How HOLO Nature Explorer by Yingci Zhong Turns Playtime Into Discovery

I'm a designer who loves creating playful and meaningful experiences. What led me into design was a deep curiosity about how people learn through doing, sensing, and imagining.

With a background in industrial design and a strong interest in interaction and visual storytelling, I’ve always been drawn to the ways design can help translate abstract concepts—like emotions, sounds, or everyday observations—into something tangible and engaging.

That’s also what inspired HOLO, a project that explores how toys can encourage children to connect with their surroundings, ask questions, and build stories through hands-on play.

For me, design isn’t just about making things functional; it’s about creating space for curiosity, wonder, and meaningful connections.

It means a lot—not just as recognition of the final outcome, but of the process behind it. HOLO was built through observation, iteration, and a lot of care for how children think and feel.

This award reminds me that designing with empathy and imagination matters—and that playful, thoughtful ideas do have a place in shaping how we learn and grow. It encourages me to keep trusting the slower, more exploratory paths in design.

It’s opened up new conversations. Since receiving the award, more people have become curious about the ideas behind HOLO, especially around how design can support learning through play.

On a personal level, it’s given me more confidence to keep exploring child-centered and experience-driven design. It has also helped connect me with others who are equally passionate about education, interaction, and meaningful storytelling—which I believe will lead to exciting collaborations ahead.

Experimentation plays a huge role, especially when designing something for children. With HOLO, the goal was to create an AI-powered exploration tool that encourages kids to interact with their environment and discover hidden details. Inspired by the simple shape of a magnifying glass, I envisioned a tool that would focus their attention on the small wonders around them.

But when I tested the prototype with children, they immediately began using it in ways I hadn’t anticipated—treating it like a magic wand to cast spells or even as a “tool” for their imaginary adventures.

While I initially worried that these off-script uses might stray from the core design, I quickly realized that this spontaneous play was exactly what I wanted—children were exploring their world, asking questions, and pushing the boundaries of the tool in creative ways.

This experimentation highlighted the importance of designing a product that’s both safe and intuitive while still leaving room for imagination and discovery. The unexpected uses provided me with valuable insights into how kids interact with technology and helped refine the tool to be more engaging and versatile.

One of my most unusual sources of inspiration came from my childhood love of "micro adventures." My friends and I would spend hours outdoors, searching for little treasures in nature—like ladybugs on leaves. I would often circle them with my hand, imagining what it would be like to examine them through a magnifying glass. The excitement of discovering tiny details and sharing them with my friends left a lasting impression on how I approach design.

It reminded me that exploration, curiosity, and the simple act of observing can reveal a whole new world of possibilities. These memories shaped HOLO, a tool designed to help kids do exactly that—discover and observe their surroundings in a playful and meaningful way.

I wish more people understood that design is not just about coming up with the perfect solution right away. It’s about exploration, trial and error, and being open to unexpected outcomes.

The process often involves going down many different paths before finding the right one, and sometimes the most interesting ideas come from moments of uncertainty or failure. It’s a journey of discovery—not just for the product, but for the designer as well.

Although HOLO is a personal project, in other collaborations I’ve learned that being a designer doesn’t mean just focusing on design itself. We need to understand marketing, user needs, even business goals. It’s important to see the bigger picture—not get stuck in a purely design mindset.

At the same time, I believe designers should hold onto certain principles, like clarity, functionality, and meaning. It’s a balancing act: being open to different perspectives while still standing by the core values that make a design thoughtful and responsible.

One challenge was realizing that kids often use things in ways we don’t expect. When I gave them the HOLO prototype, they didn’t just look through it—they pretended it was a hammer or even a talking device. That meant I had to rethink safety, durability, and make sure the design could handle playful misuse.

Another challenge was doing user testing with limited time and participants. But even from small reactions—like how long they stayed curious or what they chose to explore—I got important clues that helped me simplify the design and focus on what really mattered to them.

I usually let myself wander, both mentally and physically. When I hit a block, I don’t force myself to solve it right away. Instead, I dive into things outside of design: watching how animals move in nature videos, reading about ancient tools, flipping through random art books, or even learning about things like food culture or mythology.

These unrelated topics often give me a fresh lens. I’ve found that creativity doesn’t always come from looking harder at the problem, but from zooming out, changing context, and letting connections form naturally.

Sometimes an idea comes while walking, listening to music, or just observing how sunlight moves across a room. It’s less about chasing inspiration and more about staying open to it.

Curiosity and care are at the core of my design values. I often draw from how I personally experience the world through observation, play, and storytelling.

Growing up, I loved finding meaning in small things, like patterns in leaves or the behavior of insects. That sensitivity to details and the joy of discovery still shape how I design today. I want my work to invite people to slow down, look closer, and engage with the world around them in a more intentional and playful way.

Whether it’s the form, the interaction, or the visual language, I try to make each part of the design speak to a sense of wonder and connection.

Stay curious and embrace failure as part of the process. Success in design isn’t about getting everything right the first time—it’s about learning, experimenting, and growing. Don’t be afraid to explore ideas outside your comfort zone, even if they seem unrelated at first. Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places.

Also, remember that design is not just about making things look good; it’s about solving real problems and creating meaningful experiences. Listen to your users, trust your instincts, and stay true to your own vision, even when faced with challenges.

I’d love to collaborate with Oki Sato, the founder of nendo and the creative mind behind its innovative designs. His ability to turn everyday objects into meaningful and delightful experiences is something I deeply admire. What I appreciate most about his work is how he blends simplicity with surprise—creating designs that are minimalist yet full of character and functionality.

Sato’s approach, where he considers the smallest details and finds joy in simplicity, really resonates with me. I believe his focus on turning ordinary experiences into something extraordinary would be incredibly inspiring as I continue to explore how design can bring both playfulness and practicality into people’s lives.

One question I wish people would ask is, "What’s the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned from designing?"

The most unexpected lesson I’ve learned is that design isn't just about solving problems—it’s about embracing the unknown and finding joy in the unexpected. With each project, I realize that the most exciting moments often come from unplanned discoveries, whether it’s through user feedback or just experimenting with an idea.

In the process, I’ve learned to let go of the need for everything to be perfect and to trust in the organic evolution of design. It’s this willingness to embrace uncertainty that opens up space for true innovation, and it’s a mindset I carry into every project.