The P.L.A.Y Method — Official Guide v1.0

28 Oct 2025 · © 2025 Toh Cheah Yung aka Harry Toh, Harry Quill (pen name of Harry Toh). All rights reserved.
P.L.A.Y Method™ and PlayMethodLab™ are unregistered trademarks of Toh Cheah Yung in Singapore and elsewhere.

Definitions

P — Pinpoint: Run the Two‑Minute Snag Scan™. Kids ask “Where did I pause?” Adults keep a 3‑Dot Snag Log™. Name a real friction, not a vague feeling.

L — Lens: Do a quick Lens Sprint™ — pick a viewpoint and flip it (kid lens, customer lens, AI‑as‑teammate, opposite‑day, etc.). Write one sentence from that lens.

A — Alter‑3: Change one element: Remove 1, Replace 1, or Reorder 1. Tiny edits beat grand plans.

Y — Yield: Run the 10‑Minute Yield Check™: “Did anyone open / react / ask?” If yes, plan the Next Nudge™.

P.L.A.Y loop diagram — The P.L.A.Y loop is designed for quick, low‑risk iteration.

Steps

Pinpoint (2 min) — List three tiny snags. Circle one that slows a real person today.
Lens (2 min) — Choose a lens and write one sentence from that viewpoint.
Alter‑3 (3 min) — Pick one: Remove, Replace, or Reorder. Make the smallest useful change.
Yield (10 min) — Ship a tiny thing and check signals: open, react, ask. Plan the next nudge.

Lens Sprint™ Options

Kid lens — “What would make this fun/easy right now?”
Customer lens — “What do they tap first?”
AI‑as‑teammate lens — “What can AI draft so I can edit?”
Opposite‑day lens — “What if I purposely do the reverse for 60 seconds?”

Lens Sprint diagram — Rotate lenses rapidly to unlock fresh options.

Alter‑3™ Cheatsheet

Remove 1 — cut a step, a sentence, or a prop.
Replace 1 — swap a character, tool, or rule.
Reorder 1 — shuffle the order of two beats.

Alter-3 diagram — Small changes add up faster than risky overhauls.

10-Minute Yield Check diagram — Yield Check: ship, measure signals, then plan one next move.

Examples

Bedtime Story Prompt (Ages 4–7)

Pinpoint — Ask your child: “Where did you pause today?” Write down 1 snag.
Lens — Pick a lens. Example: Opposite‑day.
Alter‑3 — Remove 1 rule from the story world.
Yield — Record a 30‑second audio ending. Did they smile or ask a question?

Team Huddle (15 minutes)

Pinpoint — Each teammate adds one snag to the board.
Lens — Choose “Customer lens.” Write one sentence from the user’s view.
Alter‑3 — Vote on one Remove/Replace/Reorder change to try.
Yield — Ship a tiny artifact (draft email, mockup, checklist) and check signals tomorrow.

3‑Dot Snag Log™

Today’s date: ____
• Snag #1: ____________________
• Snag #2: ____________________
• Snag #3: ____________________

Lens Sprint™

Lens chosen: Kid / Customer / AI‑as‑teammate / Opposite‑day
One sentence from that lens:
________________________________________

Alter‑3™

Choose one: Remove 1 / Replace 1 / Reorder 1
Edit to try now:
________________________________________

10‑Minute Yield Check™

Tiny thing shipped:
________________________________________
Signals (open / react / ask):
________________________________________
Next Nudge™:
________________________________________

Origin Story

Hi, I’m Toh Cheah Yung (pen name Harry Quill). I built the P.L.A.Y Method™ as a simple way for families and teams to create value in a world where AI moves fast. It came from a dinner‑table habit: we’d share one snag, try a playful lens, and make a tiny change. When we checked the next day, the small wins stacked up.

P.L.A.Y is not about talent or luck — it’s about making creativity a daily practice. Pinpoint a snag. Shift a lens. Alter one thing. Yield a tiny result.

Public record: This page serves as an official publication of the method. Version v1.0 dated 28 Oct 2025. P.L.A.Y Method™ and PlayMethodLab™ are unregistered trademarks of Toh Cheah Yung in Singapore and elsewhere.