Play signals & Tactility in the context of free play
Some say that the inside of a monster would feel crowded and yacky. What do you feel?
Vissa säger att insidan av ett monster skulle kännas trångt och äckligt. Vad känner du?
Play is ambiguous. On one hand, children are playing to explore and develop their understanding of the world and themselves. On the other hand, they express their interpretation of life and the world through play. When designing for children we can meet these two aspects, building environments where they can act on the given and create out of the given. What we can do as designers is to offer various possibilities for children to come up with their own parallel realities.
The project's aim was to introduce children to the significance of the tactile sensory system by creating an environment with various unconventional surfaces to feel with their skin. We chose soft fabrics to make it pleasant to touch, and created bumpy and fluffy surfaces to trigger an active interaction. Our inspirations came from nature or from fabrics and woodworks that adopt organic forms, which had to be reduced to a geometric and repetitive pattern to keep the visual balance between the different elements in the product and in the tactile interaction.
The project was exhibited at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair
and at the Mölnlycke Kulturhus in 2016.
Designed by Annie Hjälmefjord | Victoria Sarria | Tünde Hegedüs
