Meet Design for Play alumnus Sigrid Vinther Hansen

Tell us a bit about yourself!
I’m from Fyn, Denmark, and I currently live in Middelfart. I have a master’s degree in Design for Play and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Design, both from Design School Kolding.

Where do you work at the moment? What is your role and what are your tasks?
In my former job I worked as a play designer at Billund Municipality in Grindsted. I worked with creating a playful approach to working in an organization. It’s called Playful Working, and they are experimenting with how play can make your work life more joyful.

Can you describe the value of you as a play designer in your current work?
Here’s a statement from my boss about working with play designers: “A creative mind affects the surroundings by asking the right questions, by being present and listening to the needs and dreams in every situation. That's for me the benefits of our play designers. Play is not just an activity, it's a state of mind. For office people like myself, we need play designers to help us do the right thing in a playful way.”

What role has the Design for Play master’s programme played in getting you where you are today?
Design for Play has become my way of working with design, my method, my tool, and my area of investigation. It has taught me to create and facilitate in a user-centered way. The Design for Play Master’s programme has given me the ability to experiment, ideate and create in a way that is beneficial for so many areas of our society in dealing with the problems we face.

Can you tell us about an important memory from Design School Kolding?
An important moment for me was when I got to intern as a child in the course Child-centered Design for Play. It helped me understand how and why it’s important to start by understanding your target group when designing an experience and is a moment and method that I often use and share in my work as a play designer.

Do you have any advice to give to someone undertaking this educational path?
Play is meaningful! Stay playful and create a group of playmates that you can turn to for feedback, good ideas and playful activities.

Find more interviews with Design for Play alumni here.

Interested in the journeys of our alumni from the other master’s degree programmes? Explore the stories from Design for People alumni here and Design for Planet alumni here.