A different kind of German engineering

This blog is all about interactivity, of course. And at Operand we make interactive experiences that are generally built with digital technologies of one type or another. But we’re passionate about all kinds of interactivity and we like to remember that analog interactivity can be satisfying too.

I was reminded of just that today when my kids and I visited the Playground For All Children in Queens. Mostly because it’s close to the NY Hall of Science, PFAC is on my kids’ radar and we go there ocassionally even though it’s out of the way for us. Generally the attraction for them is a big man-made river that runs through one end of the place. But the water is already turned off for the season so they explored some new things (it’s a big playground.) Somehow I’d never noticed before the music pad outside the swings.

Like a lot of playgrounds, PFAC has a number of musical elements - large marimba and xylophone types of things. But I was struck with the simplicity and visceral quality of this music pad. It’s basically just 9 brass plates in the ground like a tic tac toe board. They virtually call out to be jumped on by little kids, and when jumped on each plate plays a different note. It’s a less literal translation of musical instruments than most musical playground equipment, but also a lot more fun.

Of course playgrounds are inherently interactive and kids are inherently great consumers of interactivity. And music is a great subject matter for kids because it’s accessible and inate. But implementation makes a difference too. Ultimately the experiences that create the most satisfying interactions will be the most compelling.

And that’s why we at Operand do what we do.

posted by josiah at 6:09 PM