ONLINE JOURNAL - RIPOSTE
28/01/20 - I’m liking this brief a lot! The first thing that came to mind when I heard maximum joy is of course children. I’m not quite sure what I could do just yet but it’s going to be in the theme of kids and play.
30/01/20 - After chatting with Sophie, Julia and Josephine we decided to join our forces and work on this project together.
10/02/20 - I met with the girls today and I’m so happy to be working as a group for one final project! Plus it’s perfect, the girls had an idea of what they wanted to do but didn’t have a concept, and I didn’t know what to make but I knew I wanted to talk about Play. After chatting and brainstorming all together we decided the best was to make a launch event on that topic. The goal is to create a fun space and event where you remember how fun it is to play. We will have big versions of games and reminders of the guests’ childhoods. We want the event to wake up people’s inner child.
What is Play? - Play has a lot of definitions, one which I find particularly interesting and straightforward “Play is a biological phenomenon for exploring, learning, and adapting cultural roles, values, and rules of society.” (Frost, 2012, p117). “In a large sense, play is freedom”. (Dattner, 1969, p.15). What is the difference between work and play? To simplify “the results of work can be classified, measured, counted and sold”. Play is “and end in itself and, like virtue, is its own reward. It is the process of play, not the product, that gives us satisfaction” (Dattner, p.9).“Play is not bound by reality - it is extraordinary. Always leaving far behind the everyday, real world.” (p14)
15/02/20 - PLAY WELL EXHIBITION - Just came back from the exhibition/event with Josephine, it was great! Not everything was open yet cause we went at the opening but we got some great inspiration. We loved the room with the fake jungle. It was an installation with a structure you can go in and the room is dark with some jungle noise and there’s a game of lights. I really liked seeing it as it reminded me doing something simple like turning the lights off, playing with subtle lighting and adding noise can transform a space without having to spend a lot of money on it.
NOTES FROM THE MEETINGS - For future reference
Maximum Joy Through Play
Exhibitions: Permission to Play & Play Well (Wellcome Collection)
Encouraging play amongst / adults - wake up inner child
Nostalgia - encouraging readers to talk about happy childhood memories / make relations
Interactive experiences - large scale versions of childhood floor or board games / reliving childhood
Adult arcade
Forget outside stresses / pressures
Game Ideas
Hopscotch
Tic Tac Toe
Jenga
Musical Chairs
Snakes & Ladders - climbing way to MAXIMUM JOY
Colour By Numbers on the wall - getting everyone involved
Throwing darts on balloons filled with paints
Games reformed
Wayfinding
How will people move around the space?
Follow line / maze through launch event
Find space (Protein Space)
3D? What are games made out of?
Design Style
Visuals from 1990s (when readers were children)
Something to take away / memorabilia - tote bag with game / colouring / candy from childhood
Movement / flow / repeating patterns and shapes / bright colours
Additional Elements
Play kitchen - place to get refreshments - childhood snacks (must be universal)
Some nostalgic elements - remember past / some new elements - spark excitement / motivate readers
Research Glossier wayfinding movement through space
Research Refinery 29: 29 Rooms - ceiling / walls / floor space
Camille Walala - bold pattern design and bright colours
Morphing Mirrors - space that brings you back
Monsters Inc - doors to your childhood - memories behind each door - dreamland / Narnia (entering a different reality through each rooms)
Making something / arts and crafts
Making it as sustainable as possible - borrowing elements / adds to nostalgia
The toys / games that we will use / built can then be gifted to schools, associations, to spread the joy
Have a dress code casual so people can play with everything without being uncomfortable (twister…)
Food
Alcoholic Popsicles (POPS)
Popcorn
Pop Rocks
Ring Pops
PB&J finger sandwiches
Something cereal - That lady from masterchef who makes cereal milk desserts
Having the shape of kids’ snacks but flavours revisited by a chef (Like an oreo but it’s savoury - parmesan cracker and a filling inside)
Savory muffins / cupcakes - sundried tomato - pesto
Mini Donuts
Slushies (watermelon, lime & basil, rose, coconut …)
Cotton candy
Cherry lollipops
FINAL DETAILS WE LANDED ON
Space - Shorts Garden (Covent Garden)
Food - Social Pantry
Entry Level - Dice, Colouring Wall, Battleships, Guess Who, Refreshments (Stair Zone)
Basement - Jenga, Photobooth, Book Shelves w/ Issue, Cloud Chairs/Cushions, Glowing Stars, Cloud Lights, Chill Zone, Fort / Hanging Blankets, Music, Refreshments (Stair Zone)
Jo: Floorplan, Visualising Dice System / Wayfinding
Questions – How to get people around after rolling the dice? What are their next steps after the first station?
Louise & Julia: All Stationery (Posters, Invitations, Social Media Content, Tote Bag Takeaway - Temporary Tattoos is the invitation (wear to get into event) Sweets / Card Game / Colouring Booklet)
Sophie: Games & Rules
Primary Colours: Red, Yellow, Blue
I’ve been in charge of finding a catering company. After doing a bunch of research I think the best is Social Pantry. They do fun finger food that I feel would work really well for our event. We had an idea to serve food that’s inspired by our childhood but revisited for adults, so like alcoholic popsicles. I’ve also designed this little dice character that will be on the invitations and the tote bag. It’s going to be the mascot of the event.
1/06/20 - FINAL THOUGHTS
This has been the easiest and maybe most pleasant project to work on this year! I loved that we had the occasion to work as a group. I really like working by myself but I also really enjoy working in a small group because I feel like we can get more done and the weight of the project is lighter on everyone. I especially loved working as a group because we chose who we worked with and I loved working with the girls. It’s been great to share ideas and we were all very hardworking and efficient so the project has just been very easy. I love what we came up with, it’s very fun and playful and I loved that we chose to do a launch event, which is something I had never worked on before.