2025 Galleries
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Galleries // 2025 Spark:Spring Student // Cooperative House
Cooperative House
Winner - Gold
Competition: Spark:Spring Student
Designer: Hyunbin Kim
Design Type: Product & industrial
Company / Organization / School: Hyupsung University
Team Members: Hyunbin Kim
Cooperative House is an analog, interactive toy designed to support cognitive stimulation and social interaction among elderly individuals in care facilities. As approximately 8–10% of people over 65 experience dementia and many face social isolation, this tool provides a joyful and intuitive way to address these challenges. Shaped like a warm, familiar house, the toy features roof panels with interchangeable pages showing different colors and patterns. Guided by a caregiver, the user selects a ball that matches the current page and inserts it into a hole on the roof. If incorrect, the toy offers gentle feedback and a hint. If correct, the ball rolls out through the door, encouraging continued engagement. This process enhances cognitive flexibility, fine motor skills, and self-directed problem-solving in a cooperative, supportive setting. The roof panels can be adapted to different cognitive levels, maintaining user interest over time. Its analog structure allows for easy use without the need for screens or electricity, making it naturally accessible and unintimidating for elderly users. Cooperative House blends seamlessly into care environments, offering a calming and emotionally engaging experience that supports mental well-being through play.
