Design that Lasts

14 weeks
Individual

Garden Warrior

Children prefer hands-on learning; however, it is often treated as an afterthought in schools. This wearable gardening kit encourages environmental stewardship through play and connection to the land, transforming learning into a memorable experience.

Background/Context

This project was heavily inspired by the natural resources of my hometown, Chinandega, Nicaragua.

After considering multiple common crops and materials, I settled with sugar cane because of the significant amount of by-product it produces, known as bagasse.

Another great contributor to my project was my old elementary school, Centro Educacional Mantica Berio. After learning about what hands-on activities are being implemented on children, I knew I wanted to tackle gardening.

My elementary school's garden, founded by me in 7th grade (photo from CEMB's website)

Problem:

Hands-on learning is often not prioritized in school resulting in superficial implementation, which creates a disconnect between the student and the activity.
Sugar-cane bagasse applications remain limited in Nicaragua. Bagasse is mainly used for bioenergy production, hindering its potential.

To identify these problems I had to conduct research, which consisted in a literary search, primary and generative research, and material exploration.

Research Goals

Understand students learning needs and current curriculum.
Learn about bagasse and its applications.

Literary Search

I started out just learning more about sugar cane in Chinandega, what bagasse is and how it is used.

Bagasse is the resulting fiber from the extraction of sugar cane juice. This fiber is either discarded or used for energy production (in Nicaragua), making the processing of sugar cane sustainable.

Material Experimentation:

Primary Research

Interviews:

I interviewed 3 elementary school students, a principal, and a Natural Science professor.

Standout responses:

“I would like to not write as much. We write a lot in every class except science. We planted squash and I liked it. I didn’t see them grow, we just planted them and left”.

“I liked going to the school garden because we could each plant our own seeds. In my house I’m thinking about making a garden like my uncle and I would like to see how seeds grow”.

Students’ Highlights:

There is a disconnect between growing plants and learning because it’s hard for students to keep track of the growth.
They all complained about how much they have to write and sit and about being bored.
They were able to recall experiments in detail.
They emphasized the importance of fun activities.

Principal and Natural Sciences Professor highlights:

School’s good at starting projects but they struggle following-up with them.
“A complement to help the use of tools is ideal” (talking about gardening tools).

Generative Research

I asked three more kids to draw the gardening tools they use and their ideal way of carrying them.
This exercise helped me figure out that kids mostly use a shovel and rake and that they want something fun.

Why design a wearable tool kit?

map explaining the benefits of a wearable tool kit

Materials I was considering

Paper and paper products are some of the most common uses for bagasse. At first I was considering making biodegradable pots, however, after shifting my focus to tools, I quickly started looking for other bagasse applications.

Particle board can also be made from bagasse by compressing the fibers with resin, making a strong and durable material commonly used for furniture, in theory, this would be the tool’s material.
Additionally, cordage can also be made from bagasse fibers resulting in something very similar to jute twine (which is what I used for the sheath).

Product Criteria

Accesible: Kid’s size + strong grip.

Fun: Invites imagination and play.

Safe: Avoids elements that put students at risk.

Practical: Educational + useful

Market Exploration

Cons of tool belts:

They get in the way
Construction workers belts don’t work for garden tools (too bulky, tools don’t fit).

Gardening tool belts for children are floppy and don’t secure small tools as well, medieval inspired sheaths are toy like or DIY and most cater to boys.

Children’s tools seem generally fine; however, they often lack sturdiness, seem too child-like (kids want to use the real thing!), or present safety concerns.

Nicaraguan basket weaving influenced the construction of the tool pouch.

Concept Ideation

At this point I knew I wanted to design a medieval inspired weaved sheath that could carry both a shovel and rake.

I ended up coming up with a nested concept where the rake could rest on top of the shovel’s surface to safely secure them and protect the clothes from dirt.

The sheath would be diagonally positioned to allow room for the kid to move and bend down, as well as to imitate the way sword sheaths rest, encouraging play.