Research on the role of design in parent-child communication and the sense of touch

Abstract

The diversity of present childcare designs somehow seems incapable of developing parent-child communication. This study therefore investigates the key to develop such communication and proposes suggestions for new designs. First, by collecting childcare-related words from some childcare journals, and abstracting and analyzing them using the KJ method and IMS, it was found that the sense of touch helps develop a child into an adult, enables the child to accept love, and is what a connection between things and actions depends on. Second, we classified child utensils by adopting the quantification method III and cluster method, which helped us understand the key points in designing a space that can foster parent-child communication and promote their sense of security. Based on these results, this study suggests three factors that we should focus on when creating new designs or spaces: (1) using more stimulating materials, (2) producing a space that induces play in a child, and (3) assigning designs the role of a catalyst that promotes communication.