Chika Nakayama Outline

Mission statement
I want to introduce outdoor activities through nature and camping to kids and give them a way to develop more sensibility to the natural world.

Hypotheses
Exposing children to nature helps them to develop their sense.
Living in urban areas are moving people away from the earth because everything is convenient and fast- paced. They are losing their sense of interacting with the earth. Using my inspiration of the Mongolian nomadic lifestyle, I intend to reach children by giving them a chance to become closer to nature.

Research method
Books; changing world of Mongolia’s nomads (studying about their lifestyle to compare to urban lifestyle)
Internet articles about the nomad’s lifestyle
Interview; Mongolian eco forum (asked about experience of visiting Mongolia) what the difference is living wildlife.
Make contact with an external partnership, after school, to find out how the kids from urban area change after camping experience.
Field research - go to the playground in New York to watch how children play. Learn about their habit, the activity boys and girls enjoy while in the same area.
Tool I will ask kids to test the tool I design to see their reaction. Will this tool start their interest in nature? Can my inspiration of Mongolian nomads play a part in these kid’s lives?
The survey asks about people’s experiences growing up. What was the impact on their lives living in this particular area? Compare and contrast urban living to nature.

Analysis
When I researched Mongolian cashmere issues, I realized what my real interests were. Changing my focus to comparing the nomadic lifestyle to the lifestyle of urban living led me to an idea urban people lack the one on one relationship with the land that was so important before they got so far removed.
I am interested in nomadic lifestyle because they have completely different life style than people who live in the cites. They have so many important values that we don't have in our life. They don't think it is a value because for them, it is how they conduct their normal day to day activities. By researching Mongolian nomad’s lifestyle, I made a comparison between New York and Mongolia. We have great innovations that allow us to live comfortably and offer us great convenience.
I believe we are too adjusted in our life and it has become too easy. I feel like we are losing a lot of things that connects us to our planet. Nomadic people face climate, nature, and animal herding. They are facing uncontrollable events, but they are able to find adjustments to handle the elements.
What about us?

External relationship
After school organization/ camp interactive http://campinteractive.org/
Park/ playground
Nature conservation organization
Environmentalists
Mongolian eco forum
Stakeholder
Children
Parents

Design opportunity
I want to design a product that can draw children’s interest to the natural world and help their comfort level while interacting with the natural world.
Design criteria
Function-It should be a device that is easy to use and holds the user’s interest.
Formal-It must inspire children to connect with nature through Mongolian nomadic ideas

Conceptual Development
I was thinking about designing a product that introduced a camping activity to a new person. Introducing a camping activity shows children how much fun it can be. Maybe after they know how much fun is, they will go camping themselves when they get older. I was also thinking about a product that helps the user who is not used to the outdoors adjust to nature.

Feedback
I talked with Len about the difference of the nomadic and urban lifestyle and it helped me think more clearly. For example, we discussed the value of the Mongolian nomad’s living habits to urban living. What’s lacking in our life?
Is that time, space, speed, family structure, sprit? There are things we can learn from their way of life.
My classmate pointed out the need to narrow down which experiences I may want to apply to urban life. Is it their family structure, movement, herding or eating habits? Also, she asked me who the target group is.