As a part of Design Thinking and Communication (DTC), the Morton Arboretum presented the challenge of creating a Peter Rabbit themed writing station as a part of a new Peter Rabbit’s Garden section they are creating in the Children’s Garden. The purpose of this project is to design structures that will encourage children to practice their literacy skills by writing letters, as well as making the space easily maintainable for Arboretum staff. In the development of our solution, several interviews were conducted with various staff members of the Arboretum to gain a deeper understanding of the current practices and core principles of the Children’s Garden. The major need of this challenge was to engage the kids with the station and to provide effective storage solutions for the stationery and letters to facilitate their experience. The proposed solution consists of two parts: a center console storage system, and a tree-stumped themed mailbox.

The center console storage system, called the Twist n’ Burrow, is a vertical shelf that seamlessly slides into the table when not in use, and is equipped with two handles on top to be easily pulled out when access to materials is needed. This integrated system is spacious, weatherproof, user-friendly, and modular. Below are the first and second iterations of the Twist n’ Burrow design, made with 2 and 3 legs respectively.

The tree-stumped themed mailbox, named the Hop n’ Hear, provides audio feedback when a letter is delivered. The mailbox is also weatherproof and user friendly, but highlights child accessibility and engagement. Additionally, the audio feedback is powered by an electrical system, allowing the Arboretum to add any features they want in the future.

In future implementation, the vertical storage system should utilize 3 studs and 3 guide rails should be used instead of the 2 demonstrated in our prototype for stability. Additionally, further testing with the flap length of the mailbox slots is encouraged to make sure children cannot get their hands stuck in the slots.