Abstract
This paper investigates the notion of designing opportunities for adult play in public space. The project responds to a changing landscape of play, within a context of worsening national mental health and a need for building resilience in our current climate. Following a methodology that includes co-design, social innovation and craft, the design intervention is a curated play walk in a local urban environment, inviting participation, exploration and creative expression. Through a qualitative evaluation of the intervention’s impact, there is an emergence of insights related to designing for play in public space, leading to the elaboration of a set of design for play principles.
Keywords
play, public space, codesign, mental health
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.549
Citation
Powell, L. (2022) Exploring the complexity and agency of play through co-design and experiential design with and for adults, in Lockton, D., Lenzi, S., Hekkert, P., Oak, A., Sádaba, J., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2022: Bilbao, 25 June - 3 July, Bilbao, Spain. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.549
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Research Paper
Included in
Exploring the complexity and agency of play through co-design and experiential design with and for adults
This paper investigates the notion of designing opportunities for adult play in public space. The project responds to a changing landscape of play, within a context of worsening national mental health and a need for building resilience in our current climate. Following a methodology that includes co-design, social innovation and craft, the design intervention is a curated play walk in a local urban environment, inviting participation, exploration and creative expression. Through a qualitative evaluation of the intervention’s impact, there is an emergence of insights related to designing for play in public space, leading to the elaboration of a set of design for play principles.