Mix a Pixel is an interactive artefact that introduces children to RGB light and how digital screens create colour. The project was developed as part of a Physical Computing course, where the brief was to design a hands-on object that teaches a fundamental building block of technology.
The artefact uses three physical sliders to control red, green, and blue light values from 0 to 255. As the sliders are adjusted, the mixed colour updates in real time on a display. Children are given a reference colour and encouraged to recreate it through experimentation rather than instruction.
When a close match is achieved, a button activates an LED matrix. All pixels in the matrix that use the matched colour light up simultaneously. Repeating this process with different reference colours gradually reveals a complete image, helping children connect individual colour mixes to a larger visual outcome.
Mix a Pixel is designed for children beginning to explore how everyday digital technology works. Research showed that RGB colour systems are often explained as static information, making them hard to grasp. By turning colour mixing into a physical, repeatable interaction, the project makes an abstract system tangible and intuitive.
The project demonstrates how simple controls and immediate visual feedback can communicate complex technical ideas. Through play and repetition, children develop an intuitive understanding of how red, green, and blue light combine to create every image they see on a screen.
