Lora Appleton von kinder MODERN setzt sich für die Kleinen ein

Launched in 2012 by Lora Appleton and Bachman Brown Clem, New York’s kinder MODERN gallery is a champion of children’s design. In its short lifetime, the gallery has quickly become the world’s leading destination for vintage and contemporary child designs, featuring works by historical design masters and some of today’s most interesting designers. Never one to rest on their laurels, though, the kinder MODERN team just upped the ante by launching KINDER journal, a new quarterly publication dedicated to “Child Design Past, Present, and Future.” And like all things kinder, we love it. 

Just like the gallery, the new journal delves deep into the significance of play in kids’ intellectual and social development as well as the ingenious ways that designers tackle these designs—often using the most of-the-moment materials and processes.

In honor of KINDER journal’s debut issue, out just this month, we’re sharing Lora Appleton’s wonderful treatise on why child design matters oh so very much.

  

A few

Launched in 2012 by Lora Appleton and Bachman Brown Clem, New York’s kinder MODERN gallery is a champion of children’s design. In its short lifet

New Yorks kinder MODERN Galerie führt kindgerechtes Design und wurde 2012 von Lora Appleton and Bachman Brown Clem gegründet. Trotz ihrer kurzen Bestehungszeit hat sich die Galerie weltweit zur führenden Anlaufstelle für Vintage und Contemporary Design für Kinder etabliert und präsentiert Werke historischer Designgrößen und aktueller Designer. Das Team von kinder MODERN ruht sich nie auf seinen Lorbeeren aus und präsentiert der Öffentlichkeit nun sein KINDER journal. Die Ausgabe erscheint vierteljährlich und widmet sich dem „Kindgerechtem Design der Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft“. Und wie alle kinder Sachen, lieben wir auch diese. 

KINDER journal befasst sich, wie die Galerie, mit der Wichtigkeit des Spiels für die intellektuelle und soziale Entwicklung und mit der raffinierten Art und Weise, wie Designer dieses Konzept angehen—häufig verwenden sie zeitgemäße Materialien und Techniken.

Zur Feier der Erstausgabe von KINDER journal, das diesen Monat auf dem Markt erscheint, berichten wir von Lora Appletons bezaubernder Abhandlung über die Bedeutung von kindgerechtem Design.

 Vor einigen Jahren startete ich einen Blog für meine Galerie kinder MODERN, die einzige Galerie weltweit, die kindgerechtem Design gewidmet ist. Mein Blog konzentriert sich auf das ganze Spektrum von kindgerechtem Design und umfasst internationale kinderbezogene Kunst- und Designprogramme in Museen; die besten und innovativsten Produkte und Möbel für Kinder und Familien; sowie Beiträge zu Künstlern, Designern, Denkern und Machern, die mich als Galeristin und angehende Möbeldesignerin inspiriert haben. Durch diesen Prozess wurde es mir wichtig, nicht nur Vintage und Contemporary Design ins Rampenlicht zu stellen, aber einen Dialog über ihre reichhaltige Geschichte und ihren Einfluss auf heutige Designer hervorzurufen. Außerdem sollen die wichtigen Verbindungspunkte von Kinderentwicklung und Pädagogik ermittelt werden, die Design, Bildung und Architektur dieses spannenden Branchensegments gestalten. Als wir uns mehr mit dieser spannenden Marktlücke beschäftigten, wuchs unser Publikum und wir stellten schnell fest, dass es viele Leser und Interessenten gab, die sich für die Geschichte der aktuellen Kinderdesignlandschaft begeistern. So entstand das KINDER journal. Dennoch fragen mich wohlgesinnte Freunde und skeptische Kollegen immer wieder: „Warum?“

 Kindgerechtes Design ist wichtig. Wie Kinder ihre Umgebung wahrnehmen und mit ihr interagieren ist eine bedeutende Verknüpfung für die soziale und menschliche Entwicklung. Kinder haben besondere Entwicklungsbedürfnisse, die auf Erwachsene ausgerichtetes Mobiliar nicht bietet. Kinder nehmen im Gegensatz zu Erwachsenen Erkundung und Spiel sehr ernst. Spiel stellt eine bedeutsame erzieherische Erfahrung dar und ist für die kognitive und gesunde Entwicklung unerlässlich. Sie bildet die Grundlage für Frühentwicklung. Durchdachtes, funktionales Design kultiviert Kreativität, Autonomie, kritisches Denken und Sprache wie auch die wesentlichen sozialen und emotionalen Fähigkeiten. Kooperatives Spiel ermutigt Kinder zu lernen sich abzuwechseln, zu teilen und Probleme zu lösen. Es ist deshalb von besonderer Wichtigkeit, dass Designer diese Bedürfnisse in ihren Entwürfen für Kinder berücksichtigen.

