Stanford University
Plush+
For Stanford's Product Design Capstone, our group developed a plush toy & toolkit to foster empathy among children with different abilities.
Finding opportunity
From Inclusive Space to Inclusive Play
Our capstone group set out to design for children, with an interest in how play shapes early relationships. At Magical Bridge Playground in Palo Alto, we observed children in an environment intentionally designed for all abilities, yet interactions between children of different abilities were often rooted in avoidance. Conversations with families gave us another perspective: parents shared how growing up alongside a sibling with a different ability had shaped their children's understanding and empathy. We saw an opportunity to recreate that kind of relationship for all children.
A first friend
Idea to Physical Form
The plush became a method of recreating the familiarity of a sibling relationship—a child's first friend who could introduce them to someone different from themselves. Our team developed the form from simple sketches into sewing patterns and physical prototypes, testing materials, proportions, and construction along the way.
.png)
.png)
Bringing it to life
Making the Experience Personal
Children build their plush themselves, placing personality patches, stuffing, and personally meaningful objects inside. Each plush belongs to a diverse family, with variations in appearance representing differences in the real world. Our team made the unboxing part of the experience with a nondescript package that keeps the plush a surprise, while booklets and partnership cards introduce children to the different abilities represented by each toy.
In the real world
Testing with parents and children
Our Plush+ team concept tested the experience with parents, gathering feedback on the product and mission. We then brought two prototypes to children to observe how the experience held up in person. Kids were excited to build and play with the plush, while also engaging with the booklets and other elements of the package. The testing gave us encouraging evidence that the experience could create engagement at multiple points, not just through the toy itself.
