Play as Process was my capstone research and design project while attending Washington University in St. Louis. Here, you'll find an excerpt from the zine Play as Process and the various works that made it up. Over the course of my senior year I produced photographs, collages, research, activity books, a zine, and even a prompt generator (utilizing Drawbot and Python) as I worked to understand how myself and others could better tap into our creativity through the variety of experiences we had as children.

"Play as a design tool? For most of us, play was an integral part of our childhood—but what if we didn’t leave it behind? Some of the most popular methods of play engage with design thinking that we use as professionals daily. LEGO, dollhouses, The Sims, and many more all feature elements of creation, iteration, destruction, and many more. Not everyone who engaged with these toys or games went on to a career in design but they still utilized the design process in some capacity.

What if we thought of design more like the limitless play of our childhood? How might this help us become better designers and creative problem solvers?"