Swinging from the Lamp Posts

Human-sized outdoor spaces are precious urban resources amid the traffic and skyscrapers. The pedestrian connective tissue of sidewalks, plazas, and staircases is wasted if we only use it for moving people around. We can make these spaces more beautiful and alive by activating them through play. There are many ways to do this—color, music, art—but what really gets me excited is movement. We can design spaces that enable and encourage climbing, jumping, and balancing without losing functionality or getting ourselves sued! Making a space playable is all about creating adjacency and connections between objects while using graphics and visuals to invite people to try something new.

We are so excited to announce that Colin MacDonald, our Design Director, was accepted to speak at this years Seattle Ignite!  His talk, Swinging from the Lamp Posts: Designing for Play in the Modern City, will cover the incredible opportunities available to designers and communities for bringing play into the places they live.

Join us in congratulating Colin, and come out on Thursday, March 1st, to hear him speak!

Didn't know we got down with design? Check out our portfolio of projects, from installations and events to parks and playgrounds. We work with local governments, communities, and private citizens to bring to life spaces that provide access and opportunities for physical play and parkour for people of all ages!