Lindsay Graybill, designer
— Because of the growing availability and portability of gadgets for all age groups, many young parents use technology as a substitution for personal communication and physical contact. They do not realize that children can be negatively affected by this unnatural replacement. My senior project is targeted toward these parents and serves as an educational tool to illustrate proper ways of using both technology and traditional means of interacting with young children.
In my research, I worked with young children and parents to gage how much technology was involved in their lives by allowing them to choose between a tablet and traditional toys, books, and games. My theory was confirmed as 88% of the children selected the technology to play with and most knew exactly what to do with it.
I did not want my project to be overly didactic or judgmental of parents who use technology; rather, I wanted it to be something that promotes a balance. I created multiple components including a calendar, video, website, brochure, cards, and display piece for parents and professionals to access this information in a variety of ways. These components made up the “Connect” brand with a mission of encouraging families to disconnect the screens, even if just for a little while, and reconnect with each other.
