The product was designed to reduce anxiety among people going through dental procedures.
Role :
Designer
Researcher
Team :
4 Architecture Grads
Timeline :
Mar 2024
(24hrs)
Skills :
Product Design
Research
Challenge
We began with the visit from a child’s point of view: unfamiliar, overwhelming, and largely outside their control.
Bright lights.
Unfamiliar faces.
Restless hands.
A familiar activity could offer a small point of comfort.
How might a small moment of shared play help a child feel more at ease with the dentist?
The idea
A bib is already part of the visit. We explored what happens when that protective layer also becomes a place for tactile play.
One garment - Several jobs
Bring the activity within reach
Make choosing a shared activity
Separate the components
Meet Bob
A hood, removable cover, and tactile pocket visualized as a conceptual mockup
A softer visual boundary
The hood explores shading the eyes from the overhead light while leaving the mouth accessible. Its shape and coverage need to be worked through with a dental professional.
A separate protective layer
The proposed disposable cover extends over the bib and activity area.
The Doremon pockets
A lower-front pocket holds the activity board close to the body. Its position is intended to make the fidgets reachable while the child is seated.
Different ways to play
The board combines tactile interactions such as pressing, sliding, turning, and tracing. Choosing fidgets with the dentist introduces a shared activity before treatment.
Press. Slide. Squeeze. Explore.
Multi-texture board engages touch & provides distraction for calming.
Choosing together is the proposed icebreaker between dentist and child.
Arrive
An unfamiliar place
Feel unsure
New people and tools
Choose together
A small icebreaker
Meet Bob
Curiosity about the fidgets
The dentist shows a fidget. The child chooses. A little shared play creates space for connection before care.
Defining success
Change in the child’s anxiety rating before and after choosing together.
Share of sessions with a two-way choice exchange between dentist and child.
Share of expressed preferences honored including changing or declining a fidget.
Reflections and next steps
Build for fit - Check comfort, pocket reach, and easy removal.
Review the workflow - Review access, communication, and cleaning with a dentist.
Observe the interaction - Observe shared choice, comfort, and use in supervised sessions.
PS. This was me and my team presenting the work at the hackathon finals. We made it to TOP 10!
"Sometimes care looks like healing. Sometimes it looks like distraction when you need it most."