Manifesto

9 reasons to have a DESIGN KID

 

  1. Design is an activity for head, heart and hands. To design is to plan and make something for a specific purpose. In the process DESiGN KiDS learn to be observant, emphatic, analytical, creative and resourceful. They also have fun.
  2. Asking “what if …?” makes you understand what is. In their quest to invent something new DESiGN KiDS engage with the world around them. What if my bed could fly? It would need to squeeze through that window.
  3. Design Kids play on a meta level. Abstract concepts like pattern or sequence become tangible when moving real things in real space. Hey you – get out of that negative space!
  4. Design tools are everywhere – DESiGN KiDS learn how to use them. Knowing a handful of design principles can make a big difference. Just wait and see what your DESiGN KiD is making for your birthday.
  5. DESiGN KiDS have a choice between buying and making. Our kids often live in a world off the shelf. To create your own gear, gadgets and games gives a wonderful feeling of self-empowerment.
  6. Kids are natural design thinkers. Their ways of playful thinking and rapid prototyping are currently taught at business schools worldwide. DESiGN KiDS hone these creative skills, as not to loose them when growing up.
  7. Designing means thinking about others: What kind of house would my dog like to live in? DESiGN KiDS cultivate empathy and we need more of that in the world.
  8. Design workshops are the piano lessons of the 21st century. DESiGN KiDS develop an understanding and appreciation of the design process – a cultural skill arguably more useful today, than the ability to read sheet music or the art of water-colouring.
  9. DESiGN KiDS can inspire us! For too long adults have designed top down for children. It is time to switch perspective and look at what kids design for themselves (or for us!) when we let them.