Knife, fork, spoon: what would a table setting be without cutlery? In a playful and inventive way, the course focused on these indispensable everyday tools and their practical use at the table.

The children researched tableware objects in the Collection Highlights and 6 Rooms x 6 Positions exhibitions. They experimented with shapes, colors and proportions, got to know materials and tried out various design techniques. They tested their balance in balance exercises: How should a spoon be shaped so that it carries the food while moving?

Sketches, silhouettes and models made of paper and wire were created. The cutlery designs were milled from wood veneer in the "Dynamo" workshops. The children then worked as a team to design a colorful tablecloth with cutlery motifs and built seats out of cardboard.

The focus of Design Kids Club #3: Product Design was on co-creative processes. The results were objects ranging from practical products to funny things and a communal feast at the large table in the Swiss Design Lounge. During the meal, the participants talked shop about the functionality of the prototypes.

The results of Design Kids Club #3: Product Design were exhibited in the museum's vestibule from October 27 to December 15, 2021 under the title Museumjung: Room No. 7.

The experiences and insights gained during the course were used to further sharpen the profile of design education at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich. They will be incorporated into the concept and educational program of a new permanent exhibition of the collections, which will open in the Toni-Areal in 2025 to mark the 150th anniversary of the museum.

Photos: Ivan Šuta

Im Rahmen des dreijährigen Outreachprojekts (April 2021 bis März 2024) öffnete sich das Museum für Gestaltung Zürich jugendgemässen Fragestellungen und Perspektiven. Im Fokus standen dabei das in der Sammlung bewahrte Kulturerbe, das Ausloten der spezifischen Potenziale von Designvermittlung sowie museologische und strategische Fragestellungen.