Universes - 3D building workshop by Theresa Höller Janni Majlund Andersen Golnaz Farzam Samarth Joshi and Nanna Lundorff Jacobsen

Students
Education
Master
Subject area
Textile Design
Communication Design
Industrial Design
Fashion Design
Focus area
Design for People
Year
2021
Education project type
Course
Collaboration partners
UngiÅrhus - Klubben Midtbyen

What

We created a set of three boxes with different materials for children 9-13 to reconnect with their tactility in a world where so many activities are digital. The boxes created a safe space for the children to freely express themselves in a creative way without any constraints or expectations. The models' creations made by the children work as a conversation starter and a shared reference point between the children and pedagogues.

Why

We aspired to design what we call ‘an analog application’ that lets the children use the same parts of their brains as they use in computer games, but in the physical world to give them an analog alternative to their screen time. How the children are doing in their everyday life is of great importance to the pedagogues, yet conversations about well-being can be difficult to initiate. By having the children create a physical, visual representation of their inner world the pedagogues are provided an entry into such conversations.

How

Co-design, involving the design partner and stakeholders (Midtbyklubben, pedagogues, and children aged 9-13) in the design process through workshop iterations. By establishing a relationship through a series of co-creation workshops together with the children and pedagogues we tried to get a deeper understanding of their world and what is important to them. By identifying key insights about children’s need to be tactile, to be free of obligations, and as an alternative to screen time together with the children we designed a workshop activity that matches these needs.

One of the main insights we got was by identifying key insights about children’s need to be tactile, to be free of obligations, and as an alternative to screen time together with the children we designed a workshop activity that matches these needs.