Hello!
I’m Jens Peter de Pedro, a Play Designer living in New York City.
I come in at an early stage of the company (the earlier the better). I take the CEOs (and sometimes also CPOs) vision for the company and product and based on that I create a detailed plan for the game mechanics, the characters, the story, the world and the child's role in it.
If the app is not beautiful it’s the art director’s fault.
If the app is not working well it’s the programmers fault.
If the app is not fun it’s my fault.
That’s what I do and that’s what I did for Toca Boca, Lingokids, MarcoPolo, Codie Blocks and others.
Take a look!
Applications
I have worked with children’s interactive media since 1999 for organisations such as WGBH, The United Nations, Swedish Public Service Television, Toca Boca, Disney, Lingokids and NBC Universal.
Here’s a selection of apps and websites:
Codie Blocks, 2019
Nice Skating, 2018 - Character: Elena Serrato
Marco Polo, 2016
Lingokids, 2017
Toca Hair Salon 2011 - Visuals: Emil Berner
Toca Band 2012 - Visuals: Arvid Tappert
UN - Cyberschoolbus, 2001
Math games, Fractal Dragon, 2004
SVT Hjärnkontoret - Atom Acrobats, 2008.
SVT Bolibompa - Kids Portal, 2008
Toca Kitchen 2011 - Visuals: Emil Berner
Toca Train 2012 - Visuals: Emil Berner
NOGGIN - On The Job, 2022
NOGGIN, 2023 - FTUX + Daily Delivery
Nogginville, 2023
Companies I Helped Start
2018 Together with Don Moody and Bharat Chopra I co-founded Codie Blocks, which teaches preschoolers coding.
2016 With my partner Sarah Jensen I have run Biffniff, a kids app consultancy based in New York.
2010 I helped Björn Jefferey and Emil Ovemar start Toca Boca, which became the world's largest indy kids app studio. Sold to Spinmaster in 2015 for $25M.
2010 Together with Anna and Staffan Erlandsson, I set up Timagine. For eight years we made applications for children with special communication needs.
Talks
I I have spoken about Why I believe it works so well to give children digital tools that maximize their creative freedom; How to make amazing kids apps; Why it is important that children are shown in media meant for them, and many other topics!
Venues: CES, KidScreen, ToyFair, Digital Kids NY, Sesame Workshop, NBC, NYU, Rutgers University and more!
TEDx: Why we must go beyond pink and blue when designing products for children, 2014
Articles
Kids Are People: A Radical Idea - Toca Boca Magazine, 2015
We Stink at Playing with Our Kids - Joan Ganz Cooney Center, 2014
Is Sir Ken Robinson Going Rouge? - Medium, 2017
Why Homeschoolers Are Winning - Alternatives To School, 2015
We don't need pink 'boys' toys' for girls –- The Guardian, 2014
An Increasing Number of Children in American Schools Need to Learn English. Let Them Play! - Joan Ganz Cooney Center, 2016
Swedish
Därför kan inte skolan reformeras, Dagens Samhälle, 2015
Föräldrar, sluta inte att knacka på skolans dörr, SVT Opinion, 2015
Hemundervisning är en mänsklig rättighet, Dagens Nyheter Åsikt, 2017
Första svenska barnen i en Demokratisk skola?, Medium, 2015
Spanish
Educar en la era de la computación afectiva, El Mundo, 2016
We Stink at Playing with Out Kids. I gave it a shot anyway.
Television
Hotel Chantarelle
I was one of the creators behind the puppet show Hotell Kantarell, for which I did character design and the website. The TV show first aired in 2007 and went on for six seasons.
Lucia the lightning bug in the control room at Hotel Chanterelle.
Mia and Codie looking for monsters - TVO Kids, 2024
Mia & Codie
Codie LLC does a television show in addition to the phygital learning product that I am the CPO for. Airing now in Canada!
Books
I have written five children's books. Two based on the popular Swedish character Pelle Svanslös and three based on my own concepts.
Little Spider Upside Down
Illustrations: Elena Serrato, 2018
Illustrations: Lotta Geffenblad
Illustrations: Ingrid Flygare
Toys
Together with Argentinian artist CHU I designed this free-play cardboard toy in 2014. →
Toca Paper Creatures, 2014 - Art: Chu
Play carpets, 2005
← I worked with an Indian manufacturer to produce these woolen play carpets.
Play carpets, 2005
Toca Paper Creatures, 2014 - Art: Chu
Educational Activism
AlternativesToSchool
logo by me, 2014
Tankesmedjan Tillit website and logo by me, 2018
National Homeschooling Organisation of Sweden website and logo by me, 2023
I am a founding member of the Alliance for Self-Directed Education, although in all honesty, there are about a dozen people who have done significantly more work than I. The organisation came out of AlternativesToSchool.com for which I did the logo and designed the website.
I was also a founder of the Swedish educational think tank, Tankesmedjan Tillit. Here too I designed the logo.
Currently, I am on the board of ROHUS the National Homeschooling Organisation of Sweden.
Community Building
Poster designed by Sarah Jensen and myself, 2010
Together with a small group of parents I created 2km loppis in 2010. It is a one day flea market that had 25.000 visitors the first year. It instantly became Sweden’s largest flea market and has been held yearly since.
Here is a rap song I recorded to promote the flea market. It's mostly in Swedish.
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My family lives on a very diverse and friendly block on Brooklyn. My wife and I are somewhat active in the Block Association. I initiated a series of activities to bring everyone together.
Poster designed by me, art from Canva, 2024