Justyna Zubrycka. UX designer, product manager, toymaker.
The Future is Connected Play
I am an experience and play designer, product manager and toymaker. I co-founded Vai Kai, a Berlin-based EdTech company where as a Chief Design Officer I’ve been building wooden connected playthings to help children develop their cognitive and emotional capacities during early childhood.
From this know-how I have developed the Play with Toys Workshops for corporate learning to foster creativity and empathy at work, and also to bring playfulness and joy in the business culture.
My speaking engagements cover topics: Play for Innovation and Creativity, Educational Technology, Human-Centric Technology, Value Sensitive Design (Ethical Design), Future of Work, Tangible Interfaces, Social Robotics and Holistic Design.
I believe in importance of play for all generations living in the digital ever-changing age.
vaikai.com
I take a part in the European research projects that explore enhancing digital literacy and creativity. I’m proud to be a fellow at The House of Beautiful Business - a gloal community to humanize business in an age of machines. I am a co-founder of Toy Pioneers Club where I act as an advisor. I’ve been featured at TheGuardian, Brand Eins, Inc., Wired Germany, Wired Japan, Core77, FastCo, and Elle. Vai Kai brand is internationally recognized as and example of sustainable and ethical design for the connected products, that received a trustable technology mark.
Selected interviews: Journal of Beautiful Business, Brand Eins, Here East, Ładne Bebe, rbb Tv.
Photo: João Nogueira
Speaking engagments, workshops and exhibitions
Un-Known Summit
Talk: Connected Play
Lisbon, November 9, 2018
House of Beautiful Business
Panel discussion + Workshops: Session on “Play”
Talk: Connected Play
Lisbon, November 6-8, 2018
WearIt Festival
Keynote (slides): Value Sensitive Design for Early Childhood Berlin, June 20, 2018
Huawei Eco-Connect Europe
Keynote (video): Human Touch of Artificial Intelligence Berlin, October 27, 2017
MakEY
Talk (slides): Makerspaces and VR
Aarhus, June 10, 2018
Łódź Design Festival
Exhibition: Must Have Awards
Łódź, March 28, 2018
Product Crunch - Education Edition
Talk (video): Children are born learning geniuses. How to enhance it with technology?
Berlin, February 21, 2018
ThingsCon
Keynote (video): Designing Connected Toys
Amsterdam, December 2, 2016
ThingsCon Salon #5
Talk (slides): Internet of Toys
Amsterdam, October 7, 2016
Digital Literacy and Multimodal Practices of Young Children
Panel discussion on the Internet of Toys
Prague, November 7, 2016
Retune Festival
Talk: Making a toy? Don't forget to play!
Berlin, October 6-8, 2016
Tech Open Air Satelite Events
Playful Hardware Workshop: Toys Alive
Berlin, July 15, 2016
The Childrens Media Conference
Playground Interactive Exibition
Shieffield, July 3-8, 2016
ReDi School of Digital Integration
Talk: One year of creating a toy start-up
Berlin, March 8, 2016
Łódź Design Festival
Exhibition: Consequences
Łódź, October 8-18, 2015
Tech Open Air Conference
Talk: Hardware Pitch
Berlin, July 16, 2015
20th Bienal of Art for Children
Interactive Exhibition: Let’s Play!
Poznań, June 15-21, 2015
IXDS Pre-work Talk
Talk: Vai Kai - Play objects for 21-century kids
Berlin, May 12, 2015
Łódź Design Festival
Exhibition: make me!
Łódź, May 31, 2014
Łódź Design Festival
Exhibition: Deep Need: emphaty and design
Łódź, October 17-27, 2013
Ars Electronica: The Big Picture
Exhibition: Interface Culture Cuisine Linz, August 30 - September 3, 2012
ArtBoom Festival
Urban Narrative Game: Impersonation
Kraków, June 18-25, 2011
Mindware: Technologies of Dialogue
Artist Residency Exhibition
Lublin, October 01- 20, 2011
Culture 2.0: citizen Conference
Polish National Audiovisual Institute
Exhibition: Level 2.0
Warszawa, October 26-27, 2012
Culture 2.0: Aware of Media Conference
Polish National Audiovisual Institute
Exhibition: Level 2.0
Warszawa, October 26-27, 2011
Huawei Eco-Connect Europe 2017 Conference
Keynote: Human Touch of Artificial Intelligence
Vai Kai Dolls
"Children should be able to control and shape their experiences with technology, not the other way around" Core 77
Mórimo, a sensory instrument "The project relates to a multi-sensory instrument which helps to listen to music with senses other than hearing – mainly through the sense of touch. [...] The designer helps to break down barriers to the perception of sound and supports searching for common forms of communication." Lodz Design Festival