Exploring design and imagination with Year 1 students

As a designer, returning to a space I had a hand in creating is always a delight. It provided the perfect opportunity to explore how inspiration shapes our designs, and this time, it was the library’s turn to be our case study.

These young minds were in the midst of an exciting project, one that tasked them with envisioning and designing an entire town, complete with houses, roads, and shops. The teacher, therefore invited me to explain the design process for their own library, which opened in 2022.

We discussed the power of collaboration and different perspectives on design and how we had gathered input from students and staff as a starting point for the design process.

In developing the library design, we delved into the wonders of nature for inspiration, so at the talk, it was great to see the enthusiasm among the kids as I asked them questions like: “Where in the building can you see lily pads, or toadstools, stepping stones or cascading creeks?” Eager hands shot up, ready to share their answers.

The kids were equally excited when we told them about our other inspirations, the “Stairasarus” for example.  I was amazed to see how the students grasped the purpose of this whimsical element — to ignite imagination and fun.

To see our most important stakeholders – the students – so engaged with the space we created for them was so encouraging and reaffirmed the power of design to inspire, educate, and spark creativity.

In the end, it was a morning filled with smiles, inspiration, and the promise of a future generation of designers and thinkers – I’m looking forward to seeing their projects realised.