The National Institute for Play is a 501c(3) non-profit public benefit corporation dedicated to advancing society’s understanding and application of play — a long-ignored biological capability that can lead to healthier, happier lives.

I connected with Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of NIFP and professor at Stanford University’s d.school to learn more about play science.

After learning more about his initiative at NIFP, I proposed to develop a brand identity and social media strategy to push forward play-theory to mainstream audiences and future-proof the institute by creating relevant touch points for donors.

I developed a landscape analysis and marketing strategies. Thee strategies included engaging local communities in conjunction with building awareness through social media. I suggested a stratified social media approach that engages the public at various degrees of alignment with NIFP’s mission. I then packaged a simplified framework distilling the essential learnings of play theory into 12 key principles using findings from Dr. Brown’s research. 

The 12 Principles of Play for New Parents have since been used to increase awareness of play science for children.