Play as problem solving tool at work: The case of a graphic design centre

Resumen

Though considerations about work and leisure have traditionally been made separately, the distinction between these two worlds has become less clear in recent yearsand perceptions about how the «worker» is conceived are changing. As the comingtogether of these two worlds is commonly seen in creative workers, this paper intendsto discover more about the problem-solving tools such workers use. The informationused in this study was compiled using an ethnographic study carried out for ninemonths at a graphic design center in Spain. Two of the core pillars that help to explain the modus operandi of the creative professionals who work at the center are theconcepts of humour and play. Components traditionally associated with leisure wereused as tools in the exercise of their daily profession, resulting in the production oflarge doses of creativity and resourceful thinking.