SEEKING PLAY

Describing a guest as a "Legend" is often tempting, but this label feels especially fitting for Sunni Brown. And we don’t just mean legend in the sense of being "famous"- though Sunni deservingly is. We mean legend, as in "a story handed down by our ancestors," as we believe Sunni embodies the stories of our ancestors. As the author of The Doodle Revolution, Sunni embodies our ancestors who used cave paintings to communicate hunting tactics, societal values, and intangible spiritual concepts. This connection is particularly strong with Sunni’s new venture, the Center for Deep Self Design. As the co-author of Gamestorming, Sunni represents our ancestors who used games to teach skills, resolve conflicts, and strengthen bonds. These games were vital for transmitting cultural knowledge and identity across generations and for Sunni across organisations. So there you have it. Sunni Brown.  Legend. Spotify (where you can watch our conversation) https://lnkd.in/eT7UCwHz YouTube  https://lnkd.in/eW-n4R2x Apple  https://lnkd.in/eJfse5DC Amazon https://lnkd.in/e6cETgqM #SEEKINGPLAY #Play #Playfulness #HowMightWePlay #Lego #LegoSeriousPlay #ServiceDesign #SystemsThinking

Many of us experience Tsundoku, the phenomenon of eagerly buying books but letting them pile up around our homes without reading them. But have you heard of Tsunbacku? No? Well, that’s not surprising, as we just made it up! Tsunbacku is the opposite of Tsundoku. It’s the phenomenon of returning ‘back’ to the pile of books that continue to inspire you. One such book is Serious Play, so we were delighted to chat with Michael Schrage. We really enjoyed this episode and hope you will, too. Spotify (where you can watch our conversation) https://lnkd.in/e2jbCQD2 YouTube https://lnkd.in/eiw-JyQN Apple  https://lnkd.in/eZa5fXpQ Amazon https://lnkd.in/ek_C-FUR #SeriousPlay #SEEKINGPLAY #Play #Playfulness #HowMightWePlay #Lego #Legoseriousplay #Servicedesign #Systemsthinking

“Adult playfulness is the same as childhood playfulness.” - Dr Marc Malmdorf Andersen. Yes, you heard that right. THE. SAME. In this episode, we chat with Marc about his fascinating research on play through a predictive processing framework.   By understanding play through predictive processing, we can revolutionise our approach to integrating play into workplaces and classrooms, fostering more innovative and adaptable environments that are more engaging and fulfilling for everyone involved. Spotify (where you can watch our conversation) https://lnkd.in/gQEAY5UK YouTube  https://lnkd.in/gPByrewF Apple  https://lnkd.in/gaqPGE2k Amazon https://lnkd.in/gfVvFFxH #PredictiveProcessing #SEEKINGPLAY #Play #Playfulness #HowMightWePlay #HowMightWe #Lego #LegoSeriousPlay #ServiceDesign #SystemsThinking

George Bernard Shaw once said, “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” so by our estimation, Dara Simkin will be making a playful ruckus well beyond the age of 250! We had a wonderful conversation with Dara, who rightly earns the title ‘Play Pioneer’ for the playful and innovative work she and her team at Culture Hero have done since 2016. Throughout this time, Dara has collaborated with other Play Pioneers, such as Dr Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play and author of the book Play, and Brendan Boyle, founder of the IDEO Play Lab and a leading advocate for play in design thinking. We’re particularly excited about the research Dara is currently conducting with RMIT, which promises to legitimise the value of play in the workplace. This research aims to demonstrate how play can enhance creativity, teamwork, and overall job satisfaction, ultimately helping play to be taken seriously in professional environments. And who knows, maybe Dara will celebrate her 250th birthday in a Barry Manilow t-shirt! (Barry Manilow t-shirt? You have to watch the episode to find out why!) Spotify (where you can watch our conversation) https://lnkd.in/etsjqUtp YouTube  https://lnkd.in/e4GUEWiw Apple  https://lnkd.in/ehHfBbAs Amazon https://lnkd.in/eT7siS6P #SEEKINGPLAY #HowMightWe #Play #Lego #LegoSeriousPlay #ServiceDesign #SystemsThinking

