Math Wizards is a series of magical games based around the math curriculum for 1st-2nd graders. Each game features a different hands-on math skill and a story-based gameplay. For this product line, I was the lead hardware designer and worked closely with the game and computer vision team. As the hardware designer, I was responsible for developing the physical game from initial specs to mass production.

Product video:

Overview

Brainstorming & Ideation

Our goal was to design a product that aligned with common core standards for grade 1-2 math.  We started the project by researching the math curriculum and understanding how it is taught in schools. I also did market research to evaluate existing math products, analyzing their strengths and areas of improvement.

Once the team identified the math concepts to focus on, I brainstormed ideas for different physical manipulatives that could be used to teach these concept. The following sketches and digital mockups show concepts for multiplication, place value, and fractions. 

Given that the product relies on physical game pieces to interact with the digital game, I worked closely with the engineers to come up with creative solutions for computer vision to detect the hardware pieces.  Not only did the game pieces have to seamlessly translate between physical to digital, they also had to be manufacturable. Making sure we specified our tolerances and setting quality expectations were important for the success of the product.

Process

Please select one of the Math Wizard products below to continue reading about the product development. Each project delves into the design process and highlights a unique manufacturing challenge.

The launched Math Wizard product line consists of 5 games, each focusing on a different math concept. The series currently has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Amazon (1.7k reviews).