Play Design Challenge
What are the social-constructs that go into how play spaces are imagined and built? You have been observing and reflecting on existing places in NYC the last few weeks for Bridge 2. For this next assignment you will employ your observational and research skills to design a play structure, playscape or toy that elicits imagination, collaboration and community. You will create your own utopian play experience informed by historical research, contemporary human development theory, and in-response to the realities of a world undergoing climate change and other various uncertainties.
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Stage Three … Final :
Process
For my play design challenge, I first began with a thorough investigation into play, free play, playgrounds, landscape as a playscape, and outdoor play both as formal readings and case studies. As noted below in stages one and two of my play design development (written out further down in the post), my focus was on the creation of an immersive environment that is manipulated by its users. As I began my research into the topic of play while regarding the modern technological age that we are living in, I wanted to focus on designing an extensive outdoor nature playscape that covered a few acres of land with forested rolling hills, streams of fresh water, and sandy expanses equipped with various tools for building, transporting, climbing, and ultimately encouraging the user to project their imaginative world onto the environment encompassing them – all while developing a relationship between the children and the natural world. As I continued my research, I was not entirely sure how to go about making a model for what I had envisioned and felt that just creating a model would not do my ambitions for this assignment justice. All I knew was my desire to create a playscape in which the user had total control. So I asked myself, why not create a toy that enables the user to create their own -mini- playscape? And while we are at it, why not create a “toy” for people of all ages?
Realization
With the use of oil pastels, 300 lb watercolor paper, goo-gone, and abstract folds and tears, I was able to create a toy that’s final outcome is entirely dictated by the user. By creating a series of ambiguous shapes coated with vibrant hues, the user is able to project their imagination onto the objects and become the designers of their own experience. The obscure visual nature of the toy is a pivotal point in the conceptualization of the design. Since nothing is clearly defined, this “unknown” factor is what allows the individuals to project their imaginations onto the shapes, leaving it up to them to fill in the blanks.
Use
I believe that a “toy” such as the one that I created above could be an asset for parents, educators, psychologists, and scientists alike. As Edith Hall explained to us in Aristotle’s Way, “Every child is good at something, and they usually enjoy what they are good at. The pleasure means that the talent, once identified, could be a useful guide to what kind of employment or career to choose” (47). The greatest gift, in her mind, is when someone is able to help another identify their potential and provide circumstances for it to develop (47). In Two Cheers for Anarchism – The Production of Human Beings, James C. Scott makes an especially provocative argument attesting to the power of openness. I made a connection between the power of openness and human potential. What I mean by this is that when humans are given the freedom to manipulate and dictate their environment, experience, play, etc., they are afforded the opportunity to discover aspects of themselves that may have stayed dormant in an environment that had been clearly defined, and thus limited, by others. With a toy that is left up for interpretation, the user (and other parties) can see where their imagination takes them and what underlying interests and skills may have informed their outcome.
P.S.
While testing it on friends, I have been pleasantly surprised with how each person that engages with this toy creates an environment that is entirely different from the others created before.
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Stage One :
I am designing for children 3-12 years old living in a place that has enough space to create a rather large playscape to build onto the immersive experience. I aim for the space to activate the user. By activation, I mean for children to challenge their brains, develop motor skills, foster imaginative and fantasy experiences, problem solve and develop social skills through movement. Through play, a youngster becomes in tune with the world around them. If we are able to identify what fosters creativity in a playground setting, we as designers will be able to develop on these findings and create an environment that would best cater to the children’s growth. Through research, I have found ample resources that attest to the power of free play. When a playground area focuses on free play, children are able to engage with space in any way they desire. This freedom allows children to explore and see where the time takes them based on natural interests and innate skills. Weaving free play with a nature-based playscape focus, children are able to manipulate their experience in any way desired.
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Stage Two :
The playground I aim to design will be focused on the manipulation of natural environments. The forested area’s topography, depicted at the bottom left of the Ariel view below, would be constructed on rolling hills that engage children with the variation of ground levels. The forested area would be dense enough to obscure the bright rays of light, playing into a more mystical, creative environment. There would be a variety of small activities that are offered within the forest, but for the most part, the play would be developed and directed by child themselves. The water feature, that is depicted in blue, would offer a variety of ways to cross the body of water – including logs, rock stepping stones, a bridge (for those who might be nervous), a rectangular rope feature hanging over the water, and of course swimming. Depending on the source of the water, perhaps we can even grow some water-friendly plants. The sand feature, depicted in a sandy color at the top right of the map, would have a more barren landscape equipped with small wheelbarrows, sand toys, shovels, etc. There would also be old trees repurposed there for climbing as well as some sort of play climbing structure made from recycled material to challenge the children. There would be some kind of covering in various areas to ensure the possibility of a break from direct sunlight. The whole playscape will have a boarder and supervision so that the children cannot escape and unwanted visitors would not be able to enter, but they will, for the most part, be autonomous.
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Ariel Mock-UP by a 4-year old (me):
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Object Designs:
