NCAD MA Interaction Design x APC

A Playful City partnered with National College of Art and Design MA Interaction Design students for an intensive four-week project aimed at exploring and reimagining how we engage and consult with local communities about the future design of public spaces.

The brief challenged students to critically examine A Playful City’s existing community consultation processes and develop new models, frameworks and tools to foster active participation and co-creation with children, young people and adults.

Over the course of the project, students delivered innovative concepts including A Playful Process (consultation methodology), Come Ear Ta Me (a public consultation device), Play for the Sake of Play (musical urban instruments) and a reimagined Spiel Mobile. These outputs reflected human-centred approaches that encouraged playful, inclusive dialogue and meaningful community involvement in shaping urban environments.

This collaboration highlighted the value of design-led exploration in enhancing community engagement and supported A Playful City’s ongoing mission to create vibrant, inclusive public spaces through participatory design.