Off the Block

OFF THE BLOCK is an educational block game created as one part of a two part solution to address the needs of the residents of a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, called Woodhill Homes,  a now impoverished and deteriorated public housing facility that was built in the late 1930s. After receiving a Needs Assessment by the Housing Urban Development for the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, our Design Experience class analyzed it to develop long–lasting and meaningful solutions to help improve the neighborhood and we chose to target one identified high-risk group: children under 5. This particular updated version of the game was created with Emily Noland and Yesenia Urquiza.

With the aid of personas, we had a process of extensive research into Ohio education standards and national Kindergarten requirements as well as user testing with prototypes. We also used native Ohio animals on the animal blocks and the colors were inspired by Cleveland, Ohio murals. Creating an inexpensive game that not only pushes collaboration and engagement with families but also encourages self-fulfillment among young children, helps them start thinking about their future. Our ultimate goal was to target the lack of kindergarten readiness in the community by creating an educational tool that was personalized to the needs and challenges that these families face.