2026 Galleries

2026 Galleries // 2026 Spark: Spring Student // Polpen

Polpen

Winner - Bronze

Competition: Spark: Spring Student
Designer: Bomin Kim
Design Type: Product Design/Branding/UI
Company / Organization / School: KDM+
Team Members: Bomin Kim, Jinhee Eo, Yujeong Shin & Jiho Kong

PolPen is an industrial design proposal for a smart learning companion that supports left-handed children in developing more comfortable and confident writing habits. Although approximately 10% of the global population is left-handed, most learning environments, classroom tools, and writing systems are still designed around right-handed users. In elementary education, where digital learning devices are becoming increasingly common, left-handed children are still often expected to adapt to systems that do not fully consider their natural hand direction.

Through research, we identified four key difficulties commonly experienced by left-handed children while writing: smudged handwriting, excessive neck tilting, tilted writing posture, and wrist strain. Since left-handed children write from left to right while their hand moves across what they have just written, their writing can easily become covered or smudged. To see the text clearly, they may tilt their neck, rotate the notebook too much, or bend their wrist into an uncomfortable position. These repeated actions can reduce concentration, create fatigue, and gradually turn writing into a stressful learning experience.

PolPen was developed to address these issues through “recognition and guidance” rather than correction. Instead of forcing left-handed children to write like right-handed users, PolPen helps them understand their own writing habits and adjust naturally. The system consists of three main elements: a tracking pen, a mirroring pad, and a real-time character feedback interface.

In addition, Polpen's branding was based on the polar bear, and the fact that the majority of the polar bear species are left-handed was adopted as Polpen's main branding point.

The tracking pen detects writing movement, direction, posture, and pen angle while the child writes. The mirroring pad displays the writing process in real time, allowing children to check their letters without their hand blocking the page. When the writing direction moves outside the guideline, the screen provides immediate color-based feedback, helping the child recognize the issue and return to the correct flow. When posture or pen angle becomes unstable, PolPen offers gentle feedback that encourages healthier writing habits without criticism.

PolPen supports two learning flows. Flow A is designed for paper-based learning, where children write with the tracking pen on paper while checking the mirrored writing direction on the pad. Flow B is designed for digital learning, where children use a pencil grip device with the pad for tablet-based writing practice. These two scenarios allow PolPen to work across both traditional handwriting and digital classroom environments.

The product details were designed for daily use by elementary school students. The display can be switched through a dial, allowing children to quickly access important learning information without repeatedly touching the screen. The magnetic pen docking area keeps the pen securely attached to the pad, making storage and use more intuitive. Type-C charging provides convenient power support at school or at home. The all-in-one carrying case stores the pad, pen, and pencil grip together, allowing children to carry their learning tools easily between school and home.

PolPen’s branding is built around a polar bear character. The mascot was not chosen simply for cuteness, but because more than half of polar bears are known to mainly use their left paw. This left-paw tendency makes the polar bear a meaningful symbol for left-handed children. Through this character, PolPen turns left-handedness from something that is often corrected into something that can be recognized, represented, and encouraged. The polar bear stays beside the child as a friendly companion, gently guiding writing direction and delivering the message: “Your way is okay.”

The visual identity also supports this friendly learning experience. Calm blue tones create a soft and approachable base suitable for children’s learning devices, while orange is used as an accent color to highlight buttons, guidance, and feedback. The rounded product form, character silhouette, logo, icons, and guide graphics are designed as one consistent system, helping children feel that the product is friendly, supportive, and easy to use.

Ultimately, PolPen aims to create a better learning environment for left-handed children. It helps reduce the discomfort caused by hidden writing, unstable posture, and wrist strain, while also supporting focus and confidence. More importantly, it shifts the perspective from correcting left-handed children to understanding and supporting them. By designing for a group that is often overlooked, PolPen shows how inclusive design can improve the learning experience not only for left-handed children, but for a more diverse classroom environment.