Power of Play

An Event Celebrating the Interdisciplinary Power of Design

Power of Play, a design event organized by the Industrial Designer Society of America student chapter, celebrates the power of design to bring people together, foster creativity, and inspire innovation. The event provides a platform for students from various disciplines to collaborate, ideate, research, design, and prototype products based on a pre-planned theme.

The inspiration behind Power of Play stems from the designer's fascination with powerful toy designs. Mina Lynn Sohn, the creative director of Untitled.studio, drew inspiration from the visually interesting graphic forms of toys that we interact with during our childhood. By incorporating big typography into the design, the letterforms "power of play" seamlessly blend with these basic graphic forms, creating a cohesive and engaging visual language.

What sets Power of Play apart from other design events is its emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. Students from all majors and backgrounds are encouraged to participate, bringing together diverse perspectives and skill sets. This inclusive approach fosters a rich and dynamic environment where ideas can flourish and innovative solutions can be developed.

The event features professional guest lecturers from various backgrounds, providing valuable insights and guidance to the participating students. This exposure to different disciplines and perspectives broadens the students' understanding of design and encourages them to think beyond their own fields of study.

Power of Play is not limited to the physical event space; it extends its reach through a comprehensive digital presence. The project communicates with the audience through a dedicated website and social media platforms, ensuring that the event's impact extends beyond the confines of the physical space.

The design realization technology behind Power of Play encompasses a wide range of visual assets, including posters, pamphlets, postcards, name tags, timers, sweatshirts, tote bags, stickers, websites, sign systems, and advertising assets such as email promotions. Each element is meticulously crafted to reflect the playful and interdisciplinary nature of the event.

The technical specifications of the design include a poster size of 609mm x 914.4mm, postcards measuring 101.6mm x 152.4mm, and pamphlets sized at 107.95mm x 279.4mm. These specifications ensure that the visual assets effectively convey the event's message and capture the attention of the target audience.

Power of Play was conceived in April 2018, formally designed in mid-July, and finished production in early September of the same year. The event was launched on September 29th, 2018, providing a platform for students to showcase their collaborative and interdisciplinary design projects.

This design project presented several challenges, particularly in creating an event design that would be interesting and approachable for students from different disciplines. However, by embracing the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, Power of Play successfully overcame these challenges and created an inclusive and inspiring environment for all participants.

Power of Play received recognition for its outstanding design and creative ingenuity, winning the Bronze A' Design Award in the Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design category in 2019. This prestigious award acknowledges designs that authentically embody experience and resourcefulness, incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology. Power of Play's strong technical and creative skills contribute to improvements in quality of life, making the world a better place.

All images used in this design are credited to Mina Lynn Sohn, who holds the copyrights for the visual content.