Chann KWAN Yuen-Shan, Darien SURIA, Sonia FOK Lui

“After collecting the feedback from users, we made many adjustments to the design to increase usability.”

The Emomo Kit, launched by Learning Time, is a home-learning kit to teach children key social and emotional skills through play. After months of design and user testing, this unique emotional learning tool was successfully launched.

Darien Suria, co-founder of Learning Time, has an educational background in child development. According to him, emotions are too abstract of a concept for young children to fully grasp, “Although all children experience emotions, they can be difficult to express. These things have to be simplified and communicated in a way children understand”, said Darien. That’s why they created Emomo, a character to help children visualize emotions through changes in color, facial expression, and body language.

Implementation of Ideas

After they conceived of Emomo, they needed to figure out what it looked like. Their illustrator, Chann Kwan, tried to convey the warmth of Emomo to the children through her water color illustration style and vibrant colors. Their designer, Sonia Fok, responsible for the visual outlook and product development, then translated it into a product that would be user-friendly for children and parents, “After collecting the feedback from users, we made many adjustments to the design to increase usability. Our final product no longer resembles our first design at all,” Sonia explains.

Chann KWAN Yuen-Shan, Darien SURIA, Sonia FOK Lui (from left)

Illustrator, Co-founder, Designer
Learning Time Limited

Darien co-founded Learning Time with his sister, Frances, in 2017 with the vision of promoting bonding, playing, and learning at home between parents and children. His educational background in child development along with Frances' background in design allowed them to create unique children products that not only have educational benefits for children, but also appeal to parents. While Darien doesn't have any formal background in design, his multidisciplinary approach to creating a new children’s product allows him to work with his team to translate complex findings and theories in child development research into user-friendly products. Darien loves the challenge of conceptualizing and designing children's products that are academically sound, loved by children, and adhere to Learning Time's brand's aesthetic.

Sonia is a designer based in Hong Kong. After graduating from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a degree in Visual Communication Design, Sonia worked for several design companies under a wide scope of design roles for clients like the Hong Kong government, local restaurant groups and fashion brands, where she discovered her passion for product design. In 2020, Sonia joined Learning Time as the lead product designer. Sonia incorporates modern and minimalist elements of design into each product, which is something not often seen in children’s toys, to elevate their function and aesthetic. Her designs are most well-known for their unique forms, attention to detail, and user-friendliness.

Chann is an illustrator based in Hong Kong who specializes in creating charming and engaging picture books for early childhood education. With a friendly and approachable style, She brings stories to life through colorful and whimsical illustrations that capture the imagination of young readers. She has collaborated with authors, publishers, and educators to create works that inspire a love of reading and learning in children. Chann joined Learning Time in 2018 as the lead illustrator, working on creating children’s books and graphic illustrations. Whether working on a new project or sharing her expertise with others in the industry, she is dedicated to making a positive impact on young minds through the power of art and storytelling.