RECESS

RECESS explores how playfulness can be reintroduced into adult life through everyday objects. Aimed specifically at adults who often deprioritize play in favour of productivity and responsibility, it investigates how design can serve as gentle prompts to momentarily reconnect with a childlike state of mind.

Rather than focusing solely on 'play' as an activity, the project frames playfulness as a mindset that encourages presence, curiosity, and emotion, even if only for a few minutes. Through an exploration of movement, interaction, and the nostalgic qualities of certain materials and forms, the project explored how design can invite this mindset without being forced. SPINSTER, draws from the nostalgic joy of spinning tops combining the hypnotic thrill of motion and balance with the polish and ritual of a wine decanter, merging the worlds of childhood play and adult refinement.

PIVOT, invites users to explore balance, movement, and reflection through playful interaction. It encourages moments of curiosity by allowing one to experiment with shifting weight and different balance points and engaging with the changing effects of light and reflections. PIVOT creates a moment  that joins physical play with visual intrigue, inviting  to pause, observe, and engage in a simple yet meaningful moment of playfulness.

By treating playfulness as a valuable and vital part of everyday life, this RECESS aims to create design interventions that remind us: that there is still time and space to play.