Play. Explore. Glow.

JA designed this interactive “peg wall” to inspire a love of literacy among young people. The 8’ x 12’ plywood wall incorporates 3,220 individual LEDs set behind an acrylic panel, with the lower half embedded with magnetic sensors. When children insert magnetized pegs into the wall, the sensors trigger the LEDs to display letters, words, images, or animations. After testing prototypes in JA’s Fabrication Lab, Shane Leaman designed the custom circuitry and software required to bring the piece to life. With the help of many JA staff, it was built, programmed, and tested in our studio before being transported and installed in the children’s area at the Edmonds Library. The installation continues to evolve as JA explores new modes of interaction, including early research into how responsive environments like this might support engagement between neurodiverse communities and architecture.