EcoBlocks

frog designer Adam Leonard developed the EcoBlocks toy concept for the Greener Gadgets design competition to put a sustainable twist on the classic shape-sorting game.

Intended as more of a conceptual provocation than a real product, EcoBlocks is a shape sorting game, for kids aged 0 – 3 years old.  It teaches the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle, as well as, composting and landfill.  The blocks are made with materials representative of each process.  The symbols printed on each shape also attempt to create and promote an iconography for the different waste categories.

In approaching the issue of sustainability Adam chose to focus on designing a preventative solution rather than the more common curative model.

“My inspiration for doing this concept was to get people to look at the other end of the green spectrum. Most green products attempt to solve the messes we create.  With EcoBlocks, I’m trying to preempt the mess by modeling sustainable practices through play.  The challenge was how to tell that story.  I’m not sure this was the perfect example, but I think it’s a good start at instilling behavior instead of trying to change it.”

EcoBlocks is intended to be a shared experience between parents and their kids.  As they play the simple sorting game parents can discuss issues surrounding sustainability and waste management in terms they know their kids will understand.  In this way EcoBlocks reinforces knowledge and behaviors already held by parents, while modeling positive behavior for their kids.

The bin is made of aluminum, recycled plastic and reclaimed wood.  EcoBlocks' construction and styling lend it the air of an heirloom toy.  Sustainability is made tangible through the choice of materials and their fit and finish.  The EcoBlocks form factor exudes an element of substance and permanence not found in similar more disposable, plastic sorting games. Through its construction EcoBlocks expresses its intent to be enjoyed and appreciated over a lifetime, and eventually passed on to the next generation.

Although the EcoBlocks concept didn’t make it to the Green Gadgets shortlist, working on this project provided Adam a welcome relief from his normal fare at frog,

“Once I knew what the concept was, the fun part was picking all of the different materials and rendering them. It was also great, for once, not to design something with a screen or any type of electronics inside.”

Please visit the Greener Gadgets web site to view and vote for your favorite sustainable product design. 

- Posted by Kwame Nyanning