Aims to turn four breathing exercises into four games a child wants to play.
Aims to turn four breathing exercises into four games a child wants to play.
Role
Role
Product Designer
Product Designer
End-to-end
End-to-end
Team
Team
Team project
Team project
Collaborative
Collaborative
Duration
Duration
4 weeks
4 weeks
Research to prototype
Research to prototype
Platform
Platform
Tangible controller
Tangible controller
Flute and screen
Flute and screen
Year
Year
2026
2026
Concept
Concept
Turning breathing exercises into play
Turning breathing exercises into play
Breezy is a breath-controlled gaming experience for children aged 5–10 with asthma. Four breathing exercises are transformed into four interactive games, played using a flute-like physical controller that captures the child’s breath through a pressure sensor.
Breezy is a breath-controlled gaming experience for children aged 5–10 with asthma. Four breathing exercises are transformed into four interactive games, played using a flute-like physical controller that captures the child’s breath through a pressure sensor.
(01)
(01)
Asking a child to blow slowly turns play into an instruction.
Asking a child to blow slowly turns play into an instruction.
Breathing exercises require children to control things such as the strength, duration and steadiness of their breath. But repeatedly asking a child to “blow slowly” or “keep breathing for a few seconds” can easily turn the activity into an instruction they have to follow.
Breathing exercises require children to control things such as the strength, duration and steadiness of their breath. But repeatedly asking a child to “blow slowly” or “keep breathing for a few seconds” can easily turn the activity into an instruction they have to follow.
We explored a different question:
We explored a different question:
What if children didn't perform the exercise to play the game,
what if the exercise itself was the game?
What if children didn't perform the exercise to play the game,
what if the exercise itself was the game?
This became the foundation of Breezy.
This became the foundation of Breezy.
(02)
(02)
Strength, duration, steadiness, pattern
Strength, duration, steadiness, pattern
Before deciding what the games should be, we explored commonly used breathing techniques and asked: What part of each exercise could actually become an interaction?
Before deciding what the games should be, we explored commonly used breathing techniques and asked: What part of each exercise could actually become an interaction?
We mapped each technique against the behaviour it required and the type of signal that could realistically be captured through a pressure-based input.
We mapped each technique against the behaviour it required and the type of signal that could realistically be captured through a pressure-based input.
That simplified into four behaviours:
That simplified into four behaviours:
(03)
(03)
Where the existing solutions stopped
Where the existing solutions stopped
We also reviewed research around respiratory exercises, playful blowing activities and child-focused breathing interventions. Rather than treating the papers as a checklist, we looked for recurring ideas that could influence the experience.
We also reviewed research around respiratory exercises, playful blowing activities and child-focused breathing interventions. Rather than treating the papers as a checklist, we looked for recurring ideas that could influence the experience.
Play can support breathing practice
Play can support breathing practice
Playful activities like bubble blowing can encourage controlled exhalation in a more engaging way.
Playful activities like bubble blowing can encourage controlled exhalation in a more engaging way.
Breath control matters beyond force
Breath control matters beyond force
Breathing activities often focus on maintaining, pacing and structuring breath, not just blowing harder.
Breathing activities often focus on maintaining, pacing and structuring breath, not just blowing harder.
Wind-based interaction felt naturally relevant
Wind-based interaction felt naturally relevant
Wind instruments connect physical action, breath control and immediate feedback.
Wind instruments connect physical action, breath control and immediate feedback.
Feedback makes breathing visible
Feedback makes breathing visible
Turning breath into movement or progress helps children understand it without technical data.
Turning breath into movement or progress helps children understand it without technical data.
Looking at Existing Solutions
Looking at Existing Solutions
LORIO emerged as our closest reference, showing us that using a flute or gamifying breathing alone wasn't enough.
LORIO emerged as our closest reference, showing us that using a flute or gamifying breathing alone wasn't enough.
Our opportunity was to design specifically for children, make breath the primary input, and turn different breathing behaviours into different game mechanics.
Our opportunity was to design specifically for children, make breath the primary input, and turn different breathing behaviours into different game mechanics.
Four principles, and the first one settled the rest.
Four principles, and the first one settled the rest.
The research gave us four principles:
The research gave us four principles:
Breath is the input
Breath is the input
The breath itself controls the game.
The breath itself controls the game.
Different breaths need different mechanics
Different breaths need different mechanics
Short, sustained and rhythmic breaths shouldn’t behave identically.
Short, sustained and rhythmic breaths shouldn’t behave identically.
Feedback should be immediate
Feedback should be immediate
Children understand their breathing through what happens on screen.
Children understand their breathing through what happens on screen.
It should feel playful, not clinical
It should feel playful, not clinical
The interaction should feel like Breathe → Watch → Adjust → Play.
The interaction should feel like Breathe → Watch → Adjust → Play.
(04)
(04)
Meet Breezy
Meet Breezy
Breezy brings physical interaction, pressure sensing, game mechanics and visual feedback together into one continuous experience.
Breezy brings physical interaction, pressure sensing, game mechanics and visual feedback together into one continuous experience.
The flute captures an action the child already understands. The sensing system translates that breath into game input, and the game turns it back into something visible, playful and immediate.
