Could a toy prompt honest conversations between parents and children about life’s transitions? Vim Dolls is a research project to investigate this question. Tibby is our first prototype.
One doll,
many bodies
At first she’s just like any other babydoll, albeit with customizable narrative and appearance to accommodate each family’s unique experience. But soon it will be time for Tibby to grow up. At a chosen time, the first incarnation of the doll is locked back into her case. This action unlocks the next, older version of Tibby.
These are carefully chosen to reflect key moments of transition in line: puberty, adulthood, old age, and everything in between.
Eventually, as all things must, Tibby will die.
We imagine her death as a potential climax of the experience: an opportunity for parents and children to share thoughts on the end of life, their rituals and emotions around it, and consider their own mortality and legacy.
What if the teenage doll sparked conversation around puberty and sex? What if the adult doll was a platform for discussing the journey to becoming a parent? Through imaginative co-play between parents and children, we see Tibby as a tool for fostering better communication about life’s most difficult and most important topics.
Hannah Roodman is a filmmaker and designer in Brooklyn whose independent work focuses on designing story-driven experiences and environments fueled by audience participation. She is driven by innovation, collaboration, and a deep desire to create empowering stories and experiences.
Tim Clem is a programmer, educator, face-maker, and tinkerer living in Manhattan. He thinks a lot about the future of identity, software, cities, capitalism, and education. He is recently driven by the potential of provocative objects.
You don’t have to be a parent, a child psychiatrist, or an industrial designer. This work is relevant to everyone.
Reach out below and we’ll get back to you with more details, and keep you in the loop on upcoming events and workshops in NYC.