Qí Yóu 奇游 - Make time for curiosity
The Chinese education system is famous for being extremely competitive and focused on academic performance. Chinese children often don’t have time to cultivate their curiosity. Marie Briand asked herself how she could support the educational transition initiated by the Chinese government while making time for infants and children to explore. Qí Yóu is a progressive family board game which helps children discover the world. It follows the adventures of Docteur Hoù, a monkey who travels through time and space, using a tablet. Each challenge is linked to a chosen theme. The combinations of adventures, subjects and challenges are as varied and vast as the world!
" The Chinese educational system has become one of the most competitive in the world, competing with neighboring countries. As well as school lessons, children often take several private lessons from as young as 3 years old. On the other hand, busy working parents sometimes delegate the children’s upbringing entirely to the grandparents. In view of this educational pressure, Marie wanted to give children back a place for curiosity with a family board game designed to be played during free time at the weekend. […] With this game Marie improves the family environment. She uses important keys to Chinese culture while at the same time tailoring them to the contemporary era, with a game for the whole family which restores each person’s role in educating children. Marie met Chinese families, took part in workshops and worked as a teacher for young children, to get as close as possible to her target. The game’s comprehensive graphic universe makes the game more immersive and prototypes made it possible to test it on Chinese families. This project is a perfect example of the China Studio’s activity, a design for China using local materials and indigenous culture as seen by a western student, in dialogue with the user. "
Eric Mazodier
MDes Transcultural Design Course Leader - China Studio
This project is selected for Design L’Expo 2019 and will be exhibited from December 19th 2019 to March 1st 2020 at la Cale 2 Créateurs.
Designer(s)

2019 – present
Graphic Designer, Topla publishing house (Games which change the world), Paris
End of studies internship, Artistic Director and Graphic Designer, Topla publishing house, Paris
MDes Transcultural Design / China Studio, L’École de design Nantes Atlantique, Shanghai, China
2014-2017
BDes Graphic Design, L’École de design Nantes Atlantique
Motto
“ Learn from the past to understand the present and build the future. ”