The flute captures an action the child already understands. The sensing system translates that breath into game input, and the game turns it back into something visible, playful and immediate.
Why a flute?
Why a flute?
We explored a flute because blowing into it already feels like a natural interaction. It doesn't require explaining an unfamiliar medical action first; the physical form itself suggests what the child needs to do.
We explored a flute because blowing into it already feels like a natural interaction. It doesn't require explaining an unfamiliar medical action first; the physical form itself suggests what the child needs to do.
It also gave us a way to connect breath, physical action and digital feedback in one object.
It also gave us a way to connect breath, physical action and digital feedback in one object.
The flute wasn't added to make the system playful.
The flute wasn't added to make the system playful.
It became the bridge between the breathing behaviour and the game.
It became the bridge between the breathing behaviour and the game.
The experience responds to characteristics such as:
The experience responds to characteristics such as:
For the child, the technology stays almost invisible. They simply blow into the flute and see the game respond.
For the child, the technology stays almost invisible. They simply blow into the flute and see the game respond.
The Breezy World
The Breezy World
Sign in · Sign up
Sign in · Sign up
Home
Home
Profile
Profile
Missions
Missions
Sound
Sound
Settings
Settings
How to play
How to play
Play
Play
How we breathe
How we breathe
Choose a place
Choose a place
Flute + sensor
Flute + sensor
Spacebar
Spacebar
01 Lillypad Hop
01 Lillypad Hop
02 The Cave
02 The Cave
03 Songbird Echo
03 Songbird Echo
04 The Garden
04 The Garden
Warm-up
Warm-up
Well done
Well done
Stars earned
Stars earned
Breathe again
Breathe again
Next place
Next place
( every place walks the same path —
shown once, for Lillypad Hop )
( every place walks the same path —
shown once, for Lillypad Hop )
(05)
(05)
One breath system, four games
One breath system, four games
Each breathing behaviour became a different game mechanic.
Each breathing behaviour became a different game mechanic.
Lillypad Hop
Lillypad Hop turns short repeated breaths into individual game actions.
Each puff helps the character move forward, encouraging the child to create a sequence of smaller controlled exhalations rather than one continuous breath.
(06)
(06)
The game calibrates to the child, not the other way round.
The game calibrates to the child, not the other way round.
A breath-controlled game cannot expect every child to breathe in exactly the same way. Breezy therefore needed to respond to the child, rather than asking the child to adapt to a fixed system.
A breath-controlled game cannot expect every child to breathe in exactly the same way. Breezy therefore needed to respond to the child, rather than asking the child to adapt to a fixed system.
ADAPTIVE CALIBRATION
ADAPTIVE CALIBRATION
Adapting to different players
Adapting to different players
One fixed breathing threshold wouldn't work equally well for every player. Breezy begins with two comfortable breaths and uses them to calibrate the experience around the individual child.
One fixed breathing threshold wouldn't work equally well for every player. Breezy begins with two comfortable breaths and uses them to calibrate the experience around the individual child.
Breath 01
Breath 01
Breath 02
Breath 02
Personal baseline
Personal baseline
Game calibrated
Game calibrated
ENCOURAGEMENT OVER FAILURE
ENCOURAGEMENT OVER FAILURE
Encouragement instead of failure
Encouragement instead of failure
A weaker or shorter breath doesn't immediately end the activity. The game simply responds differently, allowing the child to adjust their breathing and try again.
A weaker or shorter breath doesn't immediately end the activity. The game simply responds differently, allowing the child to adjust their breathing and try again.
Softer breath
Softer breath
Stronger breath
Stronger breath
Try again
Try again
(07)
(07)
Future Scope
Future Scope
Breezy is a concept. No child with asthma has used it, no clinician has reviewed the exercises, and the pressure sensing and calibration are designed rather than built.
Breezy is a concept. No child with asthma has used it, no clinician has reviewed the exercises, and the pressure sensing and calibration are designed rather than built.
Three things would decide whether it works.
Whether a child sustains a breath longer when it drives a game than when it does not.
Whether the calibration still holds when a child is genuinely short of breath.
whether a physiotherapist would accept these four behaviours as a fair reading of the exercises.
Whether a child sustains a breath longer when it drives a game than when it does not.
Whether the calibration still holds when a child is genuinely short of breath.
whether a physiotherapist would accept these four behaviours as a fair reading of the exercises.
(08)
(08)
What I learned
What I learned
Breezy changed how I thought about gamification. The important question wasn’t “How can we reward a child for completing an exercise?” but “How can the exercise itself become the mechanic?”
Breezy changed how I thought about gamification. The important question wasn’t “How can we reward a child for completing an exercise?” but “How can the exercise itself become the mechanic?”
Designing Breezy meant connecting research, tangible interaction, sensing and game design around one simple behaviour: breath.
Designing Breezy meant connecting research, tangible interaction, sensing and game design around one simple behaviour: breath.
Lillypad Hop
Lillypad Hop turns short repeated breaths into individual game actions.
Each puff helps the character move forward, encouraging the child to create a sequence of smaller controlled exhalations rather than one continuous breath.
