Future of Parenting - Fisher

T HE TH INKING
BE H I ND
t h e F U T U R E of PA R E N T I N G
© 2016 Mattel
FISHER-PRICE
For 85 years, stimulating early childhood
development has been our mission. But the
world is changing rapidly. In just the past 5 years,
the advancement of technology has permeated
aspects of all our lives in simple and complex
ways – even for children. Some of the trends
we examined are about to happen. Some may
never happen. But inspired by childhood itself,
in all its open-endedness, we set out to imagine
the possibilities in a child’s development to set a
course for their bright future and ours.
CONTINUUM
As a global innovation design consultancy, we
partnered with Fisher-Price to imagine a future
where technology gives parents the superpowers
they need to encourage the universal pursuit of a
happy child. But just what defines a happy child?
We worked with futurists, product developers,
technologists, and educators to understand
the opportunities in personalized learning,
early childhood development, and parent-child
connections, as well as the societal challenges that
lay ahead for tomorrow’s family.
Products shown within the Future of Parenting vision are conceptual and not yet available for sale.
© 2016 Mattel
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IN O R DE R TO WRAP OUR HEA DS A ROU N D T HE CO M P LE X I T I ES
OF TH E F U TU R E O F DESI G N AND T EC HN O LO GY,
we talke d to the b est an d b righ test
fro m t he worl ds of art, scien ce,
tec hnol og y, a nd d esign . From early
c hildhood deve l op m en t sp ecialists
and in nova tors to f u tu rists an d
t ho ug h t l ea de rs, th eir in sigh ts took
us to a l i fe a de cad e away f rom th e
he re and now - w h ere tech n ology
has hea rt a nd paren ts h ave h elp.
© 2016 Mattel
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ROSA LIND PICA RD
GIANFRANCO ZACCAI
SEAN LALLY
Director of Affective Computing
Research, MIT; Founder/Chief
Scientist , Empatica
Founder and CDO,
Continuum
Founder, WEATHERS
David Rose’s research
focuses on computer-human
interfaces and a vision that
technology will atomize,
combining itself with the
objects that make up the very
fabric of daily living.
Rosalind Picard has cofounded two businesses
creating wearable
sensors and analytics to
improve health leveraging
technology to help measure
and communicate emotion.
As co-founder of Continuum,
Zaccai is responsible for some of
the most groundbreaking design
innovations in the last three
decades, including the Reebok
Pump, Swiffer WetJet and the
Omnipod insulin pump.
Sean Lally leads a team of
architects, engineers and
researchers, to uncover
how different forms of
energy can be harnessed
to create a type of
sustainable architecture.
ST EV E B ROW N
D EB B IE ECC LESTON
K IM EDWA RDS
DAVI D WE E KS
Steve Brown helps companies
understand what technology
and business innovation will
make possible in the coming
decade, how that will transform
their markets, and what their
customers will want.
Debbie focuses her work
on clinical social work
services based on biopsychosocial perspectives.
Kim Edwards studies the
impact of overload on the
brain paired with handson motor skill development
of the whole child.
From wooden robots to
sprawling sectionals,
American designer David
Weeks takes a hands-on
approach to his work, driven
by the belief that design must
hold universal appeal.
DAVID ROSE
CEO, Ditto L abs
Visiting Scientist , MIT Media
L ab Adviser, Memomi, Inc.
OUR SU BJ ECT MAT T ER
SKYL AR TI BBI TS
Professor of Architecture
MIT Self Assembly L ab
Skylar Tibbits is an American
designer and computer
scientist. He is best known
for his work on self-assembly
and pioneering the field of 4D
Printing, having coined the
term in his 2013 TED talk.
EXPERTS
Intel Chief Evangelist
© 2016 Mattel
Social Worker
Early Childhood Educator
Founder, David Weeks Studio
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S U B J E C T M AT T E R E X P E R T S
I NS I GH T
DNA
© 2016 Mattel
T he cross- se ctio n
of cul t ura l be h avio r,
outsi de t he i ndu stry
te ch t re nds, a nd d eep
knowl e dge w i t h in th e
subj e ct e nsure o u r
vi si on i s g round ed
i n di ve rse a nd d eep
l ea rni ngs.
