SQUISHI

A cuddly companion for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

*Awarded Honorable Mention in the 2020 GIA Student Design Competition by the International Housewares Association.

Discipline

Industrial design,

User experience

Duration

5 weeks

Team

Solo

According to the American College of Rheumatology, approximately 300,000 children in the United States have been diagnosed with some form of chronic arthritis.

The Problem

Arthritis refers to the swelling and tenderness of one's joints, often times due to wear-and-tear of joint cartilage over time or various autoimmune disorders.

Exercise is crucial for those with arthritis, as it increases muscle strength and flexibility, thereby reducing strain on their joints.

However, for children, the idea of exercising their already stiff and painful joints can be scary and overwhelming, and so motivating them to manage their condition is a challenge.

How Might We…

motivate children with juvenile arthritis to overcome their fears and build healthy, long-term exercise habits?

01

“It’s a misconception that one should rest their joints if they have arthritis. If one does not exercise or stretch, their joints will be frozen stiff in place.”

“Children are usually anxious about their treatment, and their parents are even moreso. The kids sense that.”

- Dr. Zhao

About Dr. Zhao

Pediatrician and researcher on rheumatoid diseases at Seattle Children’s Hospital
Both he and his children have chronic rheumatoid arthritis

02

“When I am under a lot of stress and anxiety, my body reacts by getting even more inflamed.”

“The best way I manage my pain is through physical exercise. I find it very important to be fluid so my joints aren't as swollen.”

- Dimitra

About Dimitra

Seventeen-year-old student
Diagnosed with spondyloarthritis two years ago

03

User Interviews

“My morning routine is a lot slower due to physical pain — sometimes it can take 20 to 30 minutes just to get out of bed.”

“On really bad days, I can’t even put my hands into a fist small enough to hold my toothbrush.”

- Jay

About Jay

A senior university student
Her lupus symptoms commonly manifest as arthritis

Market Analysis

There is a distinct lack of products that not only meet these children's physical needs, but also the needs of their emotional development, active lifestyles, and aesthetic preferences.

Current solutions for juvenile arthritis focus on teaching children to exercise correctly, which is less of a problem than actually motivating them to exercise.

(After all, when a child is in pain, the first thing on their mind is likely not going to be playing learning games.)

So then, what’s our first instinct when dealing with fear and pain?

We seek comfort.

Pets & Comfort Objects

Pets love unconditionally, and so naturally we seek out their presence for comfort and positive interactions.

pet care routines add structure and calm to one’s everyday life
responsibility is a great incentive to build and maintain healthy practices
sensory stimulation helps to lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety

Like pets, stuffed animals both “protect” and are protected by children, and fulfilling both roles provides children with comfort and helps to lessen anxiety.

Stuffed animals, however, are less stress and mess and can be brought anywhere at any time

01

Exercise is key to alleviating arthritic joint stiffness and pain.

02

Exercise, medication, physical limitations, and social factors are consistent stressors.

03

Emotional well-being significantly impacts the severity of arthritis symptoms.

Insights

04

Caring for a pet not only brings comfort but also motivates routine-building and maintenance.

Lasting

Engages user in healthy, long-term pain management routines.

Portable

Can be carried and used to facilitate exercise at any time, in any place.

Design Guidelines

Comforting

Integrates the pet care/comfort experience with exercise facilitation.

Ideation

According to Dr. Zhao, general stretching motions such as finger presses, finger lifts, and making a fist are effective exercises for those with arthritis. Additional research pointed to soft goods as the most promising type of solution for children.

Thus, I focused on ideating soft, squishable products that could facilitate these exercises.

Prototyping

I wanted to design a product that could be easily integrated into a child’s morning routine, as that is when their joints are usually stiffest. The working concept was a cuddly, squishable alarm clock to get children in the habit of morning warm up exercises.

User Feedback

Initially, we felt that the alarm function was important for building healthy morning routines.

However, we realized that limiting children’s choice of time of interaction reduces the lifespan of the toy — after some time, the novelty of the wake-up experience wears off.

If the design is a toy like any other in that children have more choice of interaction, then they will be able to play normally while receiving the additional benefit of joint exercise.

Next Steps?

Rethink alarm function
Resize for more comfortable hold
Refine buttons locations and indicators of interactions

The fewer the interactions with SQUISHI, the lower his heart level and the worse his mood. Caring for SQUISHI entails feeding, cuddling, and playing with him until his heart level, heat level, and happy face are restored.

To feed, cuddle, and play with SQUISHI, children must complete certain actions such as squeezing or massaging the areas that light up on his body. SQUISHI responds to interactions with lights, sound effects, animated expressions, and warmth.

User Flow

The care aspect of this toy brings comfort and incentivizes children to use it even though their joints are painful and build a routine for pain management.