Branches of Play

Branches of Play is an interactive installation that invites families to engage both with the device and with the forest. Through three large wheels, visitors can choose the type of game they want to play. They select parameters such as which part of nature they engage with, what kind of games they enjoy, and whether they want to play alone or together. Based on these parameters, the installation presents a game that stimulates seeing, hearing, smelling, or feeling the forest. A “fact” button enriches the experience with contextual knowledge, while indicator lights encourage exploration across nature categories. It is currently still in use at IVN Geldrop.

This project is a representation of both how I prefer to work and the type of product I like to design.

The design process prioritizes the user, involving them through generative design as well as during design evaluation. For this project this meant setting up co-creation workshops with families to explore how families like to engage with nature through imaginative storyboarding and playing outside. A co-creation workshop with the main stakeholder/expert, IVN, enriched the project with nature specific knowledge and set clear expectations for the project. Finally, the design was tested with families using storyboards to evaluate the experience in combination with more traditional user testing based on whether they understood the interaction.

As a design, it embodies my mission of making learning and growth fun for a large audience.

Curious? You can find the installation in the food forest in the Kasteeltuin by IVN Geldrop.