By speaking with futurists, innovators, and
early childhood development specialists
across a diverse set of disciplines, we
uncover how our initiative can authentically
craft a vision around learning and play.
T EC H N O LO GY T R E N D S
By uncovering the
near term trajectory of
tech evolution combed
from across various
industries, we ensure
our concepts are
grounded in a logical
hypothesis of relatable
technology.
C U L T U R A L B E H AV I O R S
By speaking with
NXT, experts in
understanding how
behavior impacts long
term generational
shifts, we understand
how our concepts will
evolve over time.
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TH E
IN S I GHTS
T hese 6 key in sigh ts p rovid e a road map of fo u n dation al e l e me n ts an d
te chni ca l t h emes fo r th e Fu tu re of Paren tin g pro jec t to i n s pi re featu res an d
form a ts roo ted in so lu tio n s, play, learn in g an d d evel opme n t.
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DY N A M I C
SIMPLICITY
C O N T E X T UA L I Z E D
RESPONSE
KEEP IT
HUMAN
IMAGINATIVE
IMMERSION
NO
BOUNDARIES
QUANTIFIED
SELF
• Environments
become a threshold
where anything can
be an immersive
display.
• Experiences do
not live in isolation
but connect and
flow in the spaces
between redefining
open-ended and
contextual play.
• Experiences
that evolve with
people, generating
meaningful new life
through intuitive and
constant updating
over time.
• Responsive learning
and play inspired by
what is happening at
a specific moment in
time and place.
© 2016 Mattel
• Technology that
becomes invisible
reflecting and
reacting to human
expression.
• Meaningful
intelligence that
collects and
connects the data
driven insights
between what
people are saying
and why they are
doing it.
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I N S I GHT 1 | DY N AM I C S IM PLICITY
Dy n am ic sim plic ity am plifies the cur rent day to day use of basic
objec ts, ac t iv it ies an d tec h nology through effor tless interactions
gu ided by w h o, h ow or w h en they are exper ienced. Exper iences
w ill evolve w it h people, gen erating meaningful new life through
con stan t u pdat in g over t im e. H aving contextualized control over
fu t u re tec h em beds deligh t and magic into lear ning oppor tunities,
con stan t ly t ran sform in g simple interactions into tailored,
collaborat ive ex perien ces. T he future will call for having better
in stead of h av in g m ore.
“The core nature of product design has changed with
connected devices: an object can receive bug patches or new
features through software updates. This means that objects
can stay relevant for longer, and we can be constantly
delighted by new functionality. It’s a new thing with each
update!”
- D AV I D R O S E , F U T U R I S T
C U LT U R A L T R E N D S
© 2016 Mattel
T EC H N O LO GY T R E N DS
I D E N T I T Y I S DY N A M I C
O V E R - P E R S O N A L I Z AT I O N
Identity is no longer something assigned to
you, it’s something you dynamically discovered
along the way. With this approach to self,
products need to accommodate human fluidity.
This translates to the utmost simplicity, or
evolution, of products and experiences that
change with their owners.
Often times when a new way of making
emerges, we immediately jump to figuring
out how it can be personalized. This creates
logistical issues and doesn’t necessarily make
a better product. We need to find the right
balance of control and freedom over the things
we create or risk creating overly engineered,
poorly design products.
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DYN A MI C
SIMPL I C I TY
Fu tu re play
experie n ces w ill
seam less ly m e rge t he
physica l a c tiv ities
w it h en h a n ce d
dig ital exp e rie n ces
t h roug h o u t d iffe re n t
environ m e n ts. As th e
people th a t u se th em
g row, so to o w ill th e
experie n ces.
ME MO RY T R E E
From d yn a m i ca l l y
m ea s uri n g h e i gh t to
cap turin g du ra b l e m e m o ries
of s k i ll ba se d grow t h a c ross
three d ime n s i o n s (so c i a l em otion a l , co gn i t i ve, a n d
p hys ica l ), t h e M e m o r y Tree
reacts to t h e n e e d of t h e
p e rson i n te ra c t i n g w i t h i t
w hi le b e i n g h a r m o n i o u s l y
i nte g rate d w i t h i n t h e
hom e’s e nv i ro n m e n t .