 Wenn wir Gegenstände gezielt für den Gebrauch für Kinder entwerfen und nicht einfach nur Möbel für Erwachsene „schrumpfen“, können wir eine tiefere Interaktion ermöglichen als mit einem gewöhnlichen Stuhl oder Tisch. Durch durchdachtes Design entsteht die Möglichkeit visuell und motorisch Erkundungen anzustellen. Kinder werden so zu vorausschauend denkenden, kreativen Jugendlichen und schließlich Erwachsenen. Dem Gehirn wird der Raum gegeben, über jede Entwicklungsstufe hinweg sein volles Potential zu entfalten. Design ermutigt Kinder Fragen zu stellen und dadurch das Universum zu entdecken und herauszufinden wo in diesem Universum denn eigentlich ihr physischer und intellektueller Platz ist. Indem Kinder verschiedenste Stoffe und unterschiedliche funktionale Designs sehen, fühlen und damit interagieren, entstehen Gespräche mit anderen über die Machart von Dingen, über dessen Hersteller und den Grund für dessen Produktion. Durch diesen Vorgang werden Kinder in externe Entdeckungen einbezogen. Dies führt schlussendlich zu dynamischen Lernprozessen.

 Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts nahm die Zahl an Designern, die Kinder und ihre Bedürfnisse in ihren Entwürfen auf professionelle, wissenschaftliche Art und Weise berücksichtigten, zu. Geringe Auflagen und ein kleines Publikum boten diesen Designern - viele davon sind heute Ikonen - den Raum, zu experimentieren ohne Angst vor Kritik zu haben. In den ersten Jahren des 19. Jahrhunderts entwarfen Designer innovative Formen für Spielzeuge und Möbel und konnten die Avantgarde frei interpretieren. Für Spielzeug und –objekte wurden neue Formen genutzt, um die Kleinsten auf neue Arten einbeziehen zu können, die bis dato noch nicht erforscht worden waren. Als sich der Modernismus etablierte, arbeiteten Designer wie Gerrit Rietveld (Niederlande), Ko Verzuu (Niederlande), Jacques Adnet (Frankreich) und weitere Designer professionell daran, einfache und praktische schulische Umfelder zu entwerfen, als auch Einzelstücke für Familien und Freunde. Materialien wie Stahlrohr, waschechte Farbe, Bugholz, Schichtholz etc. wurden alle für ihre gestalterische Einfachheit und Pflegeleichtigkeit verwendet. Während dieser Zeit sahen wir die Entwicklung ikonischer Stücke von Rietvelds Kinderschubkarren bis hin zu Adnets Schultischen und -stühlen aus Bugholz und Stahlrohr. Modernistische Designer entwarfen nach einer einfachen Theorie: Gegenstände im Zimmer sollten inspirieren und nicht nur dekorieren.

 Seitdem ich meine kinder MODERN Galerie eröffnet und mit Künstlern auf der ganzen Welt zusammen gearbeitet habe, um zeitgemäßes, kindgerechtes Design zu entwerfen, konnte ich beobachten, wie Interesse und Bemühung bei der Kreation neuer großartiger Möbel und Objekte für Kinder wuchs. Dieser Unternehmungsgeist veranlasst die Produktion handgemachter Stücke anstelle von Massenware. Wir entscheiden uns für Bedachtsamkeit im Design und Qualität über Quantität. Wir haben es uns zur Aufgabe gemacht, höchste Handwerkskunst für neue Produktionen einzusetzen, um auf Langlebigkeit zu setzen. Ausgehend von diesen Werten, haben wir für kinder MODERN ein eigenes hausinternes Studio konzipiert und wollen nächstes Jahr unsere erste Kollektion auf den Markt bringen. Wir unterstützen und engagieren weiterhin andere Designer in dieser stetig wachsenden und fantastischen Branche.

