Creativity for kids: Experience tours in the Red Dot Design Museum

On Saturday, 19 October 2013, children will go on discovery tour in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen and learn to see their environment with new eyes. In a playful way, two experience tours equip the young creative with design basics. Amazed, they will notice that they are surrounded by well-shaped everyday items around the clock: the bed in which they sleep, the pencil they use for homework or the toy they play with in their free time.

What is design? Why does the shower head feature a round form? And why does a structured surface feel warmer than a smooth one when touching it? Together, the kids will find out the answers to these questions during child-oriented exercises.

From 11 a.m. – 12.30 p.m., children under 10 years will capture the museum and learn “The ABC in design”. The guided tour focuses on the sixth sense and the power of imagination. With a special observing technique, the kids will learn to “stretch” their imagination and to really see the things they look at: the hammer which is formed like the letter “T” or the cup which is, with its handle, reminiscent of a “P”.

“Design at the fingertips” is presented in the Red Dot Design Museum with about 2,000 exhibits, but also in the same-named experience tour during which ten-to-twelve-years-old can test many of the products from around the world. Good design only becomes experiencable when using it. The material plays an important role in designing products. It defines whether an item feels good when touching it, whether it is perceived as cold or warm, smooth or rough. From 2.30 – 4 p.m., during exciting exercises, the children will feel, listen and learn the characteristics of different materials and be let into the secrets of material studies.

While the children can let their creativity run free, their parents can explore the Red Dot Design Museum on their own. On five floors and an exhibition area of approximately 4,000 square meters, they can experience award-winning items in a different light. Thereby, the contrast of old and new, of current product culture and historic industrial architecture makes the museum an exciting experience.

The experience tours were developed together with the Japanese architect and designer Masayo Ave in the course of the EU project PROUD (People Researchers Organisations Using Design for co-creation and innovation). As the group size allows for a maximum of 10 children, the Red Dot Design Museum kindly asks for previous registration by phone on +49 (0)201-301040 or via e-mail to museum(at)red-dot.de.


About PROUD:
PROUD (People Researchers Organisations Using Design for co-creation and innovation) is a European project with the objective to make Europe a better place by co-designing for all and by all. PROUD brings designers together with public organisations, businesses and user communities to experience the added value of design thinking and design, while working on innovative solutions for today’s real world problems. PROUD helps and supports designers to have the right facilities, knowledge and expertise to play this key role in innovating, improving and consolidating Europe.


At a glance:

Saturday, 19 October 2013, 11 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.
The ABC in design: discovery tour in the Red Dot Design Museum
Experience tour for kids under 10 years
Cost sharing: 5 euros

Saturday, 19 October 2013, 2.30 – 4 p.m.
Design at the fingertips: material studies in the Red Dot Design Museum
Experience tour for kids from 10 – 12 years
Cost sharing: 5 euros