Journey Quest
Service Design
2023
Designer
Overview
Team Member: Helsa Aliaghaei
In today's world, children are increasingly engaging with screens, especially as a form of entertainment during travel. While technology offers convenience, excessive screen time has negative implications on children's cognition, social development, and overall well-being. The situation is compounded in airports, where parents, overwhelmed by the stresses of travel, often resort to devices to keep their children occupied. This solution, while effective in the short term, isolates children from the environment and fosters passive entertainment, hindering the potential for active learning and engagement. Our goal was to find a way to help parents provide their children with an interactive, screen-free experience during air travel, focusing on enriching their journey rather than relying on technology to pacify them.
Process
To address the problem, we began by analyzing the current role of screen time in children's lives and how it negatively affects their development. We then identified airports as a significant pain point, where kids tend to experience boredom and frustration, leading parents to use screens as a quick fix. From there, we mapped out the journey of parents and children through an airport, pinpointing moments where play and interaction could be reintroduced.
The idea for Journey Quest emerged as an alternative to screen time. The concept involved transforming the airport experience into a fun, interactive quest, where children engage in activities like collecting stickers, completing team missions, and learning about the culture of the place. The journey begins as children receive an explorer's kit upon arrival and progress through different stages of the airport process, earning badges and rewards as they complete various checkpoints. This approach aims to turn travel into an enriching adventure, with children actively engaged in learning, exploration, and fun.
By focusing on creating a holistic experience that combines education and entertainment, we designed Journey Quest to offer an immersive and meaningful alternative to screen time, while also reducing the stress parents typically face during travel.
Feedback
Early feedback from potential users (parents) indicated strong interest in a service that could alleviate the typical stress of traveling with kids while keeping them engaged.
While the concept works in the specific context of airports, there were suggestions about exploring how it could be applied to other travel settings (train stations, bus terminals, etc.) or even extended to daily life experiences for kids.
Learnings
Context is key:
Understanding the journey of both the child and the parent helped us identify critical moments where engagement could be enhanced, rather than focusing on the issue of screen time alone.
Engagement over technology:
Our solution reinforced the importance of creating experiences that promote active participation instead of relying on passive screen-based entertainment. Children can have fun and learn without needing a device.
Play as a learning tool:
We learned that play, especially in a context like travel, can be both enjoyable and educational, helping children stay curious and engaged with the world around them.