PLAYGROUND DESIGN MAKES FINALS OF GOOD DESIGN AWARDS
07 May 2014
KOMPAN's The Smart Playground impresses judges and goes through to the finals of the Good Design Awards.
The playground design by KOMPAN, which is based on the popular fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen, has impressed judges and will now go into the running to win the prestigious “Good Design of the Year” award.
KOMPAN, which is no stranger to the award having taken out top honours in 2011 for their ICON range, is delighted to be in contention once more.
Sue Simpson, Managing Director of KOMPAN said “To be recognized again is testament to our amazingly talented research and design department. The new product range which connects the physical playground to a digital curriculum compliant learning experience is something never seen before in the industry.”
Sue also explains that it is the world’s first playground with its very own app based on stories we all know and love - The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling and The Tinderbox.
Through QR codes placed on the playground equipment – or via the Apple iTunes or Android store – kids can download the Hans Christian Andersen Play Gate app. When the app is opened, a world of augmented reality appears, adding an extra dimension of characters and stories to the playground and taking the learning potential to a whole new unprecedented level.
“The playground can, of course, be used without a smart device, but the option is there to really take advantage of kids’ natural love of technology, get them outdoors and create an environment where physical, social and intellectual learning take place,” said Sue, who explains that the app also contains the full version of the fairytales in ebook format so parents or teachers can read the stories aloud.
Simpson commends the app’s design for facilitating and complementing the learning potential of play with curriculum-compliant teaching guides developed in the range.
Dr Kate Highfield, lecturer at Macquarie University’s Institute of Early Childhood says, “New technologies, when used well, can enrich the learning and development process. When learning is fun and engaging and it’s something we want to do, it’s something that will often inspire children to engage. So, how can technology support that? In the same way, when we have to learn things that could be considered dull or repetitive, how could we use technology to make that more fun, more engaging and more like something we want to do.”
The gala awards night will be held in Sydney on May 28 at Vivid, and there will be a Good Design Exhibition to showcase all the finalists which will run from May 23 to June 9.
To view the official award application click here.
For media and press enquiries please contact Christian Schwerdtfeger on:
Ph: 07 3635 6200
Email: chrsch@kompan.com
Web: www.kompan.com.au
