TUBO
Load-bearing recycled papertube building system
Individual Project
Timeline: 9/2023 - 10/2023
Scale: 4” x 3” x 3” inches/ 915 x 50 x 50 mm
Material: Papertube, PLA
TUBO is a building system designed for preteens—not just to construct physical structures, but to build confidence, agency, and independent thinking. By creating a modular system with multiple possibilities and no single “correct” outcome, TUBO encourages exploration over instruction. The goal is to shift away from standardized solutions and toward creative validation: allowing young users to test their own ideas, problem-solve through hands-on play, and learn to trust their own judgment before deferring to others. Through this open-ended process, TUBO supports the development of self-esteem and critical thinking during a formative stage, where the freedom to create—and the permission to fail—is just as important as the final result.
Parts
There’re 8 kinds of pieces involved in this system
TUBO Concept Development
The concept for TUBO emerged from observing preteens at a transitional stage—seeking tools that go beyond toys, yet not quite ready for complex machinery. TUBO fills that in-between space, offering a building system that feels substantial, empowering, and creatively open. The scale and material choices were intentionally designed to be strong and durable—not only for practical use, but to signal to the user that what they’re building is real, something worth taking pride in. This sense of ownership and achievement is key to the experience. Culturally, the project draws from the evolving role of the audience in creative work—from classical sculpture like Michelangelo’s David, where mastery is revered, to Donald Judd’s minimalist structures that invite spatial interaction, and to contemporary generative art where audience participation completes the piece. In this lineage, TUBO offers preteens a chance to not just build, but to author space, express identity, and experience making as something empowering and personal.
Market Research
The following visualization shows the toy system comparison on a comparable scale based on market research. The four main aspects shown here are scale, difficulty, ownership and weight. We can observe that each of the four play systems fall short in at least one of the four categories. The purpose of the paper tube-based building system is to try to achieve balance between the four categories, as shown in the visualization. The following sections will discuss the gaps the market failed to address and how the paper tube-based building system is suitable for bridging these gaps.
Target Audience
At the age from 8 -10, children begin to outgrow traditional toys, yet they are not fully equipped—or permitted—to explore the world beyond their immediate home or school environments. (Picture taken with premission)
Rapid Prototyping + Iteration
The design choices were guided by how children of different ages naturally approach building and play. For younger children, who often build abstractly and ask for more assistance, the system was kept open-ended, with accessible connection points that allow for intuitive experimentation without needing detailed instructions. Bright colors weren’t a primary focus, since research showed they mattered less to children than adults often assume. Instead, the emphasis was on tactile engagement and flexible parts. As children grow older—especially after 6th grade—they begin to build with clearer goals and function in mind. To support that shift, the system allows for more structured outcomes without forcing a single “correct” result.
Industry Collaboration
To ground the project in real-world feasibility, I reached out to local paper tube manufacturers to understand existing production methods, material limitations, and supply logistics. This dialogue not only informed my design constraints but also helped validate the potential for scaling TUBO beyond a conceptual prototype. The paper tube from NEW ENGLAND PAPER TUBE can be strong enough to support an adult.
System