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Good Design
Mr. Pip's Double Cross 2016
Mr. Pip's Double Cross 2016

Designers: Pip Tompkin, Denny Liao, Shannon Hematian, Samuel McClellan, Madison Smith, Wantana Pajanaporn, Ella Jeong, and Jarett Volkoff, Pip Tompkin Design, El Segundo, California, USA
Manufacturer: Mr. Pip, El Segundo, California, USA


WHAT IS IT

Mr. Pip's Double Cross is a twist on the most popular dice game in the world, “Liar’s Dice.” The game’s iconic design provides one holistic form that embodies the function of the game, presenting it as an elegant object that doubles as décor. Mr. Pip’s Double Cross invites players of all ages to come together and play. When not in use, the game assembles into a beautiful and curious object, sparking conversations. Multiple game units stack securely, enhancing the game’s decorative display and allowing for more players to join in the fun.

WHY IS IT A GOOD DESIGN

This is the first in-house project from our Studio, a company known for designing telecommunication devices, and has been a labor of love. We wanted to create something that encouraged people to reengage in conversation and personal social interaction. Technology and smart devices are remarkable in their ability to connect with people afar. Unfortunately, there has been an over correction and these devices have had an impact on relationships with the people around us. We set about identifying a solution which could address this problem and bring a healthy balance back to how children, to adults, interact. Our solution was to develop a game that would entice people to come together and play. The main design challenge was to determine precisely what would attract users to play tabletop games over their smart devices. Through research we found that historically games have received little design attention, the majority of games were stored in ‘less than pretty’ boxes and as a result were rarely left out and easily forgotten. The hidden games did not remind and stimulate people to put their devices down. We challenged ourselves to design a game which did not require a box, and was beautiful enough to be left out as an object of art or décor, serving as a reminder to be played. It is through elegant form and thoughtful design that Mr. Pip's Double Cross is made truly unique.

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

The product is very simple, comprising of three core elements: 6 cups, the hub and the dice. Despite the simplicity of the final product, the design team was scrupulous with every element of the product experience. Game play begins when players shake the dice. The team experimented with a range of different materials to experiment with the sounds the dice would make. As the game is very energetic, and can get loud and entertaining quickly, we tuned the rattle sound as loud as possible to set the scene. Another detail the team aimed to perfect was the force, feel, and sound associated with how the cups effortlessly, but securely attach to the hub. Finally, there was the consideration for the relationship with the product when not in use, which allowed the game to take the function of home décor. Now on display, the game would spark curiosity, conversation, and impromptu play at family game night, dinner party, or as a college drinking game.

ABOUT THE PACKAGING

With a minimalistic approach to design, Mr. Pip’s mindset is to make “Fewer Better Games.” The thinking behind Double Cross was, if there was just one group game in the world, this would be it. Thus, Mr. Pip aims to create a high-quality product that will stand the test of time. This philosophy was applied to every element of the product, including the packaging, which is made from environmentally conscious molded paper pulp, which can be recycled, or will decompose, helping to stop the pollution of the world for our children. The packaging also utilizes the iconic form of the product, which tessellates and stacks to reduce shipping and storage volume by 30% compared to a traditional box, reducing our consumption of precious energy, and the overall carbon footprint of the product. The tessellating pattern also forms a unique and intriguing POS texture. Another innovative elements is the use of rubber bands to hold the packaging together. This glue-less approach allows opening and closing without damage to the packaging. This reduces returns and waste, and encourages customers to take the product out to experience the quality.

BENEFIT THE WORLD

Mr. Pip's Double Cross is a game designed to spark personal connection and personal interaction, while adding beauty and reducing clutter in our lives. Recognizing our culture’s focus on global connection through technology, Mr. Pip presents a solution to readdress the imbalance towards more intimate interaction with friends and family. Utilizing the element of décor, Mr. Pip’s Double Cross is designed to remind people to play. This game brings people together from all walks of life, transcending language barriers and cultural differences. Our exploration has resulted in the creation of a new market segment; functional décor, which is the infusion of game play into an elegant, pure, and iconic form we like to call ‘Dis-play-able’.


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