Interview about Gla Gla Educational Puzzle, winner of the A' Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design Award 2021
When creating a distinctly Croatian souvenir for the island of Krk designers came up with a puzzle teaching the players ancient Glagolitic scripture as it appears on the Baska stone tablet (dating back to 1100 AD). Puzzle pieces are made out of olive trees, grown on the island of Krk since ancient Greece. Gla Gla condenses thousands of years of culture into a game allowing the users to piece together bits of Croatian history from the island of Krk and recombine them into new stories and words in any language.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe creative journey behind the 4N4 Design - Gla Gla Educational Puzzle was inspired by my deep appreciation for Croatian heritage and the rich history of the Glagolitic script. I wanted to create something that not only celebrated this ancient script but also made it accessible and engaging for modern audiences, particularly younger generations.The idea was to combine the historical significance of the Glagolitic alphabet with the interactive and educational potential of puzzles. By designing a puzzle that teaches users about the script, I aimed to create an experience that was both fun and informative. The challenge was to respect the traditional aesthetic of the Glagolitic script while making it visually appealing and functional in a contemporary context.The process involved extensive research into the history and symbolism behind Glagolitic characters, ensuring that the puzzle design remained faithful to its origins while incorporating elements of modern design. The result is an educational tool that bridges centuries of history, providing a playful yet meaningful way to learn about Croatia’s cultural heritage.
The choice of olive wood from Krk Island for the 4N4 Design - Gla Gla Educational Puzzle was a deliberate decision, deeply rooted in both cultural symbolism and practical functionality. Olive trees are a longstanding symbol of Croatian heritage, particularly in the region of Krk, which is known for its rich olive-growing tradition. Using this material not only honored the local history but also provided a tactile connection to the heritage of the puzzle itself.Balancing the historical significance of the olive wood with the practical needs of an educational tool was a thoughtful process. On one hand, I wanted to preserve the authenticity of the material, showcasing its natural beauty and texture. On the other hand, I had to ensure that the material was functional and durable enough for an interactive puzzle that would be handled repeatedly.To achieve this balance, I carefully considered the craftsmanship involved in working with olive wood. I made sure the pieces were lightweight and smooth to handle while maintaining the integrity of the wood’s unique patterns. The warmth and quality of the wood also contributed to the tactile experience, making it more engaging for users while adding a layer of cultural richness.Ultimately, the combination of the material’s historical importance and its functional qualities allowed the puzzle to become a meaningful and lasting educational tool, offering a tactile experience that connects users with Croatia’s cultural heritage while remaining practical and enjoyable to use.
One of the primary challenges was simplifying the characters without losing their historical accuracy. The Glagolitic script consists of intricate shapes and curves, and translating these into puzzle pieces required a careful balance between maintaining the script’s essence and making the pieces easy to handle and fit together. Additionally, the unique forms of each character needed to be distinguishable from one another while still reflecting the visual language of the original script. Another challenge was ensuring that the pieces were not only accurate but also easy to manipulate, especially for younger audiences. To address this, I paid attention to the size and weight of the pieces, ensuring they were both tactile and easy to handle, without compromising the essence of the Glagolitic characters. The puzzle pieces were designed to be durable and smooth to ensure a positive user experience.
The magnetic connection system not only improves the puzzle’s durability and user experience but also supports the educational goals by ensuring an engaging, smooth, and frustration-free interaction with the historical content, making the learning process more enjoyable and accessible.The magnetic system makes the puzzle intuitive and accessible, especially for younger children or beginners who may not yet have developed the dexterity required for more intricate interlocking mechanisms. By reducing the challenge of physically connecting the pieces, the system helps users feel confident in their ability to complete the puzzle, which enhances their learning experience. This, in turn, aligns with the educational objective of making the Glagolitic script more accessible and engaging.
In the future, I hope that educational tools like the Gla Gla Puzzle can inspire other designers to explore the intersection of play, learning, and cultural preservation. By incorporating historical, artistic, and cultural elements into playful designs, we can make education more interactive, and help young people feel more connected to their cultural roots.The educational puzzle sets an example of how localized cultural heritage can become a global educational tool. While specifically Croatian, the puzzle promotes the idea that cultural heritage is a universal asset, and through play, it has the power to transcend borders. The future of cultural heritage education may involve cross-cultural collaborations, where different traditions and scripts are shared and celebrated in global educational environments. This will help foster appreciation and respect for cultural diversity on a global scale.
The decision to integrate Latin letters beneath the Glagolitic characters in the 4N4 Design - Gla Gla Educational Puzzle was inspired by the desire to create an intuitive bridge between ancient and modern scripts, making the learning experience more accessible and relatable for users. The Glagolitic script, while rich in cultural history, may be unfamiliar to many, especially younger generations. By pairing it with the more widely recognized Latin alphabet, I aimed to offer a familiar point of reference that would ease the learning process and encourage engagement.
The goal was to ensure the clarity of the letters on the board, provide enough space for manipulation, and minimize the overall packaging to achieve the smallest possible dimensions given the number of characters.One of the primary concerns was the readability of the Glagolitic characters on the puzzle pieces. The size of 340 x 280 mm provided ample surface area for each character to be clearly represented while ensuring that the visual integrity of the script was preserved. At the same time, the pieces had to be sufficiently spaced to avoid crowding, allowing each character to stand out and be easily distinguishable.
Local heritage played a crucial role in guiding my design decisions throughout the development process of the 4N4 Design - Gla Gla Educational Puzzle. The Glagolitic script, a cornerstone of Croatian cultural history, was central to the design, and it influenced my approach in several ways.First, I focused on maintaining the integrity and historical significance of the Glagolitic script, ensuring that the characters were accurately represented while still being accessible and engaging for a modern audience. I drew inspiration from local historical monuments, such as the Baška tablet, to preserve the authenticity of the script’s shapes and proportions.Additionally, the use of olive wood from Krk Island, a region known for its rich olive-growing tradition, brought a deeper cultural connection to the puzzle. The choice of material not only reflected the local heritage but also provided a tactile experience that linked the puzzle to Croatian craftsmanship and nature.Throughout the design process, I also aimed to balance the traditional aspects of the script with contemporary design principles. This included ensuring that the puzzle was functional and easy to use while still reflecting the cultural richness of the Glagolitic characters.In essence, local heritage was a guiding force in creating a design that was both educational and respectful of the cultural legacy, ensuring that the puzzle was not just a fun activity, but a meaningful way to connect with Croatian history.
During the research phase for the 4N4 Design - Gla Gla Educational Puzzle, I made several unexpected discoveries about Croatian cultural heritage that greatly influenced the final design. One of the most striking revelations was the complexity and depth of the Glagolitic script. While I was familiar with its historical significance, delving deeper into its origins and variations across different regions of Croatia opened my eyes to the intricate connections between language, culture, and history.
The Glagolitic script is just one facet of Croatia’s rich cultural heritage. Future iterations of the puzzle could include other historical scripts, such as Cyrillic or even elements of ancient Croatian art forms. By expanding to include these other aspects of written heritage, the puzzle could help educate users about the diversity of Croatia's linguistic and cultural history.Croatia is known for its rich cultural diversity, with each region possessing unique customs, art, and traditions. Future versions of the puzzle could be designed to highlight regional heritage, such as traditional costumes, architecture, folklore, or local art. Each puzzle edition could represent a different region, allowing users to explore the diversity of Croatian culture in a fun and interactive way.
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