© 2016 Mattel
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I N S I GHT 2 | CO N T E XT UALIZ ED RESPONSE
Th e fu t u re is respon sive, n ot cumbersome. Lear ning and play
w ill be en h an ced by con tex t ualized discover y inspired by what
is h appen in g at t h at spec ific moment in time and place. Future
tec h w ill dissolve in to t h e environment, augmenting families’
lives by allow in g basic core objects—like windows or wooden toy
bloc ks— to be reac t ive an d intuitive. This means that humble toys
an d con su m er produ c ts h ave the power to catalyze parent-child
in terac t ion s, con tex t u alize lear ning moments, develop motor
skills, an d spark open -en ded play.
“New technology is enabling people to communicate
emotion in ways never before possible.”
- R O SA L I N D P I CA R D, F U T U R I S T
C U LT U R A L T R E N D S
© 2016 Mattel
T EC H N O LO GY T R E N DS
REAL TIME EVERYTHING
A P PA R E N T L Y A N A L O G + I N V I S I B L E
Answers and information are accessible at all
times thanks to personal tech. We don’t need to
do upfront research and our expectation is that
what we need to know is accessible wherever
and whenever.
Sophisticated technology is being used to
create systems that appear only when required:
interfaces are no longer screens, they are
intuitive and reactive. Invisibility means that
when a system is not in use, it can disappear.
Energy-based experiences create a larger
experience than their physical object, creating
a flexible and upgradeable component.
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CON TE XTUA L I ZED
RESP O NS E
Win dows w ill se n se
objects o u ts ide th e
home a n d b e co m e
a canva s of m a gica l
an d dy n a m ic v is u a ls,
presen tin g th e c h ild
w it h a p e rso n a lize d
an d age a p p ro pria te
teach a b le m o m e n t.
These ric h e r,
sensoria l exp e rie n ces
w ill h ave th e powe r
to crea te de e p e r
contex tu a l tea c h a b l e
momen ts ba se d o n
w hat is h a pp e n in g
r ig ht t h e n a n d th e re.
W IN D OW TO T H E WO R L D
As the e nv i ro n m e n t
outs i d e t h e w i n dow
cha nges i n rea l t i m e,
the w ind ow co n tex t u a l l y
reacts, c rea t i n g a d i gi ta l l y
aug m en te d p l ay ex p e r i e nce
tha t g rows w i t h t h e c h i l d.
© 2016 Mattel
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I N S I GHT 3 | KE E P I T HUM A N
Th e fu t u re isn ’t cold. In t h e age of the mater ials revolution,
h u m an ized tec h n ology w ill not define the choice of mater ials.
In stead, it w ill reflec t an d react to human expression through self
assem blin g m at ter, sm art , h ome- inspired mater ials, and gestural
in terac t ion . Ch ildren h ave ideas and need to be able to share
t h em . Ex pression is c rit ical and mater ials have the power to
sh ape h ow fu t u re gen erat ions will instill lifelike qualities into their
ideas.
“The future smells like wood. Toys and games are no
longer made of wood and paper they’ve all been replaced
with plastics. I imagine a future where toys and objects are
made of natural materials like wood, but still engage with
technology through RFID and projection.”
- D AV I D R O S E , F U T U R I S T
C U LT U R A L T R E N D S
© 2016 Mattel
T EC H N O LO GY T R E N DS
LIFE AMPLIFIED
M AT E R I A L S R E V O L U T I O N
Our lives online hold just as much weight as
our ‘real lives’. For young kids, the distinction
is becoming increasingly blurred. Parents
will need to help their children navigate this
sophisticated landscape so that their ideas are
expressed across any medium.
Products that come alive and react to people
have a magic quality, especially when they add
to the emotional and human relationship with
experience. The same way the 19th century
was the machine revolution, the 20th century
was the beginning of the computer revolution,
the 21st century will be the materials revolution,
instilling lifelike qualities into the materials to
make them more dynamic and useful.
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KEEP IT
H UM A N
Products with subtly
integrated digital
intelligence adjust
seamlessly to human
needs. The mater ials
revolution will not
only expand the
palette of mater ials
we will interact with,
but also provide
limitless ways
technology will
naturally evolve with
human expression.
