Before delivering their toys to the zoo, students researched animal behavior, enrichment needs and safe materials. At FSU’s Innovation Hub, they applied design thinking framework to create and improve prototypes that incorporate expert feedback. Design thinking focuses on a user-centered approach to creative problem-solving.
“It’s very, very rare that our clients are ten-foot-tall animals,” said Kate Casey, a senior dual degree studio art and theatre student who created an enrichment toy for giraffes. “We designed a barrel with a bunch of holes around it in a giraffe pattern with two layers that forces the giraffes to stretch their tongue and exercise their mouth muscles more than they usually would in captivity.”
Once projects were complete, the Interspecies Sculpture Studio class traveled to Jacksonville, where they presented the enrichment toys to the animals and collaborated with zoo staff to make any necessary adjustments.
“The creativity behind the design for these items and the quality of the products they were able to produce was far above my expectations,” said Danielle Minkus, senior Bird Keeper at Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens. “These students being able to come in, bring a fresh set of eyes, the time and the tools to create all of these things is really awesome.”