Fuse-Tunes is a music player and toy for children 4 and up. Kids play with a lineup of characters, rearranging them as they please to create different mixtures of melodies and sounds. The 5 positions on the stage correlate to 5 levels of presence within a melody,  the 5 figures correspond to 5 different instruments (drums, guitars, piano, and 2 singing roles). With Fuse-Tunes, kids can explore how different music can sound by changing instrument orders and genres, and immerse themselves in a stage-like play space.

I began this project by branching out into various ideas and directions. I researched what a four year old is capable of, and considered different scenarios and environments in which a four year old would want to listen to music.

I then chose to focus on one idea (#18) and dive more into the form and interaction. Through this phase I was able to explore more about how this product would come to life and entice children to play with it.

After coming up with my final form and interaction details, I solidified the user flow in a sketched-out storyboard.

The control interface is simplified for kids to understand. A power switch at the top, a volume dial on the left, and a genre dial on the right allow the user to control what their music sounds like. A speaker sits in the center of the interface, and faces outwards to project more sound.

The different sized stage positions indicate that spots corresponding level of presence within a melody. By mixing around the position of the 5 different figurines and their instrument sounds, kids can create different sounding melodies. A spotlight shines on the lead role position. Each figurine holds an RFID tag in the bottom, and can be read by a RFID reader inside the stage.