Hi there!

Playfool is a collective established by Daniel Coppen (UK) and Saki Maruyama (JP). Both graduates from the Royal College of Art, their work employs play as a mediator to intervene in the relationship between humans and technology.

Spanning across the realms of product, installation and multimedia, their work blends thorough research, new technology, and thoughtful aesthetics into playable experiences.

Playfool’s works have been widely exhibited at institutions such as Victoria & Albert Museum in London and MAK - Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna.

Recognition

Awards

  • Dezeen Awards 2021, Product Design, Highly Commended: Forest Crayons

  • Dezeen Awards 2021, Product Design, Public Vote Winner: Forest Crayons

  • Wood Change Camp, Best Camp Award: Forest Crayons

  • IxDA Interaction Awards 2019, Finalist: Knotty

  • Gugen 2018, Grand Prize: Knotty

  • Good Design Award 2018, Awarded: PLAYFOOL Workshop

  • Lexus Design Award 2018, Shortlisted: Lulu

Exhibitions

  • V&A – Make Good: Rethinking Material Futures, 2022: Forest Crayons

  • Wood Change Challenge, Tokyo, 2021: Forest Crayons

  • MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts, Austria, 2019: Multiple works

  • Milan Design Week, Italy, 2019: Multiple works

  • Mini Maker Faire Ogaki, Japan, 2018: Knotty

  • London Design Week, UK, 2018: Knotty

  • YFood London Food Tech Week, UK, 2017: HALF / FULL

Press

Biography

Daniel Coppen

  • 2015 - 2017: Global Innovation Design, Royal College of Art, UK

  • 2012 - 2015: Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, UK

Saki Maruyama

  • 2016 - 2018: Innovation Design Engineering, Royal College of Art, UK

  • 2010 - 2014: Law and Political Science, Keio University, Japan