Industrial Design
Designing a game to make learning math more fun
Math is a challenging subject, so we decided to do something to make the learning easier and fun. We designed a game, sort of like scrabble, which included operators, numbers and balancing signs. Clink Link is a two-sided, turn-based game focused on enhancing mathematical skills. The front side involves using tiles to balance equations, while the back side involves arranging coloured tiles to win.
Game mechanics are such that there is visual continuity between tiles, to indicate a correct move. The packaging was ensured to be sturdy enough to be used as a storage container, and laminated so scores could be written using a board marker.
Clink Link was launched on Kickstarter, for which we designed the layout, conducted market research, and made pledges.
While some love it, there is a majority of people out there who find Math to be either overwhelmingly hard or frustratingly boring. While learning this subject is challenging, teaching it, especially while homeschooling in a lockdown, can be equally difficult for parents.
Therefore, the idea behind Clink Link is not only to make this subject a fun activity, but also make teaching and learning an interactive, hands-on experience for both the parents/teachers and students.
One fine afternoon, Mishaal visited, and we somehow ended up discussing how children these days have a lot of screen time, and somehow agreed on doing something about it. We decided to design a game for children that would reduce screen time, and brainstormed on a few ideas, finally agreeing on one, inspired by Bananagram.
The idea was to have a math scrabble (kind of) game, which would have everything including operators, numbers and balancing signs. We eliminated the concept of being restricted to a specific while playing the game, and instead playing it on any surface and scale, according to the child’s learning capabilities.
Essentially, we wanted to
The game testing was of utmost priority, and the initial ideas were tested in-house. Since the game was intended to be a tile game, the tiles were printed and the game was played several times (to our delight) to finalize the rules, mechanisms, assets and other aspects. Once everything was decided, the game tile design and branding process was started.
The game was to be a tool for kids to understand the difficult concepts of Math, so it had to be as user friendly as possible. The tiles were to be designed such that operators and numbers would link following the rules of Math. Similarly, numbers and the balancing signs were to be linked. As operators can’t be placed next to equals-to, they were designed such that they don't link.
After the development of the first concept, the game went through the first round of testing, with children as users.
To break monotony, the back side of the tiles was used to make another easy-to-play quick game, which was a color game to stimulate cognitive learning amongst children. It follows the same rules as the front side.
What's On The Front
i. Use a pair of blocker of the color you chose in the beginning, to block the equation of both ends.
ii. Add points to the scoreboard according to the points distribution explained in the rule book.
iii. follow step 3
iv. follow step 5 (only if you have balanced the equation)
What's On The Back
When you put a number with a symbol, there is a visual continuity in lines between the tiles. This confirms that the turn played is mathematically correct. Similar visual connections can be seen in different tiles that indicate the proper use of mathematical rules, as indicated in the rule book.
270 Tiles:
The game also includes boxes for different scales of audiences):
The tiles were designed such that they follow a flow and have smooth connectivity between them for increased convenience for our younger target audience. Several tile shape and thickness were tested out. Initially, the tiles were designed in various shapes to encourage cognitive learning. However, the shapes were changed later for better ergonomics and user friendliness. To make the game attractive for children, we kept the colors of the tiles vibrant and joyful.
Now let's talk about the branding. We first went with the name "Solvey", which was basically an inhouse name. This was later changed to "Clink Link", which is the sound two tiles make when they are placed together. We wanted the name to have a fun vibe to it, and something that children can relate to.
The packaging was designed as a storage container for the tiles set. The box initially comes with partitions/ compartments, that can be later on removed for the tile pouches to be stored and carried around in the box. Another unique feature was how the lid could flatten out, to be used as a scoreboard during the game. Finally, the packaging was laminated so scores can be written and erased easily with a board marker.