KEVIN SLAVIN is Assistant Professor and founder of the Playful Systems group at the MIT Media Lab. Their work is focused on embracing complexity in systems and working to make them delight, not disappear. Their work-in-progress, "20 Day Stranger" was recently named by Wired magazine as one of 2014's "Most Inspiring Ideas."
Prior to the Media Lab, Slavin was the Managing Director and co-founder of Area/Code Entertainment. Between 2005 and 2011, Area/Code created pioneering forms of cross-media games and entertainment for clients including Nokia, CBS, Disney Imagineering, MTV, Discovery Networks, A&E Networks, Nike, Puma, Sega, EA, and Busch Entertainment. Area/Code was acquired by Zynga in 2011 to become Zynga New York.
Area/Code's work received awards from the Clios, the One Club, Creativity, and many others, has been the subject of a New York Times Magazine feature, and has been shown in the Design Museum of London and MoMA. His popular TED talk, "How Algorithms Shape Our World" has been used for everything from classroom instruction to a 30 second spot for Apple's iPad.
Between Brooklyn and Cambridge, Slavin continues to teach, advise and consult around technology, media and entertainment.