D I G I TA L BOUN C ER
As ba by s l eeps, th e
b o u n cer moves i n to s l eep
mo d e. Wh en ba by wa kes,
th e b o u n cer b r i n gs d i g i ta l
fl oa ti n g el emen ts to l i fe,
n a tu ra l l y evo l v i n g wi th
h u ma n ex p ress i o n . T h ese
d i g i ta l el emen ts a re s u b tl y
i n teg ra ted wi th i n h o mei n s p i red ma ter i a l s l i ke wo o d
a n d wa r m fel t refl ecti n g th e
fa mi l y’s env i ro n men t.
© 2016 Mattel
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I N S I GHT 4 | I M AGI N AT I V E IM M ERSION
Th e fu t u re is n ot sc reen based. As peoples’ sensor y capabilities
are bein g rapidly au gm en ted , the definition of space is changing.
Rat h er t h an u n derstan din g a n environment as a physical bar r ier,
it w ill becom e m ore of a t h reshold with an energy bar r ier. People
are acc u stom ed to m ediat in g their lives by touching small backlit
rec tan gles. B u t any t h in g can be a display. Designing the image
an d it ’s m ediu m of display together will open up new ways of
seein g giv in g ex t ra-sen sory perception.
“Our current technologies and AI systems exist in cages. In
the future they will be more integrated into our everyday
lives and become autonomous within our environments.”
-STEVE BROWN, FUTURIST
C U LT U R A L T R E N D S
© 2016 Mattel
T EC H N O LO GY T R E N DS
I N V I S I B L E T E C H N O L O GY
T U N I N G P E R S O N A L S PA C E S
People are struggling to figure out how to
incorporate tech into their lives. They fear it
makes us less human and more distracted.
We’re predicting a shift to a heightened
consciousness of things where future
tech becomes invisible and intentionally
reintegrated so that human touch, face to face
communication, and unspoken emotions rise
to the forefront.
We have complete control over sound,
temperature, light and color today. Tomorrow,
we will create adaptive and immersive
environments in our own homes where that
control is intuitively and automatically tuned to
our needs at any given moment. Infra Red and
electromagnetic integration, measurement,
and adjustment are just the beginning of
immersion that breaks free from the screen.
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IM AGINATIVE
IM M ERSION
As children play
with physical play
prompts, their digital
ecosystem reacts,
growing, changing
and reacting to their
natural play patter ns.
These environments
can var y from
wildly imaginative
to playfully life-like
and provide new and
evolving exper iences
over time, directed by
the child.
D I G I TA L G ROV E
Vi v i d , tex tu ra l wa terco l o r
a n i ma tes a n i mmers i ve
scen e to l i fe i n l ayers. Ch i l d
crea ted ch a ra cters ba l a n ce
cl ea n , l i n ea r, g ra p h i c
wo r l d el emen ts co nveyi n g
a p l ayfu l l y so p h i sti ca ted
D i g i ta l Grove. A l ways a l i ve,
th e g rove ta kes over th e
ro o m s u r ro u n d i n g th e ch i l d
i n th ei r own i ma g i n a ti o n .
© 2016 Mattel
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I N S I GHT 5 | N O BOU N DARIES
In terac t ion s are bigger t h an any one device. Connecting
disparate elem en ts m ean s t hat lear ning and control isn’t just
cen tered arou n d physical buttons, but can cross senses, be
in flu en ced by con tex t an d mood, at any moment, anywhere.
Fu t u re m in dsets aren ’t gover ned by walls and single-use
produ c ts, bu t h ave t h e capacity to interconnect and flow in the
spaces between , redefin in g open-ended and contextual play.
“Rethink the use of energy and make it a medium that is
malleable and capable of being designed in a way that
provides a sense of place the same way a traditional
building would.”
- S E A N L A L L Y, F U T U R I S T
C U LT U R A L T R E N D S
© 2016 Mattel
T EC H N O LO GY T R E N DS
S TA N D A R D S A R E G O N E
M I C R O I N N O VAT I O N
Parents are acknowledging an increasing focus
on the individual child, as well as allowing
for unique quirks and preferences between
multiple children, instead of trying to create
a family “tribe”. This means that while one
product may know and work well for one
unique family member, it will need to adjust
and connect to the many unique things and
preferences each other family member has.
