ThinkScape

Opening Spring 2024, Morris Township, New Jersey has a brand new mixed-use development that connects supportive housing with commercial and community spaces. Nestled in the middle is ThinkScape, an interactive park created by MOMI (the future Museum of  Makers and Innovators.) I was brought into the project after MOMI received an initial seed grant to develop an interactive that would strengthen early childhood literacy and executive function skills. From a set of dice with an image on each side, I was tasked with developing an interactive mechanism that would be intuitive to users of all ages. I conceived several variations of the Story Spinner. The version used in ThinkScape has three dials, each with five icons. It needed to be robust enough to live for at least 10 years in an unmonitored public outdoor environment. 

The early childhood advisory non-profit group, Playful Learning Landscape Action Network (PLLAN) was brought on to evaluate the user interface and potential learning outcomes. PLLAN was so enthusiastic about the Story Spinner that I was commissioned to create a tabletop variation to be shared at a national conference.