Researching New Metaphors for UI, AR, and Coding

World As Construction Kit

Researching New Metaphors for UI, AR, and Coding

World As Construction Kit

A Research Lab for creative Platforms

Our mission is to help people see that the world is a construction kit. Our goal is to balance the impossible tension of a blue sky research lab "in the spirit of Alan Kay," but with a focus on deploying products today. We specialize in inventing new metaphors for UI, play, and coding. We do this by designing generative and creative platforms that expand the human creative potential.

Spinoffs

Makey Makey

Physical/Virtual World Duct Tape

makeymakey.com

GameBender

Makey Makey

Code Sticker Web App

GameBender.com

JoyKidz

Makey Makey

JoyKidz

Project Based Learning Research Center

JoyKidz.org

Collaborations

IDEO workshop with play doh and electronics. Logos such as google microsoft lego paypal etc.

Consultations, Workshops, Research Explorations, and Product Designs

Over 10+ years the JoyLabz team has provided product design insights, talks, and workshops to dozens of companies. We have also designed many products for companies that shipped and won awards.

JoyLabz in Pop Culture

The Simpsons

"Thanks to Crowdfunding we have the Makey Makey." Season 27, Ep. 6

XPrize

The Simpsons

Interview by Peter Diamandis of XPrize at Singularity University

Today Show

The Simpsons

Today Show

JoyLabz Products on Today with hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee

Channel 3

Print Media

Today Show

Channel 3 news story on inventing in the classroom during Black History Month

Print Media

JoyLabz' work has been covered by dozens of news outlets over the years

White House

Print Media

Jay Silver and Bill Nye at the White House by invitation from Obama (Photo by USA Today)

Team

Jay Silver, PhD

Eric Rosenbaum, PhD

Jay Melican, PhD

CEO/Head of Research

Jay Melican, PhD

Eric Rosenbaum, PhD

Jay Melican, PhD

COO JoyLabz/MakeyMakey

Shani Daily, PhD

Eric Rosenbaum, PhD

Advisor

Eric Rosenbaum, PhD

Director Creative Technology

Sean Montgomery, PhD

Sean Montgomery, PhD, Hardware/Software Hacker

Colleen Graves

Sean Montgomery, PhD

Director of Community

Murilo Polese

Sean Montgomery, PhD

Will Macfarlane

Full Stack Developer

Will Macfarlane

Sean Montgomery, PhD

Will Macfarlane

Senior Software Engineer

Liam Nilsen

Social Play Designer

Recommendations

Google

"They bring a passion and approachability to product design that’s contagious. The concept of stickers, remixing, and packaging scripts in a different way with prefabs could help inform our roadmap. Love the framework/question on audience - are we targeting beginner or intermediate? Really appreciated some of the more top-level/controversial feedback items." ~Meta Team

Google

"We had the pleasure of experiencing JoyLabz for a full morning workshop, where they took our clients on a great journey through the workings of the human mind to unlock our potential to think creatively. The event was inspiring, fun and weird - all at the same time." ~Google, Sune Nielsen

IDEO

Google

VM World

"The Joylabz session was a brisk-paced immersion allowing designers at various levels of understanding to quickly grasp basic hardware/software prototyping approaches. The Makey Makey session was instantly gratifying as well...enabling exploration by seasoned digital experts and those just exploring the domain alike." ~IDEO, Danny Stillion

VM World

"Jay Silver was fantastic to work with. His enthusiasm is infectious. He is a kind and genuinely engaging individual. And he both held the audience in the palm of his hand and absolutely threw them into hysterical laughter. I would highly recommend him to others. Looking forward to future opportunities!" ~VMWorld, Clare O'Boyle

PopTech

VM World

PopTech

"Jay was one of the biggest surprises we had at PopTech. Easily a crowd favorite, Jay is an engaging and lively speaker, spreading the gospel of DIY art-tech with an infectious blend of humor and intelligence." ~PopTech, Kiley Lambert

VM World

PopTech

"I found the Mon am presentation to be really inspirational, especially with respect to the 'house' metaphor, e.g. how do we 'lower the floor' for entry, keep the ceiling suitably high and expand the walls to enable a variety of use cases/forms of creativity. The notion of the 'beginner’s mindset' is especially applicable as we think about our roadmap. Loved that they highlighted community stories and anecdotes to underscore the human impact of the product, as well as the admission that users came up with use cases that they could never have envisioned." ~Meta Team

Talks, clips, and mini-docs

Media Page

Broadcast and Commnity

Podcast

How can we increase the worldwide measure of creativity: Gigahand?

8 Billion pairs of hands creating realty together.

Listen

Reinvent Learning Scene

NSF Sponsored us to start a learning scene, so we can think bigger with our scenius.

reinventlearning.org

Contact Us

We Build Creative and Generative Platforms