Leap of Faith
Critical design
Leap of Faith is a Plinko board reimagined with wooden dolls replacing the marbles. This interactive piece invites users to step into the perspective of the dolls, posing a critical question: Will the healthcare system let you fall, or will you land in good hands? For many, however, the reality is getting stuck in the system.
Assignment
For this project, we were asked to create a piece that reflects who we are as designers. We had full creative freedom in choosing the medium and how to express ourselves. The goal was to give insight into our background, values, and how we communicate those to users. Drawing from my experience as a healthcare worker, I wanted to highlight the growing concern that healthcare is no longer as universally accessible as it once was. This project aimed to shed light on this issue and provoke thought about the future of healthcare for everyone.
Process
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to incorporate game elements into the project to create an interactive experience that would invite users to engage with the piece on a deeper level. I started with a simple prototype of a Plinko board to work out the mechanics. Initially, marbles were used, but I later replaced them with small figures to make the players feel a stronger connection with them. The key to the project was presentation, so I created a large-scale version of the prototype to capture attention. To give context to the topic of healthcare, I added illustrations that helped frame the issue and made it more relatable for the viewer.
Challenge
Using small figures instead of marbles in the Plinko board presented a unique challenge. My goal was for the figure to either fall to the ground or land in a basket at the end, but more often than not, the figures got stuck somewhere in the middle. This technical issue made me reflect on another real-world issue: how people often get stuck in the healthcare system, whether on waiting lists or in between treatments. I decided to incorporate this challenge into the narrative, using it to symbolize the frustrations many face within the healthcare system.
Result
In the end, this project is a large Plinko board that invites users to take a closer look and interact with the piece. Most people are familiar with Plinko and instinctively engage with the game. However, the modification of using small figures instead of marbles sparks curiosity and conversation. This change encourages users to reflect on the state of healthcare, asking critical questions about its future: "Will the healthcare system let you fall? Will you land in good hands, or, like many, get stuck in the system, waiting for help?"
