The Enso guided play kit lets children take an idea from concept to reality. The process begins, as all great ideas do, at the drawing board. The Enso kit comes with handheld tablets where kids can sketch their ideas with erasable markers. The tablets have a transparent drawing surface and are stackable, mimicking the layers of a Photoshop file. This is a feature I haven’t seen before in a children’s toy; it encourages experimentation and collaboration.
After the ideation phase, students get to bring their drawings to life with the Enso building pieces. These pieces function as attachments for the main body parts of the art product. Unlike standard art projects, which would need glue or tape, the Enso pieces don’t need any adhesive. Similar to Legos, the Enso building pieces are reusable but more versatile because they can attach to a variety of materials.
The Enso tool kit was built around the concept of fostering collaboration. Just as the product encourages children to create and experiment together, the Enso company encourages educators who buy the product to participate in an online collaborative community. Educators who purchase Enso will also have access to an online community where they can share their own experiences and lesson plans. Similarly, the Enso company will also use customer feedback to design future product updates.
Another exciting aspect of the Enso kit is its readiness for mass production. The parts are easy to produce with a 3D printer, which means they can be manufactured quickly and at a low cost. Estimates say that the Enso would cost 10.10 euros to make and would sell for 33.70 — a comparable price to a 100+ piece lego set. Blueprints for the object files would also be available for sale, so schools can replace lost pieces if they have their own 3D printer. This year, the Enso was a Top 10 National Finalist for the Enterprise Ireland’s Student Entrepreneur Awards and won “Best Design Project 2020” from the Technological University Dublin. From concept to execution, this product embodies the spirit of collaboration; the versatility of its design and function may give Lego a run for its money one day.
Designer: Vinh Truong
