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Work

CV

Work

CV

WellWall: A Classroom Tool

WellWall: A Classroom Tool

WellWall: A Classroom Tool

How might we foster emotional literacy in children?


As a Design with Behaviour Science MSc student, I have focused on the intersection of creativity and emotional well-being, particularly in children. My recent project explored the design and impact of WellWall, an interactive classroom tool aimed at enhancing emotional literacy among children aged 7–10. Grounded in behavioural science theories like Self-Determination Theory, Dual Coding Theory, and Flow Theory, WellWall fosters emotional expression and mindfulness through creative activities. This design integrates physical interaction with digital analytics to empower both children and educators, emphasizing autonomy, competence, and social connection.



Read full paper here.


_________________________

Completed at

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Completed at

Completed at

Imperial College London

Imperial College London

Date Completed

Date Completed

Dec, 2024

Dec, 2024

Final Project By

Final Project By

Amy Brons

Amy Brons

Initial Concept Collaborators

Initial Concept Collaborators

Bianca Myers

Haolin Cai

Sienna Shang

Veronica Li

Overview

Overview

Overview

Creativity is central to emotional development, as it provides children with avenues to articulate and understand their feelings. My work incorporated the principles of Flow Theory to design activities that immerse children in meaningful creative tasks. By utilizing prompts rooted in metaphorical and visual thinking, children can explore abstract emotions in tangible ways. This approach not only promotes emotional self-awareness but also improves emotional regulation and resilience, supporting their mental well-being.

One

One

One

Children pick colour

Children pick colour

Research shows that associating colours with emotions simplifies emotional identification and regulation, helping children build emotional vocabulary. This step creates a visual and intuitive foundation for emotional expression.

Two

Two

Two

Teacher shows prompts

Teacher shows prompts

Categories such as metaphorical imagery or future-oriented resilience prompts further help children articulate complex emotions and focus on optimism, as supported by research in emotional education and positive psychology.

Three

Three

Three

Children draw for 10 minutes

Children draw for 10 minutes

Short, frequent activities of 10–15 minutes are particularly effective for children, as research indicates that they align with their average attention spans and support the gradual development of emotional competencies

Four

Four

Four

Children display tile on the wall

Children display tile on the wall

This step fosters a sense of competence, relatedness, and autonomy as children see their contributions visualized within the classroom. It also reinforces the importance of emotional expression in a supportive community

Integrating Behaviour Science into Design Solutions

Integrating Behaviour Science into Design Solutions

Integrating Behaviour Science into Design Solutions

Through the development of WellWall, I applied key behaviour science principles to bridge the gap between design and emotional education. Self-Determination Theory informed the structure of activities, encouraging intrinsic motivation by allowing children to control their expressions. Dual Coding Theory reinforced memory and understanding by integrating visual and verbal elements, while Flow Theory enhanced task engagement and skill absorption. These insights shaped a product that empowers children to connect with their emotions while providing teachers with actionable data for individualized support.

Research and Ethics

Research and Ethics

Research and Ethics

A core aspect of this project was rigorous user research. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and data minimization, were at the forefront of my research, ensuring the tool was both safe and impactful for its users.


Child Testing
The initial child testing involved semi-structured interviews with children aged 7–10 to explore their experiences with emotional expression and creativity. These interviews revealed key insights into how children interact with creative tools. Many children expressed frustration when they felt their artistic skills were insufficient, often prioritizing creating visually impressive art over genuine emotional expression. However, they found joy in sharing their creations and felt a sense of accomplishment when completing their art. Thematic analysis identified critical "pains" and "gains," such as the need to emphasize expression over aesthetics and the importance of fostering positive student-teacher relationships. These findings were pivotal in refining WellWall to focus on emotional exploration and self-expression, ensuring the tool met the needs of its young users.


Teacher Testing
The teacher survey provided practical insights into integrating WellWall into classroom settings. Teachers unanimously supported the tool’s potential to address the emotional needs of students, especially those who struggle with verbal expression. Feedback on the prompts suggested simplifying the language to better suit the target age group. Teachers viewed the analytics dashboard as a valuable resource for identifying trends and concerning emotional patterns, though they emphasized the need for a user-friendly interface that aligns with the realities of busy classrooms. Cost emerged as a significant concern, along with considerations for engagement and storage. These insights directly shaped WellWall's design, from refining prompts and simplifying analytics to ensuring the tiles function as art displays to optimize space in classrooms.

A core aspect of this project was rigorous user research. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and data minimization, were at the forefront of my research, ensuring the tool was both safe and impactful for its users.


Child Testing
The initial child testing involved semi-structured interviews with children aged 7–10 to explore their experiences with emotional expression and creativity. These interviews revealed key insights into how children interact with creative tools. Many children expressed frustration when they felt their artistic skills were insufficient, often prioritizing creating visually impressive art over genuine emotional expression. However, they found joy in sharing their creations and felt a sense of accomplishment when completing their art. Thematic analysis identified critical "pains" and "gains," such as the need to emphasize expression over aesthetics and the importance of fostering positive student-teacher relationships. These findings were pivotal in refining WellWall to focus on emotional exploration and self-expression, ensuring the tool met the needs of its young users.


