant and whimsical branding for positive reinforcement and play

• Illustrated character mascot to enhance storytelling.
  
• Light-up signifiers to learn from mistakes and celebrate “small wins”.

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Future Work & Areas for Improvement

• Change the control mechanics of the master token so it can also be controlled by the kids.
  
  
• Simplify the menu flow (maybe the master token can be placed and it will automatically take the player to the next game?).
  
  
• Integrate individual player colors with sensors to create a stronger identity for each player.
  
  
• Mascot can periodically pop up from different areas of the board to encourage the players when they get a question right.
  
  
• Think about orientation - how can each of the functions be accessible for any direction?

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Previous Project

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