 Zu meinen heutigen Lieblingsdesignern für Kinder zählen der italienische Designer Gaetano Pesce, dessen aus Harz gegossenen Kinderstühle kindgerechtes Design um materielle Verspieltheit und clevere Stofflichkeit bereichern; der deutsche Designer Marco Hemmerling und sein bodenloses Interesse an Spiel und Gestalt; der mexikanische Designer Christian Vivanco, dessen gemütliche, wohnliche Designs gleichzeitig einfach und innovativ sind; die japanische Designfirma Nendo, die durch Walt Disney Japan beauftragt wurden, eine einfache aber konzeptuelle Serie basierend auf dem klassischen Kinderbuch und dem Film Pu der Bär zu entwerfen; die amerikanischen Designer Kalon Studios, die für die komplette Wohnung großartige Einrichtungsmöbel entwerfen; wie auch so viele andere, darunter ein paar fantastische Designer unserer eigenen Galerie. An erster Stelle steht die Verbindung von Kunst, Design und Handwerk. Im Allgemeinen nehmen wir mehr kreative Erforschung bei der Entwicklung von kindgerechtem Design wahr, einhergehend mit innovativem Erkunden von Material und einzigartigen Produktionsprozessen.

 Während wir die Geschichte von kindgerechtem Design bewahren und seine Zukunft bei kinder MODERN bestimmen, auf unserem KINDER journal tiefe Einblicke ermöglichen und unsere eigene Designproduktion im kinder STUDIO besprechen, habe ich das Gefühl, getreu meinem persönlichen Motto zu leben: großartiges Design = schlaue + glückliche Kinder.

*Dieser Beitrag erscheint auch in der Erstausgabe des KINDER journal, dem neuen vierteljährigen kinder MODERN Online-Magazin, das sich mit wundervollem und inspirierendem kindgerechtem Design befasst. Mehr darüber gibt es hier.

 *Einführungstext von Anna Carnick

 

ime, the gallery has quickly become the world’s leading destination for vintage and contemporary child designs, featuring works by historical design masters and some of today’s most interesting designers. Never one to rest on their laurels, though, the kinder MODERN team just upped the ante by launching KINDER journal, a new quarterly publication dedicated to “Child Design Past, Present, and Future.” And like all things kinder, we love it. 

Just like the gallery, the new journal delves deep into the significance of play in kids’ intellectual and social development as well as the ingenious ways that designers tackle these designs—often using the most of-the-moment materials and processes.

In honor of KINDER journal’s debut issue, out just this month, we’re sharing Lora Appleton’s wonderful treatise on why child design matters oh so very much.

  

A few years ago I began a blog for my gallery, kinder MODERN, the only gallery worldwide dedicated to child design. This blog focused on the full spectrum of child design, including international child-related art and design programs at museums; the best and most innovative products and furniture for children and families; and features on artists, designers, thinkers, and makers who inspired me as both a gallerist and a budding furniture designer. Through this process it became important to me to not just highlight vintage and contemporary design, but to engender a dialogue about its rich history and influence on today’s designers, while also identifying the vital connection points in child development and pedagogy that shape the design, education, and architecture of this fascinating segment of the industry. As we dug deeper into this amazing niche, our audience grew and we quickly realized there were many readers and enthusiasts interested in the history and current landscape of child design; thus KINDER journal was born. And yet, I am still constantly asked the same question by well-meaning friends and occasional skeptical colleagues: “Why?”

Child design matters. The way children view and interact with their surroundings is a critical link in the human social and emotional developmental chain. Children have very specific developmental needs that adult furniture does not support. Unlike adults, children take exploration and play very seriously. More importantly, play is a significant educational experience, imperative for cognitive growth and healthy development. It is the cornerstone of early development, and thoughtful, functional design definitively cultivates creativity, autonomy, critical thinking, and language, as well as those integral social and emotional skills. Cooperative play encourages children to learn how to take turns, share, and problem solve. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that designers for children consider these needs during the design process.

