alana aamodtInformation











 Index

motionKit

Momentix Toys





A toy kit that leverages Rube Goldberg machines to teach design engineering in an open-ended, creative way.



year

2020-2022


role

co-founder, co-designer

selected press

Colorado Parent
Boing Boing
Westword
Afilii

links

Momentix Toys website
2021 Kickstarter

design
industrial 
web
curriculum
graphic
packaging
business
creative direction






2 successful Kickstarter Campaigns

100+ toy testers

1 published research paper





23 wooden pieces that nudge, roll, spin, and tilt, transforming household objects into funky chain reaction contraptions, also known as Rube Goldberg Machines. Linked together, they create kinetic masterpieces that can scale in complexity, depending on age and play style. 






GOAL
Get a kid who might not typically be drawn to a classically branded STEM kit to make a chain reaction machine, and in the process organically practice the skills that make for truly great scientists: curiosity, failure + resilience, creative problem solving
 METHOD

Create a toy that feels intuitive to experiment with and naturally facilitates both the “a-ha!” moments of physics learning and the “yes!” moments of design
 REQUIREMENTS
Must be able to interface with real world objects + be strong enough to withstand real world forces




Printed Materials + Programming


A set of 50 cards combine to scaffold + prompt machine creation




An Idea booklet that introduces the engineering design process + provides step by step guidance to making a variety of chain reaciton machines. Explore the challenges.








Pieces


the motionKit pieces are simple to put together and designed to intuitively interface with other motionKit pieces and household objects

Putting it all together










how?







Process

Anna and I studied physics in college, and Momentix was our multi-year crash course in how to design (anything) + run a business.  

In the end, it was a prototyping + testing process grounded in play featuring 100+ toy testers + 5 workshops + 1 ongoing school club. 





Prototypes made with foam, clay, and lasercut wood. CAD models made in Fusion360.