Thoughtful playground design supports imagination, learning and lifelong movement, say Malla Haapala and Jinkyu Choi, concept designers for Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset's latest Prime playground collection.
Lappset has established a reputation for blending familiar Nordic design values including minimalism, functionality and a deep connection to nature to engineer joy and sheer playfulness. The end result? - A design language that's born under the Northern Lights, fabulously balancing form, function and fun.
Through play, children learn and develop various life-essential skills, such as motor, cognitive and social skills.
The making of a modern classic
Haapala defines the design language as clear, simple and timeless at the same time - while inviting kids of all ages to immerse themselves in play. "The colour scheme is harmonious, warm and approachable." The rounded geometric patterns and shapes repeated in Lappset's new Prime collection create a recognisable look that is both inviting and encouraging to cognitive learning," she says.
Jinkyu Choi, Senior Concept Designer, says: "We seek to contribute a sense of fun to the design; make it whimsical and bold, even," says the South Korean native who joined Lappset in 2017.
Design with character
Having studied architecture under a Japanese professor, Choi found that Japanese and Nordic design aesthetics share many common traits, starting with clean lines and minimalism.
She says, "In the Prime design, we have taken shapes such as triangles and rectangles and combined them with other shapes - mixing it up a bit, while still making the shapes recognisable."
Let the spirit move you
Haapala and Choi assess that natural materials really keep the product grounded - and give Prime a big part of its spirit and essence.
"We use wood because it is soft and feels warm to the touch. As a material, it is inviting by itself," says Jinkyu Choi. Wood is also a decidedly environmental choice.
Understanding play and its importance is absolutely central to the design of playgrounds and equipment, the two designers state in unison.
"Through play, children learn and develop various life-essential skills, such as motor, cognitive and social skills. Well-designed playgrounds provide a safe environment that supports a child's growth and development, feeding creativity and imagination," Haapala says.
Everything stems from a design language and activity offering that is connected and inclusive. "This maximises the amount of users and play hours, creating a positive impact on every level," adds Haapala.
From a regional to a global phenomenon
As sustainability and nature values are current themes everywhere, it's easy enough to make the argument that environmentally friendly materials are the future of playground manufacturing.
Design dream team
Behind the new Prime collection is a diverse team, with about 20 professionals from different countries. In addition to South Korean Choi, there are people from Sweden and the Netherlands in the design team. Haapala and Choi believe that it is a "great asset" that the design team has people with very different backgrounds, with expertise from products and furniture to interior, architecture, and engineering design.
"We have a really broad range of know-how in the team, which allows us to look at things from many different perspectives. This not only improves the quality of the end result, but also fuels innovation and the courage to try new things," Haapala says.
"Over the design effort of the last few years, we've had some great moments as a team," adds Choi. "Finns express joy with their eyes, and I've been jumping around and laughing."
Feedback from the people who matter most - the playground users
But what do these two designers get out of their work, personally? - Haapala says she loves seeing how children genuinely enjoy playing, daring to test their limits at the playground.
"When the environment nurtures imagination, inspires the creation of new games and makes children immerse themselves in what they are doing, you just know that the design is a hit."
Choi says he takes his cues from his 10-year-old son, adding, "I've learned a lot just following him around at the playground. After all, knowing the user is at the core of what we do."