Teacher Testing
The teacher survey provided practical insights into integrating WellWall into classroom settings. Teachers unanimously supported the tool’s potential to address the emotional needs of students, especially those who struggle with verbal expression. Feedback on the prompts suggested simplifying the language to better suit the target age group. Teachers viewed the analytics dashboard as a valuable resource for identifying trends and concerning emotional patterns, though they emphasized the need for a user-friendly interface that aligns with the realities of busy classrooms. Cost emerged as a significant concern, along with considerations for engagement and storage. These insights directly shaped WellWall's design, from refining prompts and simplifying analytics to ensuring the tiles function as art displays to optimize space in classrooms.

A core aspect of this project was rigorous user research. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and data minimization, were at the forefront of my research, ensuring the tool was both safe and impactful for its users.


Child Testing
The initial child testing involved semi-structured interviews with children aged 7–10 to explore their experiences with emotional expression and creativity. These interviews revealed key insights into how children interact with creative tools. Many children expressed frustration when they felt their artistic skills were insufficient, often prioritizing creating visually impressive art over genuine emotional expression. However, they found joy in sharing their creations and felt a sense of accomplishment when completing their art. Thematic analysis identified critical "pains" and "gains," such as the need to emphasize expression over aesthetics and the importance of fostering positive student-teacher relationships. These findings were pivotal in refining WellWall to focus on emotional exploration and self-expression, ensuring the tool met the needs of its young users.


Teacher Testing
The teacher survey provided practical insights into integrating WellWall into classroom settings. Teachers unanimously supported the tool’s potential to address the emotional needs of students, especially those who struggle with verbal expression. Feedback on the prompts suggested simplifying the language to better suit the target age group. Teachers viewed the analytics dashboard as a valuable resource for identifying trends and concerning emotional patterns, though they emphasized the need for a user-friendly interface that aligns with the realities of busy classrooms. Cost emerged as a significant concern, along with considerations for engagement and storage. These insights directly shaped WellWall's design, from refining prompts and simplifying analytics to ensuring the tiles function as art displays to optimize space in classrooms.

User Interviews

User Interviews

User Interviews

Four children aged 7–10 from China and the UK participated in user interviews, selected for a small sample size to allow for in-depth exploration. Two participants self-identified as “shy,” providing insight into how children with different comfort levels engage with expression. The children were recruited through personal contacts, and interviews were conducted via their preferred calling apps, including Snapchat, WeChat, and Facebook Messenger. Each interview lasted approximately 24 minutes, structured into a four-minute warm-up, an 18-minute core discussion, and a two-minute wrap-up. Open-ended questions and simple language were used to ensure comprehension, with non-verbal cues considered throughout. Parental and child consent was obtained before participation.


Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns within the responses. Answers were categorized into what the child said, thought, did, and felt, with the “feels” category further divided into pains and gains. Key insights aligned with background research, reinforcing the project’s foundation. Children expressed frustration with their drawing skills, pressure to make art impressive rather than expressive, and a tendency to get easily distracted. However, they also enjoyed sharing their work, felt a sense of accomplishment in their creations, and valued strong student-teacher relationships.


These findings shaped WellWall’s development, emphasizing expression over artistic skill, providing a platform for students to display their work, and fostering stronger connections between students and teachers. The insights suggest WellWall has strong potential for student engagement and enjoyment.

Teacher Survey

Teacher Survey

Teacher Survey

A survey was conducted with three teachers using Qualtrics, combining Likert scale and open-ended questions to gather both quantitative and qualitative insights. All participants agreed that managing diverse student needs is challenging, and that children who struggle to express their emotions often get overlooked. When evaluating the prompt design, two-thirds of teachers found the prompts slightly effective, while one-third rated them moderately effective. Feedback suggested simplifying the wording for better clarity.

Teachers also assessed the analytics dashboard, with two ranking it as moderately useful and one as very useful. They emphasized the importance of flagging recurring patterns or red flags, leading to direct improvements in the final design. When asked about engagement, all teachers expected to use WellWall frequently, from multiple times per week to multiple times per day, with emotional insights identified as the most critical feature, followed by ease of use and student engagement.


Cost was ranked as the highest concern, followed by ease of use, engagement, and durability. To address this, future iterations should explore cost-effective materials and potential partnerships with education boards or mental health organizations. One teacher raised concerns about storage, which was addressed by designing WellWall as a wall-mounted display. Further material studies could refine the tiles to be smaller, flatter, and more discreet in classroom environments.


These insights directly shaped WellWall’s final design, ensuring it is both functional and practical for educators.

Testing Product Efficacy

Testing Product Efficacy

Testing Product Efficacy

The paper proposes a longitudinal pre-test-post-test control group study to assess the efficacy of WellWall in enhancing emotional literacy among children aged 7–10. The study will involve 140 children from six classrooms, randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Using the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) as a validated tool for measuring emotional understanding, children will be assessed at the start, midpoint, and end of the school year. Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RM-ANOVA) will be used to analyze the data, allowing researchers to determine differences in emotional comprehension between the intervention and control groups over time. This rigorous methodology, supported by prior research, aims to validate WellWall as an effective tool for fostering emotional competence and informing future educational practices.

Conclusion

Conclusion

Conclusion

The proposed solution, WellWall, was designed to integrate seamlessly into classroom settings, taking into account the unique cognitive and emotional needs of children aged 7–10. Activities, including daily emotional check-ins, were tailored to align with attention spans and classroom schedules. By empowering children to label and express emotions visually, WellWall serves as a bridge between behavioural science and educational design, fostering emotional resilience and setting the stage for lifelong mental well-being.