THE ODDMODS.
The OddMod system is the culmination of my research based graduation project at The National Institute of Design (NID, Ahmedabad). The project was awarded the prestigious Ford Foundation Grant owing to it's scope in the area of the UN SDGs 2030 with respect to children.
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The project is titled ‘Empathy in a Post-Pandemic World’. View the entire thesis document to see:
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What is Empathy and it's types?
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Neural and Social factors that affect an individual's ability to empathise
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Child Development and Aspects of Identity
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Primary and Secondary Research Methodology
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and the Design Process

THE INTENTION
To enable empathy in the generation of children that have been isolated from their peers due to the Pandemic.
The shared trauma that this generation is experiencing will impact their holistic development. In the absence of friends to play with, with most interactions having shifted online, being home all the time under the well-meaning but constant eye of a parent, results in limited and controlled social interactions. This affects their socio-emotional development in a big way.
The OddMod system is designed to exercise their ‘empathy muscles’ in a fun but educative way.
HOW?
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It intends to do so by enabling their ‘ability to create knowledge’, and
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by providing opportunities to practice ‘perspective taking’, creativity, and imagination continuously.
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It also helps with emotional literacy, self regulation and collaboration.
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THE CONCEPT
The OddMods toolkit is a set of ambiguous shapes (family of objects) that can be put together by children to create different kinds of creatures, to imagine the worlds they live in and to give them different physical and emotional characteristics. It is part of an open ended OddMod system that stimulates and stretches the child's 'empathy muscles’ through the various ways it can be played. It also helps develop their communication skills and social skills by participating in community building exercises.
SYSTEM DESIGN
CONTEXT
WHY EMPATHY?
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The ability to empathise affects our children’s future health, wealth, authentic happiness, relationship satisfaction, and ability to bounce back from adversity. It promotes kindness, prosocial behaviour, and moral courage, and it is an effective antidote to bullying, aggression and prejudice.
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WHY NOW?
The Pandemic in 2019 due to the Corona Virus gave rise to a general feeling of distrust and unrest amongst the people. New and constantly contradicting information about the virus as well as false news being spread due to various personal and political agendas added to this feeling of distrust. There was in increase in 'othering' of certain communities both globally and locally.
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Panic and fear of the unknown
diminishes people’s abilities to
empathise. Staying indoors as well as the limited interaction with the people around them, along with fake news, led to an increase in hate crimes during the pandemic. It is therefore increasingly important that we imbibe empathy as a core practice in the children of today for a safer future tomorrow.


RESEARCH AND DESIGN PROCESS
THE DELIVERABLES
OddMods Mini Set | OddMods Plus Set | Instruction Manual