Found in translation: Bringing reversal theory to design for play

In the design of objects for children’s play, support from psychology is often sought in general developmental overviews, typologies of play, and age-related performance and preference descriptions. These sources may give an insight into global aspects of child development but have limited utility for understanding the situated motivations of an...

Rebel by design: The merits of rebellious play and how to design for it

Play as a behavioural domain is characterized by freedom and flexibility, which contribute to both short-term and lasting wellbeing. Children play increasingly under supervision of adults, who generally perceive rough and rebellious behaviour negatively. The paper argues that also rebelliousness is a valuable aspect of play. The psychological...

Controlling experience or experiencing control? Reversal theory & design for play

Using Reversal Theory (Apter, 2002, 2007a) as an example this paper proposes a way to ‘translate’ a psychological concept into the realm of design in a way that maximizes understanding and potential for application in the context of play. The given presentation of Reversal Theory is the result of the analysis of student’s use of available...

Sustainability as a procurement criterion for port investments

Ports are known to be one of the most polluting sectors, and therefore provide an opportunity to reduce emission significantly. Until now, the attention has been given to reduction of emissions in transport and shipping. The scope of research must expand to include port infrastructures, which should be made more sustainable. In many industries,...