Breakdown
Product Design, Interaction Design, Mental wellbeing
Year- 2023
Breakdown is a tactile, life-sized intervention that investigates the ways in which play, touch, and physical contact can help people with anxiety feel more grounded. The project encourages pauses, concentration, and sensory engagement rather than providing a remedy or cure. The piece, which falls somewhere between sculpture, furniture, and gaming, is influenced by both personal experience and therapeutic design techniques. Through form and content, it promotes engagement, curiosity, and emotional release.
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Initial direction and context
The project started out as a small, discrete, and portable anxiety toolkit. I was curious about how touch, texture, and material could be consoling during times of emotional overload. In the beginning, I concentrated on therapeutic objects and interventions that were already in use, particularly tangible, sensory-based tools. I was certain that I wanted to work in product design, making things that were practical, tangible, and sensitive to emotions.
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Study (Midway Pivot)
Midway through the project, I began my research after receiving early feedback that questioned the scope and constraints of my initial concept. I started looking at therapeutic items, sensory aids, and current anxiety treatments, such as robotic friends, deep-pressure furniture, and fidget toys. I began to wonder about interaction, accessibility, and the possibility of comfort in communal areas during this phase. It encouraged me to think more broadly, both mentally and physically. (Otto Chair, Paro Seal, and Nike Breathe. )
Ideation & Concept Shift
Through conversations, personal reflection, and observing how play functioned in my own home, I became interested in games as grounding tools. This led me to explore game-based therapy, especially the balance between focus, stress, and emotional release. Jenga emerged as a metaphor for anxiety itself—unstable, tense, but deeply engaging. From this, the idea of a life-sized, tactile Jenga tower was born: a familiar object transformed into something experiential, comforting, and emotionally charged.
Material Exploration
Material played a crucial role in shaping how the project would feel, not just how it would look. I initially aimed to work with textured silicone, inspired by common sensory and fidget objects used for anxiety relief. However, practical constraints pushed me to rethink this choice. This led me to upholstery foam—soft, tactile, and familiar—allowing touch to become central to the experience without overwhelming the user.
Prototyping & Making
As the project developed, the physical creation process became a crucial component. Before scaling the form up to a life-sized tower, I started by experimenting with standard Jenga structures. Each block was made, sanded, and put together separately, striking a balance between playfulness and stability. The project's focus and grounding themes were reflected in the slow, repetitive nature of this process.
Iteration & Feedback
Feedback played a major role in reshaping the direction of the work. Early critiques encouraged me to think beyond portability and embrace scale, allowing the object to exist as a shared, spatial experience. Ongoing conversations with peers and tutors helped me refine both the form and intention of the piece. Rather than seeing these shifts as setbacks, they became moments of clarity and growth.
