start young
Design is transformative. Knowing that the kids of today will be the leaders of tomorrow, we think that developing design literacy in children early unlocks the potential for better use of design in the future. Whether they choose to become designers, or to hire designers, awareness of design as a field of professional practice and of the potential of design creates a mindset will be an invaluable asset for all our futures.
Kids are a blank slate. They are at an age when their view of the world and its possibilities are limitless. As the first generation of ‘pure’ digital natives, today’s kids already feel personally responsible for their own futures: they want to be able to choose and create work that makes a difference in the world. And they will do it in their own, unique way. Having a designing mindset means being tuned into the invisible things that matter to people and their relationships to each other and the world.
What if design was taught to children the same way math is: everyday, and on equal footing with science, history and languages? Nearly everywhere in the world, math is considered one of the essential subjects necessary for developing a well-rounded, young mind. The logic is, though many of us won’t become mathematicians, we inherently know math is useful, as it shapes and enlarges our brains in a particular, irrefutable way. In some countries, design is already considered to be an essential subject in elementary school curriculum. The same logic stands: by teaching design to children, they may not become designers, but they will know how to think and be like them. It’s about cultivating and nurturing a designing-mindset. And it’s best to start young.
Above: The Start Young workshop given in Casa Wabi (Mexico)
In 2017, for the celebration of International Design Day (WDD), the Council partnered with Montréal-based designer Marc Kandalaft of RAP to develop a short workshop introducing design to children. Starting with a primer on design, the workshop teaches through some hands-on exercises to initiate the participants into a basic form of design methodology, encouraging the participating children to explore their creative potential freely and trust their capacity to solve problems and test their solutions. The desired outcome of the workshop is to inspire and empower children to adopt innovative ways of thinking and to enhance their creative confidence.
Over the years, the workshop has been given will be given around the world, crossing times zones and uniting kids from all walks of life, from Korea to Mexico. The Start Young workshops celebrate the transformative power of kids and design across regions and cultures. The project is part of a global collaboration to promote early design education in partnership with Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires – MALBA (Argentina), Casa Wabi (Mexico), Design Exchange (Canada), the Triennale di Milano (Italy), Open Design Afrika (South Africa), MUMEDI – Museo Mexicano del Diseño (Mexico), Collège Sainte-Anne (Canada) and Seoul Design Foundation (South Korea).
Above: The Start Young workshop given in Collège Sainte-Anne (Canada)
Above: The Start Young workshop given in the Seoul Design Foundation (South Korea)
With Start Young, we hope to introduce design to new generations. We are asking ourselves how do we prepare young kids to navigate this turbulent world, so they can become sensitive, intellectual, imaginative and practical leaders for tomorrow? The Council sees the great potential for design to improve the world around us. We know that design changes—for the better—how we live and thrive in everyday environments like schools, parks, workplaces and hospitals. The profession of design and its ethics requires designers to consider context, culture, diversity and specificity before even starting to design, and this has become an essential way of thinking and being in the complex world we live in today.
Questions about Start Young? Contact our Events Manager, Elizabeth Carbonell events@theicod.org