Talking about toys! Edith K.Ackermann- MIT, LEGO Kathleen Alfano- Play Lab, Fisher Price Erik Strommen- Playful Efforts ScottTaylor- 360K

Research, Design, Development: Bridging the gap

1

How developmentalists and industry can best collaborate?

This panel tackles honest questions from perplexed researchers—usually trained in academia—who would like to reach a broader audience, or make “real” changes in the world, but who are faced with the dictates of industry—usually market-oriented, and the spur of the moment of insights of designers, usually trained in liberal arts.

2

Kathlen Alfano— Fisher Price What works and what doesn’t? how to make it work

3

Erik Strommen—Playful efforts Tight timelines. Testing interfaces that don’t exist!

4

Scott Taylor—360 KIDS Rethinking Product development when time is on your side but funds are not

5

Edith K. Ackermann—MIT http://www.media.mit.edu/~edith Toys to Fall for or live with? Children’s attachments

6

7

I grow with my toys, my toys grow with me

toys to fall for or live with

Questions?

8

beyond hands-on

beyond heads-in

behind play-back

behind ’WOW”

immerse

dwell-in

����������

imagine��

envision�

��

��������

create��

pretend��

������

connect��

tune-in�

playful learning iterative cycle – edith ackermann

10

what environments? •  “microworlds” •  be immersed - zone in •  take distance - remove •  change of perspective •  change scale of things •  change stance in world •  body-centered mathematics…