To accomplish this, children from two grade levels – Grade 2 and Grade 4 – visited the Design Center and “tested” the toys rigorously. Designers were instructed to guide the younger students through play with the prototypes.
As play occurred, designers observed any emotional reactions, interesting physical interactions, and even surveyed for direct consumer feedback. They recorded the answers of their surveys and took pictures of interesting moments to gather the evidence necessary for evaluation.
Through these tests, the Grade 8 students ained real world input about their solution to compare to their expectations.
The intention here was to strengthen their reflection and hone an honest, insightful self-evaluation of their design process. If nothing else, they got to spend time with younger students and build positive experiences with all parties involved.