The way children view and interact with their surroundings is a critical link in the human social and emotional developmental chain. When we actually design items for a child’s use and function, and do not simply “shrink” that which is meant for adults, we can enable deeper engagement than with an ordinary chair or table. With thoughtful design, a rich visual and sensory exploration helps turn children into forward-thinking, creative adolescents and, eventually, adults, and allows for the brain to function at its fullest potential throughout all stages of development. It is because of the questions design compels children to ask that they ultimately discover the universe and their place in it, both physically and intellectually. Seeing, feeling, and interacting with different materials and types of functional design encourages discussion with others about the way things are made, who made them, and why. This process engages children in external discovery and leads to dynamic learning.

The mid-twentieth century saw a proliferation of designers finally considering children and their needs in a precise and academic way. The small scale and small audience gave these designers, many now considered iconic, the space to experiment without fear of criticism or waste of expensive materials. In the early 1900s, designers were creating innovative forms of toys and furniture, and could experiment with avant-garde interpretation. Play objects and toys utilized new forms to engage mini-users in ways that had not yet been explored. As Modernism took root, designers such as Gerrit Reitveld (Netherlands), Ko Verzuu (Netherlands), Jacques Adnet (France), and more were working professionally to design simple and practical school environments, while also creating unique pieces for family and friends. Materials such as tubular steel, washable paint, bentwood, plywood, etc. were all engaged for their lightness in form, easy care, and the imagination fostered through open themes. During this time we saw the development of iconic pieces, from Reitveld’s child wheelbarrow to Adnet’s bentwood and tubular steel school chairs and tables. Modernist designers were designing after one simple theory: items in a room should be inspirational, not just decorative.

Since I launched the kinder MODERN gallery and began collaborating with artists all over the world to create contemporary child design, I have seen an uptick in both interest and effort towards creating amazing new furniture and objects for children. It is this initiative that has us focused on making hand crafted pieces, rather than mass-produced, choosing thoughtfulness in design and quality over quantity. We’ve made it our mission to engage a level of superior craftsmanship in new production, putting value on long-term use and sustainability. With these values in mind, kinder MODERN has launched our own in-house design studio, and we expect to launch our first collection next year, while we continue to encourage and engage other designers in this incredible and ever growing niche.

Some of my favorite contemporary child designers who have done work for children are: Italian designer Gaetano Pesce, whose poured-resin child chairs inject whimsy and clever materiality into child design; German designer Marco Hemmerling, with an incredible interest in form and play; Mexican designer Christian Vivanco, whose cozy comfort-based designs are innovative yet simple; Japanese design firm Nendo, commissioned by Walt Disney Japan to design a basic, yet conceptual line based on the classic children’s book and film Winnie the Pooh; American designers Kalon Studios, who are producing great pieces for the entire home; and so many others, including an incredible stable of designers from our own gallery. With a blending of art, design, and craft at the forefront, we witness more creative exploration for children’s pieces in general, with innovative material exploration and unique production processes.

Between our work preserving the history and shaping the future of child design at kinder MODERN, sharing in-depth editorial through KINDER journal, and adding our own design work to the conversation with kinder STUDIO, I feel that I am truly living my personal and professional motto: great design = smart + happy kids.

 

*This article also appears in the debut issue of KINDER journal, kinder MODERN’s new quarterly online publication dedicated to all things wonderful and inspiring in children’s design. Learn more here.

 

*Introductory text by Anna Carnick

years ago I began a blog for my gallery, kinder MODERN, the only gallery worldwide dedicated to child design. This blog focused on the full spectrum of child design, including international child-related art and design programs at museums; the best and most innovative products and furniture for children and families; and features on artists, designers, thinkers, and makers who inspired me as both a gallerist and a budding furniture designer. Through this process it became important to me to not just highlight vintage and contemporary design, but to engender a dialogue about its rich history and influence on today’s designers, while also identifying the vital connection points in child development and pedagogy that shape the design, education, and architecture of this fascinating segment of the industry. As we dug deeper into this amazing niche, our audience grew and we quickly realized there were many readers and enthusiasts interested in the history and current landscape of child design; thus KINDER journal was born. And yet, I am still constantly asked the same question by well-meaning friends and occasional skeptical colleagues: “Why?”

