SPACE10 X Kids

An exploration to transform SPACE10’s research into tangible learning for kids.

in collaboration with SPACE10

The AI Game and the Algae Lab on display at SPACE10

Transforming SPACE10 research into playful learning experiences for kids.

The starting point of our 3-month exploration to transform SPACE10’s research into tangible learning for kids was to understand the essence of each project and define what we wanted kids to understand and take away. To create a wide spectrum we chose two past SPACE10 projects that focused on very different topics and themes: Artificial Intelligence, or, how do kids learn about interacting with technology, and Sustainability, how do kids learn complexity, in this case sustainability in a playful yet insightful way.

SPACE10 x Education

The projects SPACE10 is doing, and has been doing in the past, center around topics that effect societies and lives of people, today and in the future. It is in the nature of projects like these that learning about new topics as well as creating awareness are key to their success. In that sense, SPACE10 is, already today, very much taking on an educational role. Making complex and often abstract topics accessible, understandable and actionable is exactly what education is about. Designing for kids in that sense is only designing for a different, and maybe more extreme, target group. Offering formats for kids to engage with topics like sustainability or technology is a step for which the foundation is already there.

It is at the heart of design to create experiences and solutions that are based on human needs. Combining SPACE10’s experience in design with the ongoing research into emerging technologies, sustainable materials and processes opens up an immense potential for not only relevant but extremely impactful learning.

Imagine a world where kids start learning about new technologies, natural materials and radically different living concepts. Not at school but through games, science kits, exploration trips, installations, online and offline, at home and with friends.

We believe SPACE10 has the potential to create radically new learning experiences, and, has the chance to not only define the learning topics of the future, but to also make those accessible, inclusive and exciting for the many.

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Guidelines for Designing for kids

As a core result of the project, we created a set of guidelines for how to design for kids. These guidelines give you a glimpse into our approach, process, findings and outcomes. More importantly however, they should make our learnings and insights actionable for you and for future SPACE10 projects.

We would love to see SPACE10 taking a stance on how education should be designed (and yes, it should be approached like a design process) in the future. Hopefully this first exploration can help going into that direction.

We see these guidelines as only a starting point, and acknowledge that they are from our subjective experiences. This also means that the same might not be true for every group of kids or for every topic. Our learnings come directly from the workshops and experiments we ran as part of our residency. During our 3-months residency we managed to test our concepts and work with over 90 different kids. However, since we were limited in time and Danish language skills, we were not able to test with an even wider and more diverse audience. Every kid, and every group of kids, is different and has different starting points for learning depending on their upbringing, cultural and socio-economic background as well as previous education. When working with and designing for kids, be mindful of this and try to get as diverse as a perspective as possible.

Additionally, it is important for us to say that these guidelines should in no way replace your own research and field work. Before designing for kids, go meet them. Set up an event or a co-creation team for kids only. Interact with them and, most importantly, test your ideas with them. In a few short sessions you will learn so much more than reading through the internet.

Find the guidelines here.