It’s World Creativity and Innovation Week, but let’s not forget that the stress of these often glamourised workplace endeavours can sometimes overshadow the toll they take on our well-being and relationships with colleagues. While taking risks and challenging the norm can lead to progress in the workplace, we must recognise that the downsides aren't felt just by the "organisation" but more specifically by people, such as our family members, friends, and ourselves. That's why we're excited to have Dr Lynda Shaw join us. With a Doctorate in Cognitive Neuroscience, Lynda helps senior leaders and their teams create habits that nurture brain health and emotional well-being. Spotify (where you can watch our conversation) https://lnkd.in/eyhjPH_4 YouTube  https://lnkd.in/eNWfPcHs Apple  https://lnkd.in/e8r5YTBc Amazon https://lnkd.in/eWnHHvGZ #SEEKINGPLAY #HowMightWe #Play #Lego #LegoSeriousPlay #ServiceDesign #SystemsThinking

Happy Saint Patrick's Play Day, everyone https://lnkd.in/eRnb9bkz

Physical space, sensation, and movement affects learning?? Nonsense! Powerpoint does! Plus, slides are even more amazing since AI can automatically input images of people with bizarre facial expressions and eight fingers! As nonsensical as that last line is, how ridiculous is it that learning (for whatever age) has lost ‘touch’ (pun intended!) with the fact that physical space, sensation, and movement affects learning? This is why Dr Susan Hrach’s book 'Minding Bodies: How Physical Space, Sensation, and Movement Affect Learning' grabbed our attention. And while we’re talking about attention, here’s a quote from Susan’s book that we loved. “The goal of increasing one's IA (Interoceptive Awareness) isn't to become more accurate but rather to gain more control over our attention to internal signals and to better regulate our responses to them.” As the hype train for AI in learning continues to gather pace, it’s the marginal (playful renegade) voices advocating for IA that we should also be listening to...so have a listen :) Links in comments #SEEKINGPLAY #HowMightWe #Play #Lego #LegoSeriousPlay #ServiceDesign #SystemsThinking Columbus State University

A global conference about ‘Revolutionising Education Through Play’ Nonsense! We need more STEM! Play has done nothing for society! ‘Revolutionising Education Through Play’ may seem like a grandiose statement, but having spoken with our wonderful guests, we think it's entirely appropriate. Professor Emer Ring and Dr Lisha O'Sullivan should give us hope that the education system some of us struggled in is now being ‘revolutionised’ for learners globally. And while we’re at it, let's get grandiose and ancestral and consider ‘Revolutionising Society Through Play’. Look back through human history. Play has always been a fundamental aspect of society. From ancient civilisations using games to teach important skills and values, to indigenous cultures integrating play into rituals and ceremonies, the role of play in shaping societal norms, values, and behaviours cannot be overstated. Therefore, ‘Revolutionising Education Through Play’ inevitably leads to revolutionising society through play, as it influences how children and adults create, connect and contribute meaningfully to their communities and local ecology. Emer, Lisha and their colleagues have worked tirelessly to host the Revolutionising Education through Play Conference 2024, held on 02 March 2024 at the Mary Immaculate College, Ireland (Limerick, Ireland) Link in comments #SEEKINGPLAY #play #playfulness #HowMightWePlay #lego #legoseriousplay #servicedesign #systemsthinking

Hear ye! Hear ye! All hail the Jester Queen, Savannah Vize (she/her)!   Playful and benevolent ruler of Season One! Those opening lines must be very confusing if you haven’t watched our conversation with Savannah.....so go watch our little chinwag :) Even before we met Savannah, we were impressed with the creativity and playful intelligence of her Master's Thesis, ‘The Eco-Citizen's Playbook’. And those attributes certainly shone through when we spoke with Savannah. We hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as we did. Links in comments.....cause user experience doesn't matter 🙄 #SEEKINGPLAY #play #playfulness #creativity #HowMightWePlay #lego #legoseriousplay #servicedesign #systemsthinking

Artists, creatives, designers- heck, everyone really has the ability to subtly reframe what is familiar to us and, in doing so, subtly alter our feelings, thoughts, and actions in the world. This is certainly the case for this artist, futurist, misfit, partner, dad and author of "The Play Ethic: A Manifesto for a Different Way of Living." Pat Kane's book explores the possibility of reimagining the 'Work-Life Balance' as the 'Play-Care Continuum'. If we consider the ecological damage done to our planet, maybe a more playful and creative workplace makes sense. Maybe? If we consider the rise in global income inequality and the polarisation of political views, maybe a more caring society makes sense. Maybe? We loved chatting with Pat and hope you enjoy it, too. p.s. we bust out some LEGO :) p.p.s links in the comments to obey the all-knowing LinkedIn algo :( #SEEKINGPLAY #play #playfulness #HowMightWePlay #lego #legoseriousplay #servicedesign #systemsthinking