Daniel Lau · CLIENT: emagine A
Tick Tock Turtle is designed for children of all ages. Children can easily understand the passage of time by viewing the illuminated dots on the shell which also act as gradual sunrise wake up lights. When the alarm activates, the lights fill the entire surface as if they were plates on the turtle's shell. The shell also functions as a button for children to activate the red night lights while the rest of the parental setting buttons are hidden away under the removable shell. The bottom half of the turtle is made of soft food grade silicone and sticks securely to the bed at night
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Tick Tock Turtle is a fully modular design that can be outfitted with various child friendly outer appearances. The patent pending inner design allows an array of parental settings buttons to be hidden away from view inside its shell which also a button for kids. When the sunrise lights are activated, the plates of the shell illuminate one by one slowly getting brighter form a fully lit shell.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 200 mm x 200 mm x 76 mm
0.47 kg - Tags
- Kids clock, sleep trainer, learn time, sleep aid, light alarm, sleep cycle alarm, portable alarm, activity timer
- Production Technology
- A significant amount of time was spent prototyping to account for the optics of the shell light effect. Varying shapes of the lenses needed to be adjusted to produce a rounded circle on the shell when lit up. Different finishes on the lenses and translucency on the shell were experimented with to reach the desired illuminated soft dot effect.
- Design Challenge
- Based on user survey, it was unanimous that a two tone design was the favored as opposed to a single tone design. The most difficult challenge of this design was ensuring the two tone silicone outer housing was reproducible in a production environment at a cost that would support retail of the product. After multiple trials, it was found that double injection of plastic to produce a two tone silicone product could not meet the product target costs and quality requirements. The final product uses a single tone color injection mold with a silicone paint spray overlay to produce the desired design.
- Project Duration
- The project started in April 2017 and was finished in May 2018
- Operation Flow
- Tick Tock Turtle was designed to be the all-in-one sleep companion. With a wide range of functions, its key features include wake up lights and sleep cycle detection, both of which require the clock to be placed on the mattress next a sleeping child. The silicone material allows the unit to securely stick to the mattress even through child movement on the bed. Settings are made by parents in a hidden layer under the shell. Throughout the night the child can press the shell as a button to activate the night light function of the clock. This also shows the progression of time throughout the night.
- Research
- The design of the clock originated based on market survey and patent research where the goal was to implement all of the key health and learning features of existing clocks in a new kids friendly design. Market surveys were done based on online retail analysis tools and patent research was outsourced prior to design. The design was further validated by going through a successful crowdfunding campaign.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration behind the design was it had to be beautiful yet functional. The shape and pattern of the clock naturally led to a turtle as a child friendly design. The design was created with the thought that the display and the clock numbers needed to be large enough for children to easily see while keeping all parental buttons completely hidden away. Considerations were made that physical buttons must be included for ease of use as opposed to a wireless approach.
- Image Credits
- Image Credits: Duncan Longden Photography
- Patents
- Patent Pending. 29616289. Daniel Lau. 2017. USA
Patent Pending. 29616301. Daniel Lau. 2017. USA
Patented. ZL 2017304632325. Daniel Jiarmin Lau. 2018. China
Patented. ZL 2017304621458. Daniel Jiarmin Lau. 2018. China
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