- Numerous educational teories recognize tactile play as a powerful learning tool. Through its design, oblo™ spheres, a spherical didactic puzzle, manifests those theories and blures the line between play and learning.
The shells must be twisted against the sphere's central axis in order to successfully remove individual pieces from the center of the ball, until all pieces have been removed and the oblo™ spheres has been entirely disassembled. The ball may then be reassembled in a similar fashion.
For all ages the object teaches spatial geometry and fine motor skills, exercising and training the three muscle groups necessary for writing and drawing and hand-eye coordination: fingers and hand for grasping, index finger and thumb for pinching, and wrist for rotation.
oblo™ spheres is an example of a didactic product that engages color and shape elements for both children and adults, bridging markets through design.
Category: Toys & puzzles
Coworkers: Mladen Oresic (Univ. of Zagreb, School of Design)
Implementation/ Market: End of 2010/ Global
Availability: Via websites and dealers
Status: Consumer product
Client/ Manufacturer: Great Circle Works
Website: www.oblospheres.com
Year: 2007 - currently
For all inquiries, please write to: info@oblospheres.com 
„At Croatia’s University of Zagreb, student designed a 3D puzzle, cousin to the Rubik’s cube, for children."
- Businessweek, July 28, 2008
„Oblo is a great design with it's play value another great addition to the pre‐school regulars.“
– Nicholas C. H. Mather, Chief Executive, Hamleys, 2007- „I played with it alot. I showed it to everyone I could. It captured my imagination."
– Mark Dziersk, FIDSA, Vice President of Design, BrandImage, 2008
„Whenever another juror picked up this fascinating toy, we could observe continuous streams of smiles and intense mental concentration.
The design engages in a way that few toys (for children or adults) are capable of.
This is a world‐class design achievement.”
– Bill Mak, IDSA, Interaction Design Professional and Innovation Entrepreneur, IMI Studios, 2008
