Chatty Elephants Information

Friendships cannot be engineered, yet they all begin with little connective sparks - a chat, a laugh, a shared experience, a small act of kindness. So how can we maximise serendipitous chance encounters? Research shows an interesting paradox – while most of us would welcome a friendly chat with a stranger, we assume others would not. So, while we might feel like chatting with someone we see at an event, walk by in a museum, or sit next to in the park, we back away to the safety of our screens instead. But what if we could overcome our shyness and sense of awkwardness by harnessing our innate sense of play? Chatty Elephants are whimsical physical objects designed to playfully break the ice. Turning a space of strangers into a buzzing hub of interaction. Our goal is to be the catalyst for serendipitous encounters wherever like-minded people come together - live events, exhibitions, retail experiences or public spaces. Our tools range from curious puzzle pieces, to musical benches, hidden art installations, or even interactive pathways. Whatever the space and context, we design artefacts that playfully tackle people’s inability to make a move, gamifying connectivity and instilling a sense of fun, openness, and wonder.