Spark Play

Colenso developed a smart ball that helps families balance screen time with active playtime.

The effect of screen time on the overall well-being of our next generation is a growing, international concern.

NZ’s leading telco, Spark partnered with Gilbert Rugby, Nakatomi, and child psychologist Dr. Emma Woodward to create a smart ball that helps families balance screen time with playtime. Minute for minute.

The aim was to help parents raise the next generation of Kiwis by helping to restore screen time balance.

Custom-built tech ware inside the ball tracks every minute that it’s active. The ball then syncs with the Play by Spark app, and this active playtime is exchanged for screen time. When screen time is up, the app lets the whole family know through notifications.

Working with internal and external stakeholders I concepted the look and feel of the product - Designing the UX and UI for the App.

The design system is from the concept of time and play. The hourglass represented by 2 triangles used in the UI breaks down into a single triangle forming the play icon. The triangle shape was then repeated into a pattern forming the graphic device on the ball.