Child design matters. The way children view and interact with their surroundings is a critical link in the human social and emotional developmental chain. Children have very specific developmental needs that adult furniture does not support. Unlike adults, children take exploration and play very seriously. More importantly, play is a significant educational experience, imperative for cognitive growth and healthy development. It is the cornerstone of early development, and thoughtful, functional design definitively cultivates creativity, autonomy, critical thinking, and language, as well as those integral social and emotional skills. Cooperative play encourages children to learn how to take turns, share, and problem solve. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that designers for children consider these needs during the design process.

The way children view and interact with their surroundings is a critical link in the human social and emotional developmental chain. When we actually design items for a child’s use and function, and do not simply “shrink” that which is meant for adults, we can enable deeper engagement than with an ordinary chair or table. With thoughtful design, a rich visual and sensory exploration helps turn children into forward-thinking, creative adolescents and, eventually, adults, and allows for the brain to function at its fullest potential throughout all stages of development. It is because of the questions design compels children to ask that they ultimately discover the universe and their place in it, both physically and intellectually. Seeing, feeling, and interacting with different materials and types of functional design encourages discussion with others about the way things are made, who made them, and why. This process engages children in external discovery and leads to dynamic learning.

The mid-twentieth century saw a proliferation of designers finally considering children and their needs in a precise and academic way. The small scale and small audience gave these designers, many now considered iconic, the space to experiment without fear of criticism or waste of expensive materials. In the early 1900s, designers were creating innovative forms of toys and furniture, and could experiment with avant-garde interpretation. Play objects and toys utilized new forms to engage mini-users in ways that had not yet been explored. As Modernism took root, designers such as Gerrit Reitveld (Netherlands), Ko Verzuu (Netherlands), Jacques Adnet (France), and more were working professionally to design simple and practical school environments, while also creating unique pieces for family and friends. Materials such as tubular steel, washable paint, bentwood, plywood, etc. were all engaged for their lightness in form, easy care, and the imagination fostered through open themes. During this time we saw the development of iconic pieces, from Reitveld’s child wheelbarrow to Adnet’s bentwood and tubular steel school chairs and tables. Modernist designers were designing after one simple theory: items in a room should be inspirational, not just decorative.

Since I launched the kinder MODERN gallery and began collaborating with artists all over the world to create contemporary child design, I have seen an uptick in both interest and effort towards creating amazing new furniture and objects for children. It is this initiative that has us focused on making hand crafted pieces, rather than mass-produced, choosing thoughtfulness in design and quality over quantity. We’ve made it our mission to engage a level of superior craftsmanship in new production, putting value on long-term use and sustainability. With these values in mind, kinder MODERN has launched our own in-house design studio, and we expect to launch our first collection next year, while we continue to encourage and engage other designers in this incredible and ever growing niche.

Some of my favorite contemporary child designers who have done work for children are: Italian designer Gaetano Pesce, whose poured-resin child chairs inject whimsy and clever materiality into child design; German designer Marco Hemmerling, with an incredible interest in form and play; Mexican designer Christian Vivanco, whose cozy comfort-based designs are innovative yet simple; Japanese design firm Nendo, commissioned by Walt Disney Japan to design a basic, yet conceptual line based on the classic children’s book and film Winnie the Pooh; American designers Kalon Studios, who are producing great pieces for the entire home; and so many others, including an incredible stable of designers from our own gallery. With a blending of art, design, and craft at the forefront, we witness more creative exploration for children’s pieces in general, with innovative material exploration and unique production processes.

Between our work preserving the history and shaping the future of child design at kinder MODERN, sharing in-depth editorial through KINDER journal, and adding our own design work to the conversation with kinder STUDIO, I feel that I am truly living my personal and professional motto: great design = smart + happy kids.

 

*This article also appears in the debut issue of KINDER journal, kinder MODERN’s new quarterly online publication dedicated to all things wonderful and inspiring in children’s design. Learn more here.

 

*Introductory text by Anna Carnick

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    Lora Appleton

    Lora is the founder and creative director of kinder MODERN gallery and the editor-in-chief of KINDER journal, both dedicated to historical and contemporary child design. She is also a furniture and textile designer who finds inspiration in urban landscapes, geometric forms, and her seven-year-old son/muse.