Playworks is a system designed by Jaclyn Starker and Thomas Reynolds that aims to integrate play into the workplace to improve employee productivity, creativity, and reduce stress. It proposes a series of design interventions that actively engage users through opportunities for spontaneous play, collaboration, and innovation. The goal is to encourage a playful lifestyle at work through relieving daily stress. It seeks input from key stakeholders like employees, bosses, managers, and the building space.

1. Playworks
create, laugh, joke...at work!
project by Jaclyn Starker and Thomas Reynolds

2. What is play?

3. play spontaneousactivityas
ameansofdeveloping
[pley] physical,intellectual,
emotional,socialand
noun moralcapacities.

4. gross motor fine motor sensory
social functional constructive object
music dance imaginative
dramatic rough and tumble sports

5. Why is play
important?

6. Playisimportanttocreativity.
Creativityisimportanttoeducation.
Educationisimportanttodesign.

7. But, where is the fun
afterpre-school?

9. office life

10. google

11. ideo

12. facebook

13. Why is play
criticalinthe
workplace?

14. Inarecentsurveyof60,000
workers,80%reportedthey
werestressedatwork
“sometimestoalways.”
(Shepell fgi Health & Productivity Solutions)

15. How does a business
benefitfromhappy
employees?

16. Happy employees are the best salespeople.
Happy employees work faster and more efficiently.
Happy employees actually want to go to work.
Happy employees have more ideas.
Happy employees have more drive.

17. “I walk for an hour, run personal errands.
”
“Read local blogs, irritate my co-workers, drink heavily.
”
Breaks?
“What lunch break?”
“Sometimes I don't get one, depending on how busy
the front is. I usually read, do personal internet things
at our back computer or run errands. ”

18. “Managing crazy people. I eat them for dinner.
”
“I usually clicka pen or throw paper
clips at my desk or bend paper clips.
”
“One piece of “I deal by taking walks,
paper at a time. keepingperspective. ”
Breathe. ”
Stress?
“Drink a lot of caffeine, keep myself centered so I don't take my
frustration out on others, yoga after work, ceramics after work....
and a few alcoholic beverages here and there. ”
“The internet, looking at cute cat videos,
window shopping online, fashion blogs. ”

19. “Wish I had somethingtolookupat or a
window to look out once in a while.
”
“Could use some work as far as just
being over cluttered, messy, and gross.
”
Change?
“I think that the lobby should have
videoboards and interactivecenters.”
“I would like to have my own personal area.
”

20. theidea:
(bored)
(tired)

23. Playworks is a system that integrates play into the lives of
adults as they go about their workday. It is a series of design
interventions that actively engages users in an environment
providing them with an outlet to spontaneouslyplay,
create, collaborate, inspireandinnovate.
The ultimate goal of Playworks is to encourage a playful
lifestyle and improve productivity by relieving daily stress.

24. Who are the stakeholders?
employees
bosses
managers

25. laboratory

26. entrance

32. tic tac toe

34. save your change

38. tangram

39. silly string

40. “I work better in these kinds of atmospheres.
Work SHOULD be fun.”
-Stephanie

41. funny face

42. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun. Everybody is
going to come over and put a mustache on me.”
-Debbie

43. sodoku
sodoku

44. “The creative pieces are intimidating to me.
So, that’s why I like the sodoku.”
-Mariann

45. carpet poetry

46. “These are great...lasers are awesome.
You guys are smart”
-Emily

47. special thanks to everyone at the Student Financial Services Office,
Dr. Anna Beresin, and Caleb Marshall from KaBOOM!