IDEO Play Lab

So excited to be a finalist (partnered with the incredible IDEO) for Play Innovator of the Year in the Play Creator Awards! Twister Air was a labor of love by all involved in it, and I am glad every day that Hasbro is willing to take the risks to chase innovation in the gaming space. If you haven't yet had the chance to try the AR magic of Twister Air - I highly recommend it! #hasbroemployee #mojonation #playcreatorawards2024

Over the past four decades, the IDEO Play Lab has designed and licensed more than 250 toys and games, from classics like the Barbie ® Camper to the first set of Sesame Workshop smartphone apps for kids. With every product, we think about how to design fun and engaging experiences that delight parents, entertain kids, and lead to success for our partners. But we also put a lot of thought into making design decisions that support healthy habits, and help kids—and their families—thrive. Here are a few examples of how we’ve navigated those design choices 👇

Human creativity is innate, manifesting through mediums like art, music, and fashion. And as Gen Z emerges, they're shaping their own vibe. 🤌 To explore the possibilities of creative AI products, we built prototypes and tested them with Gen Z participants in real life contexts, offering a glimpse into what truly matters to this next generation. More about how we’re designing value-led AI experiences: https://lnkd.in/g-qUV4Us 🎤: Takashi Wickes ✍️: matt callahan, Wendy Wang Mertensmeyer, and Takashi Wickes 🎥: Takashi Wickes and Jeremy Yijie Chen

When we first started exploring the possibilities of creative AI products with a group of Gen Zs, they were clear about what they want: tools that scaffold the creative process, lower the barriers to entry, and connect creative communities. “I could see myself starting up a business someday,” one high-school senior told us. “So say I wanted to make visuals, or ads for that—I'll want to have an AI guide me through the creative process.” To find out what that really means in practice, we prototyped a set of creative AI tools and asked a cohort of young people between 13 and 24 to test them in their own work and lives. Subscribe to the newsletter and read the story by matt callahan, Wendy Wang Mertensmeyer, and Takashi Wickes 👇

How can game design help us reshape life online? Lauren Lin—an incredible design researcher, multimedia designer, and toy inventor at the IDEO Play Lab—explains some key learnings in the video below.  Curious to know more? Check out this piece by Keren Ruth W., Ridima Ramesh and Lauren Lin with tips for how we might design for digital thriving: https://lnkd.in/gibYNeZ7 Creating safe and inclusive online spaces doesn't mean we have to bubblewrap the internet, but it does mean we need to design our digital environments with thoughtfulness and intentionality. If your org is interested in building a healthier digital future for the next generation, please reach out. We'd love to design it alongside you!

Feeling stuck? Want to get into a more creative headspace? Try this creative warmup – an IDEO Play Lab favorite! Tapping into play and imagination can elevate our energy, motivate us through hard challenges, and help us discover new ideas. Learn how to use the power of play and curiosity to solve complex problems in IDEO U’s new course launching today! Creative Thinking for Complex Problem Solving: https://ideo.in/4c3nzRQ #designforplay #ideo

"We cannot start moving towards a different future unless we can see it." How do we explore many possibilities or challenge assumptions of how we've done things in the past? Dreaming allows us to see a different future than we can see today. Sometimes, we have to let ourselves go free and play and imagine to discover different possibilities and new solutions. Listen to our latest live conversation with Creative Thinking for Complex Problem Solving Instructor, Michelle Lee-Schmidt. https://ideo.in/49X0yOD

Looking to integrate #AI into your next product? To help make it seamless, IDEO Play Lab's Kezie Todd, Lauren Lin, and Keren Ruth W. share insights inspired by game design on how to prototype, position, and world build with AI-enabled experiences.

"My 3 ingredients for using play in problem solving: 1. Psychological Safety: Create that safe space. You have to have psychological safety and physical safety.  2. Agency: Help people feel agency. 3. Joy: Use joy to sustain us and keep us excited and engaged." —Michelle Lee-Schmidt, Partner and Managing Director, Play Lab at IDEO… …and Instructor of our new course Creative Thinking for Complex Problem Solving: https://ideo.in/3SGkA9c

We love to make things! Come behind the scenes with the IDEO Play Lab on our AI-powered holiday wishing well! https://lnkd.in/gC_G87J5 #generatieveai #creative #holidaycards