Stephano

What was the first question you asked yourself to start this project?

Tamara Alarcon Basurto: After deciding I would be making a toy, I asked myself how could I improve the experience of kids with autism spectrum disorder to make them feel more comfortable with their experience in the outside world.

What guided you through your process of designing Stephano?

TAB: During my research, I found out that hypersensitivity is a big aspect that kids on the autism spectrum are challenged with so I tried to focus my project on this aspect since if the kids are not well-stimulated during their development, it follows them all the way into their adulthood and they have more challenges to engage with nature or the outside world.

What was the most challenging aspect of this project?

TAB: Working at such a small scale kind of pushed me to go out of my comfort zone and try to find ways to adapt my design to the machinery that I had access to, and I had to develop a lot of skills along the way.

In what ways would you like to further improve your project?

TAB: To improve my project, I would like to find a way to produce it that is less time-consuming. I needed to drill three hundred seventy-five holes for each hedgehog, and then stuff the leather individually, but I am happy with the outcome.