​Cas Holman will talk about her work designing for others to design--with projects ranging from toys to playgrounds to most recently her book, Playful, about why adults need free play.

​Why should designers have all the fun? In open-ended materials, we let people (not just children!) participate in the joy of creation. They bring themselves to the space or exhibit or objects, and it brings something out in them—play.  In this talk Cas will use examples from her work to illustrate play as an act of rebellion and a joyous method for learning, expressing oneself, forming empathetic connections, pushing boundaries, and reshaping our world.

“Play is how we learn to be human, how we learn who we are, how we learn to fail, communicate, love, fight, rebel, desire, build, and survive. At its best, play is life-affirming, soul-sustaining, and mind-expanding.” -from Playful