The biggest innovations will happen at the
Micro Scale and will profoundly effect the
things we do at the Macro Scale. We see a
persistent trend of embeddable computing and
capabilities being installed in new materials and
existing form factors.
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NO BOUNDA RIES
Play, lear ning and
development will be
enhanced with the
seamless integration
of physical and
digital exper iences.
These objects and
exper iences will
extend beyond their
individual moments
and create context
and continuity as
they become par t
of the overall home
environment.
D I G I TA L WA L K ER
D i g i ta l p l ay el emen ts
en co u ra ge p hys i ca l
d evel o p men t by fl owi n g
fro m th e wa l ker i n to th e
s pa ce a ro u n d . As th e
p ro j ected n u mb ers a re
go b b l ed u p by th e wa l ker
a n d ex p l o d e i n to d el i g h tfu l
b u b b l es of l i g h t, g ross
mo to r s ki l l movemen t i s
en co u ra ged i n a sea ml ess
i n teg ra ti o n of p hys i ca l a n d
d i g i ta l ex p er i en ce.
© 2016 Mattel
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I N S I GHT 6 | QUAN T I FI E D SELF
Tom orrow w ill see in sigh ts from data refined into meaningful
in telligen ce t h at collec ts an d connects the dots between what
people are say in g an d w hy t hey are doing it. These relatable
stories c u t t h rou gh t h e in formation over load, ensur ing that
paren ts aren ’t gu ided by fea r and numbers, but by relevance.
Mean in gfu l data filters t h e facts to convey the benefits—like
welln ess, grow t h , an d du rabl e memor ies—with the intent of
st ream lin in g peoples’ lives in a way that emotionally resonates.
“We need to think about what are the innately human
elements in the experiences we create and the things that can
be automated or made easier or better. Embrace humanity,
don’t replace it.”
-STEVE BROWN, FUTURIST
C U LT U R A L T R E N D S
© 2016 Mattel
T EC H N O LO GY T R E N DS
MEANINGFUL CONSUMPTION
D E E P L E A R N I N G A N D B I G D ATA
We have less money and less space for stuff. So
when we do buy stuff, it is more precious and
needs to convey more meaning. Societal shifts
like current generational movement to living in
the city and the ability to know more than ever
behind the workings and ethics of companies
means that the future product or service we buy
into must bring meaning and relevance within
our lives. The consumer influence has given way
to benefit driven conversations.
Understanding large quantities of data is
becoming a formidable challenge. More
and more, deep learning techniques will be
deployed to derive meaning and analyze data
in a new way. This involves teaching computers
learning techniques by which they can
autonomously find meaning in data without a
set of programmed instructions.
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QUA NTIFIED
SELF
Ever yday objects will
offer a meaningful
conversation and
benefit to the future
family beyond
simple data dr iven
tracking of what is
happening. As family
members engage
with future solutions,
they will intuitively
understand the
why, what, and how
behind a development
moment.
M ON I TOR R I N G
Beyo n d ba s i c tra cki n g
of fa mi l y s l eep h a b i ts,
th e Mo n i to r R i n g v i s u a l l y
co mmu n i ca tes th e rea so n
why ch i l d ren wa ke, wh a t
th ey n eed , a n d en s u res
th a t th e pa ren t res p o n d s
wh ose R E M cycl e i s most
cl osel y a l i g n ed wi th wa ki n g .
Gestu ra l h a n d i n tera cti o n
co n tro l s res p o n se a n d
a cti o n .
© 2016 Mattel
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AS W E MOV E I NTO T H E FUT UR E,
Peo p les ’ a tti tudes an d valu es
sur ro u ndi ng pa ren tin g, d igital
ex pe r ie nces, a nd mean in gf u l
co nnec ti on a re ch an gin g q u ickly. Ou r
jour ney to he l p create th e Fu tu re of
Parenti ng does n’t en d h ere. Fu eled by
imag in a ti ve i mmersion an d ad ap tive
co ntext, the grou n d work is laid for a
br ig ht future that is ou rs to create.
© 2016 Mattel
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© 2016 Mattel
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