<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia2joy/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Alicia Quan</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmondestin/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Sarah Mondestin</a> hang out with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellesklee/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Michelle Lee</a>, Partner and Managing Director of IDEO’s Play Lab. This convo is so delightful and fun! So much inspiration to go around. Listeners will be enriched.</p><p>Michelle discusses her unconventional career journey from mechanical engineering to toy design, and eventually to leading kid-focused projects. She emphasizes the importance of play in learning and its application beyond childhood, highlighting her work with companies like VTech, IDEO, and Sesame Workshop. Michelle shares insights into designing engaging and meaningful digital experiences, such as Elmo Calls and the Space Explorer Bus project. She also explores the application of playful design in unexpected areas like smoking cessation and robo-investing. </p><p>Michelle provides valuable advice for designers and researchers in the EdTech space, encouraging them to observe, learn, and engage with the target audience, particularly children. The conversation also touches on balancing digital and real-life learning experiences and includes personal stories of learning new skills and bonding through play.</p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p>00:00 Introduction; from Aerospace to Toy Design</p><p>06:25 Balancing Digital and Real-Life Learning</p><p>14:21 Designing for Preschoolers</p><p>21:11 Incorporating Play in Unexpected Places</p><p>24:49 The Role of Play in Learning</p><p>27:26 Balancing Seriousness and Play</p><p>29:41 Advice for Designers and Researchers</p><p>34:36 Curiosity and Inspo</p><p><strong>Follow us</strong></p><p>👋The <a href="https://www.uxedtech.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">UX of EdTech Studio</a> teams up to support companies with product design, UX research, and UX writing.</p><p>UX of EdTech is an engine for broader impact through its growing community, podcast, and newsletter dedicated to advancing design in education. Follow to find talent and opportunities.</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ux-of-edtech" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn</a></p><p><a href="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/ux-edtech/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Podcast</a></p><p><a href="http://publication" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Community Publication</a></p><p><a href="https://uxedtech.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Newsletter</a></p><p><br /></p>