POMs: Design for Confidence

For my final bachelors project I worked in a team of designers to create a crafting kit for pre-teen girls aimed at supporting their agency over their transition into puberty.

As young girls become young women many changes occur, which can feel overwhelming and some physiologist believe can contribute to low self-esteem, which is a serious issue among teenage women. How can we encourage a strong sense of self while supporting increasingly complex social interactions and relationships? We focused on providing tools for preteen girls to practice identifying and communicating about their increasingly complex emotions in order to better prepare them for their entry into puberty.

The POMs crafting kit consists of everything a preteen will need to create a POM character, including many different facial expressions. The included journal provides black writing and drawing pages as well as writing prompts discussed with a social physiologist and design to support reflection, positive communication and self-esteem. As a fun and creative outlet which can be enjoyed independently or shared with friends this crafting kit is aimed at supporting preteen girls get ready for the many changes they will face throughout their adolescent years.

This concept was selected to be the subject of a class in which I with another team of designers worked out a business plan, in which we developed the concept further to also have a social and online element and tested with users.