PEEK & BOOK
Transforming the outside into an imaginary playground
Challenge
Today, urban children are spending more time indoors than ever before. Parents and educators worry that young kids aren’t engaging their senses actively or having enough opportunities for exploratory outdoor learning.
Opportunity
Current play experiences often limit imagination rather than ignite it, encouraging passive content consumption instead of active participation. What if we could give children new tools to see and explore the world in more engaging ways?
Solution
Through tangible play, PEEK & BOOK engages children’s senses, sparks their imagination, and empowers them to create beautiful stories using natural elements.
“ Peek & Book proposes an alternative form of storytelling. It proposes a bridge between the book and the phone, encourages kids to go out in the world and do what they know best - discover, explore, and learn how to tell stories from that. ”
— 2018 Interaction Awards Jury
Immersion
Understanding outdoors
With urbanization on the rise, many children today grow up without easy access to natural spaces. Traditional activities like exploring, discovering, and moving freely in nature are often seen as difficult to replicate in urban environments.
From the start of this project, I was curious about which play and learning experiences in nature are essential for children. And as an interaction designer, what kinds of exploratory tools I could create to preserve these experiences for today’s kids.
To explore both the extremes and the mainstream aspects of this topic, I conducted field research in two contrasting locations: Umeå and Istanbul. Conversations with natural scientists, outdoor educators, and visits to a nature school provided valuable insights into how children engage with the natural world and how these experiences can be sustained.
3 opportunity areas
Through three documentary-style videos, I explored the state of play in urban areas, using examples from Istanbul to highlight key challenges. The videos outline identified problems, insights gained from experts and theoretical research, essential child development aspects for ages 5–10, and potential opportunities uncovered throughout the process.
Opportunity area #1
Sensorial development
Opportunity area #2
Bringing out the pure imagination
Opportunity area #3
Experiencing the natural phenomena