Play the Future into reality. Philosophy and a few tools to incorporate trial and error into organizational or product development.

1. PlayDesign
Playing the Future into Reality!

2. What is Play Design?
Why Play Design?
How to Play Design?
- Principles
- Methods
Practice with Innovation Challenge

3. The Biology of Pressure
Attack
Sudden Quitting
Confront
Half Hearted Attempt
Dominate (seek
Sudden Anger
control over)
Cool
Experiment
Betrayal Out of the box
Sabotage Innovating
Ongoing Doubt Flip Thinking
Play
Evasion
Sullen Obedience
Flight
Bow Inner Death
Hide (inside or real)
Surrender Feeling blocked
Quitting

4. Johan Huizinga in Homo Ludens:
“In the absence of the play-spirit, civilization is
impossible.”
“One might call society a game in the formal sense, if
one bears in mind that such a game is the living principle
of all civilization.”

5. What steps
What steps All noses
All noses Trust that all
Trust that all Love to play, experiment
Love to play, experiment
will protect in the same Score or
will protect in the same
Score or moves
moves and cocreate with others
get fired!
get fired! and cocreate with others
our interests?
our interests? direction.
direction. contribute.
contribute.
Don’t
Don’t
We promise
We promise Offer value for
Offer value for
It’s Us or
It’s Us or Enjoy.
Enjoy. talk,
talk,
shareholder
shareholder everyone
everyone
Them
Them dance!
dance!
value.
value.
Corporate Co-

6. Play Design Foundations
Play is the most integrated learning there is.
• Empower people through co-creation: it's their new
reality.
• Purposeful messy play is dialogue and helps new
reality to emerge*.
• Wisdom of Mind, Body, Spirit and Heart are all
activated by play.
*Guidance through methods as Theory U or Chaordic Stepping Stones may sometimes help, as they are
methods developed upon natural steps of emergence of new realities.

7. Principles for Participants
Dialogue & Play bring inclusive and deeper listening
• Put shared vision first. (not personal agenda).
•
• Bring all of you and your previous learnings
•
• Give respect, give trust and include all voices.
•
• Speak from personal wish or longing.
•
• Those who are present hold the answers
•

8. Play Design Foundations
Play is acceptance of all suggestions.
“Okay, I am the dragon and attack the
castle”
“I am the knight defending the castle.”
“My claws strike you down.”
“I am mortally wounded.”
“I'll be the princess with Magical healing
skills.”
“My love, You healed me.”
“Sorry, I am the Dragon again. Wrourgh!”
“Imagination is more important than Knowledge” Einstein

9. PLAY Principles for Participants
Playing means acceptance and letting go
•
• Follow the energy. Connect Ideas.
• Come on guys: play!
• Say Yes, and..
• Dare to take risks. Experiment.
• Help each other to shine.
• Choose to Know.
• Right of initiative. Law of Two feet.
•
NB: The green principles come from theatre sports

10. Play Design in Action
Visualize or Play the New Reality as if it’s already here.
1. Have the goal/purpose/question clear in
mind.
2. Dream together a new wished for reality.
3. Make things tangible/reality immediately.
4. Play the new reality.
5. Build the experience step by step. Adjust
when needed*.
6. Integrate all Feedback
7. Stop when the energy is gone.
8. Evaluate and settle
*Don't be afraid to change the rules and or the game and or your role or perspective in it.. a lot.

11. Play Design
4 tools to develop reality while playing it
- Future Interview
Great envisioning tool, designing from the future
- Situational Prototyping
Practice how it will actually work, sharpens clarity and attitude
- Playstorming or Gamestorming
Gamify your mindmap, turn process or brainstorm into game
- Prototyping
Practicing, tweeking and adjusting the new reality

12. Future Interview
Storyteller tells the story from successful
future. Others ask questions to drive
content.
If storyteller blocks, roles are switched.
Somebody takes notes.
! For the storyteller: Choose to know.
! For the listeners: if you don't get it, story is not
clear enough yet.

13. Situational Prototyping
Project member describes next actions.
Second person plays people that will be met.
Third person observes and/or coaches.
Observer notes down essentials for success.
2nd player: ask to understand, shift with intuition.
! Role play can always be used as an add on.

14. Play or Game Storming
Turn mind map into game pieces.
Determine game objective, players & the
playing field.
Add event cards, means tokens and other
necessities to need.
Determine game host and players. Describe
actions as moves or challenges in game.
Play, tweek, note, learn.

15. Prototyping
Make it as real as possible. Test play with
stakeholders & possible clients. Allow for
hacking, sabotaging and rule breaking.
Integrate all feedback. Try again.

16. Tweek your enjoyment!
“The only sacred cow is irreverence.
Therefore dare to play with everything.”

17. The Art of Possibility* I
What attitude will make things move forward?
• Change your Viewpoint (flipthink)
• Give yourself an A and live it. (you are already a
contribution)
• Follow the energy.
• Work from/speak to WE, think inclusive.
• Everyone’s a leader.
• Speak to essence, not to mask
• Think in possibility; critism is help, not attack.
• # 6: don’t take yourself so fucking seriously!
*After B. Zander “The Art of Possibility” http://benjaminzander.com/book/