Nafisa Yasmeen
Project Overview
Pause & Play is a research-led interactive toolkit designed to help families navigate everyday tensions around children's screen use through structured conversation and play. Developed as my Master of Design thesis at Media Design School, the project transforms a potentially confrontational topic into a tangible, collaborative experience that encourages families to communicate, reflect and establish shared expectations.
The Challenge
Screen-time conversations can quickly become a source of tension between parents and children. Rules are often communicated as restrictions, while children may feel that their perspective is not being heard.
The challenge was to create a neutral, engaging way for families to discuss digital habits together without turning the experience into another set of rules or a confrontational conversation.
The project was selected as a Finalist in the 2026 Best Design Awards.
The project began with research into family communication, children's digital habits and the emotional dynamics surrounding screen-time conversations. Through interviews, behavioural mapping and co-design activities, I explored where existing conversations were breaking down and what could make them feel more collaborative.
A key insight was that families needed a shared activity rather than another authority-driven system. This shifted the design opportunity from creating a tool for managing screen time to creating a space for families to talk about it together.
Research & Insight
The Design
Strategy
The toolkit was developed through iterative, real-world co-design sessions and rapid paper prototyping directly within active households. Framing digital habits through a gamified, neutral medium completely disarmed defensive barriers, allowing both children and parents to address tech friction without domestic conflict
01. Attention Detective
Understanding existing habits and experiences.
02. Choose.Reveral.Explain
Creating space for families to share perspectives.
03. Build Your Own Ruless
Turning the conversation into practical agreements.
The concept was developed through iterative prototyping and real-world co-design sessions with families. Early paper prototypes were used to test the structure, language and interaction flow before refining the physical toolkit.
Testing helped identify where instructions needed to be simplified, where interactions could become more intuitive and how the experience could better support balanced participation between parents and children.
Prototype, Test, Refine
Pause & Play needed to appeal to both children and parents without feeling designed exclusively for either. The visual system therefore balances playful elements with a more refined, contemporary aesthetic, creating a product that feels inviting to children while remaining credible and comfortable for adults to use.
Designing for Two Audiences
Deliverables
01. Structural Packaging
02.Interactive Card Deck
03. Guidebook Design
04. Kinetic Showcase Video
My Role
Research & Strategy · Experience Design · Interaction Design · Product Design · Visual Identity · Packaging · Prototyping · Motion
Project
Master of Design Thesis - Media Design School
Recognition
Best Design Awards 2026 - Finalist
Industry
Family Experience · Digital Wellbeing · Product Design
