Meet the Judge: Rico Kanthatham
What happens when public communication meets imagination? For Rico Kanthatham, Director of Skylabworkshop in Kamakura, Japan, the answer lies in ingenuity — the creative spark that redefines how we share and experience information in public spaces.
As a global instructor with Fabacademy, Fabricademy, and Fab-All-In, Rico works closely with young makers and creative learners across the world. His lab encourages inventiveness, which makes him the perfect judge to evaluate projects based on their interpretation of “Interactive Signage“ and the originality behind them.
Rico Kanthatham — Founder of Skylabworkshop
What He’s Looking For
To Rico, signage is more than just a screen or a board with data — it’s a medium for public storytelling.
“Signage plays an important role in conveying information to a public audience,” Rico explains. “I’m looking for fresh ideas—new ways of thinking about what signage can be, and how interaction is defined or delivered.”
This could be a clever twist on how messages are displayed, or a bold step beyond visual-only formats to explore multi-sensory engagement.
Artistic Inspiration & Unexpected Interactivity
When asked what inspires him, Rico references large-scale interactive art — the kind that invites people to step in, explore, and experience something new.
“The works of Ryoji Ikeda and Olafur Eliasson come to mind. I’m intrigued by how these artists encourage audiences to participate in their installations.”
It’s this kind of invitation to engage — to touch, respond, reflect, or even question — that he hopes to see echoed in signage projects submitted to the contest.
A Note to Contestants
“Be bold,” Rico says. “Show us something that makes us reconsider the idea of signage.”
That encouragement speaks to the core of this contest. We’re not just looking for polished prototypes — we’re looking for vision. Whether that means rethinking the interface, the message, or the very definition of a sign, Rico’s message is clear: surprise us.
The Seeed Interactive Signage Contest is still open for submissions until August 15, 2025. If your project has the power to shift perspectives, spark curiosity, or challenge expectations — we’d love to see it.
Let’s make signage unforgettable.
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