Thursday Salute to Originals: Pint-Sized Design Perspectives

We’ve been talking a lot about “basics” in our office lately – the essentials of communication within the design process, basic design tools as building blocks, and fundamental engineering concepts. With a team full of seasoned veterans and vibrant designers, rarely do these conversations involve the thought processes and design opinions of young children; we were refreshingly intrigued by the short film “Shape”.

Created to educate Irish youth about the effects of design on their everyday lives, “Shape” is a stick-figure animation that walks through an ordinary day and highlights how the objects and spaces impact the characters. Watch as the film progresses through environments at home, in the office, at school, and on the streets, constantly shifting between plan and elevation as architectural details, objects, and technology evolve:

[Shape from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo]

Posing the poignantly simple question, “if, for one day, you had the power to make your world work better, what would you change?”, this children’s film can transfer its lessons to adults as well. What portions of the film made the most impact on you? We’re willing to bet that the future or present architects noticed the window placement, the aspiring planners made note of the shifting streetscape, and the budding interior designers perked up at how the office layout affected behavior. As designers, we DO have the power to make the world work better. What are you changing? Did your childhood self have those same aspirations?