Morph
Tools Used: Procreate, Canva
Year: 2025
Description: This project was a three-stage class assignment in which I redesigned a familiar everyday object to express fictional values. The three stages included ideation, iteration, and final. The goal was to explore how an object’s design can influence human experience, communicate unique cultural, social, or structural values, and provoke reflection, humor, or surprise. For this project, I chose to redesign a stuffed animal.
In this stage, I explored the purpose and function of a stuffed animal and focused on magnifying its role in providing comfort and emotional support. I generated eight different ideas, imagining the stuffed animal in a variety of forms without considering technological or practical limitations. Each idea was accompanied by sketches and notes detailing aspects such as size, color, texture, and function, to communicate the intended experience and values. This process allowed me to experiment with embedding unique emotional and functional qualities into the design and consider how each variation might impact the user.
Ideation:
In this stage, I received feedback and critiques on my initial ideas, which helped me select one of my draft concepts to develop further. I created four different iterations of this chosen idea (breathing companion + shapeshifter), focusing on refining its design and creating multiple appearances. The main question that guided this process was: how can stuffed toys be designed in a way that makes it appropriate for adults to carry? Each iteration was accompanied by sketches and notes, documenting the changes in form and aesthetic to better align with the intended user experience.
Iteration:
For the final stage, I chose the Morph design from my iteration stage: a breathing, shapeshifting plush that provides comfort and emotional support. The plush uses high-tech smart fabric to transform into three main forms: its original stuffed animal shape, a blanket, and a hugging tool.
Original form: A familiar stuffed animal for emotional connection.
Blanket form: Designed to help individuals who have trouble falling asleep.
Hugging tool: Simulates the feeling of being hugged, providing comfort during moments of stress or anxiety.
This design builds on my previous feedback and iterations. Inspired by my own desire for a more responsive stuffed animal, I focused on integrating multiple functions into one object. The rhythmic air pump inside the plush simulates breathing to help users regulate their emotions, while the shapeshifting forms allow it to blend into everyday life, responding to the concern that adults carrying stuffed animals is not considered typical.
