Alicia Quan and Sarah Mondestin hang out with Michelle Lee, Partner and Managing Director of IDEO’s Play Lab. This convo is so delightful and fun! So much inspiration to go around. Listeners will be enriched.

Michelle discusses her unconventional career journey from mechanical engineering to toy design, and eventually to leading kid-focused projects. She emphasizes the importance of play in learning and its application beyond childhood, highlighting her work with companies like VTech, IDEO, and Sesame Workshop. Michelle shares insights into designing engaging and meaningful digital experiences, such as Elmo Calls and the Space Explorer Bus project. She also explores the application of playful design in unexpected areas like smoking cessation and robo-investing. 

Michelle provides valuable advice for designers and researchers in the EdTech space, encouraging them to observe, learn, and engage with the target audience, particularly children. The conversation also touches on balancing digital and real-life learning experiences and includes personal stories of learning new skills and bonding through play.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction; from Aerospace to Toy Design

06:25 Balancing Digital and Real-Life Learning

14:21 Designing for Preschoolers

21:11 Incorporating Play in Unexpected Places

24:49 The Role of Play in Learning

27:26 Balancing Seriousness and Play

29:41 Advice for Designers and Researchers

34:36 Curiosity and Inspo

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