Mindful Playground
Bringing the Headspace brand and offerings to physical spaces and communities
Timeline
June - August 2024
Project
Apprenticeship @ Headspace
My Role
Research
Conceptualization
Fabrication
Background
How might we increase adoption of Headspace through existing community partners and programming?
As part of Headspaces’ social impact team, I worked on identifying strategies to introduce mindfulness practice through existing partners and programming to increase adoption of Headspace’s public cities initiative.
Approach
How might we make mindfulness fun and engaging in an after-school program setting?
Through concept ideation, validation with community organizations and Headspace team members, and prototyping, I co-designed interactive experiences to help learn basic skills around mindfulness.
Outcome
I created a prototype of a “meditative” crosswalk light and tested it on Le Roy and Hearst Avenue in Berkeley, CA. 100+ people engaged with the exercise, offering a blueprint for how small-scale interventions can lead to long-term behavior change.
A pilot exhibit and playbook for mindfulness programming
What role can playful design play in building community over a shared practice or ritual?
Prior Art
As part of my research, I conducted an ethnographic study into public art installations that foster community, play, and learning among strangers.
I looked at examples like Pause by the Exploratorium in San Francisco, interactive community art walls, and mindfulness rooms in schools. This research helped surface key design principles for facilitating collective engagement in public settings, even among people who may not know each other.
Brainstorming communal activities for
mindfulness practice
Ideation
Based on insights around how meditation is taught in schools and other educational exhibits, I sketched out several concepts focused on identifying ways to bring communities together through learning mindfulness.
Co-design
Collaborating with members of the Berkeley community, we co-designed and tested playful prototypes aimed at improving community well-being through mindfulness.
I facilitated a few participatory sessions with 2-3 individuals at a time to gather feedback on what felt intuitive, engaging, and culturally resonant. Participants brought their own set of diverse backgrounds and experiences to help create prototypes that felt relevant to their needs.
What might a mindful playground look like?
FINAL CONCEPT
A place to play and practice awareness skills with others
The mindful playground is an amalgamation of many ideas, focused on bringing play, interaction, and community to public spaces.
Spatial Design
The exhibit was placed at the entranceway of Moffitt Library at UC Berkeley. I chose this location as I hoped to impart a positive influence as people transitioned to the next activity in their day. It also served as a busy thoroughfare with many intersecting paths converging in and around the area.
Space Branding
Headspace is a mobile app with an extensive, playful design system. I brought the company's branding, which lives online, into a physical, public space through print and hardware installations.
An interactive exhibit that engaged 100+ participants
