Werkelkueche 玩具 by Christine Oehme is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 金奖 in 婴儿、儿童产品设计 Competition Category.

金婴儿产品· 2021

Werkelkueche 玩具

by Christine Oehme

Client: Christine Oehme

A' Design Award 金奖 Winner in 婴儿产品 Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #123332

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Werkelkueche 玩具

Werkelkueche 是一个性别开放的活动工作站，让孩子们能够沉浸在自由游戏世界中。它结合了儿童厨房和工作台的形式和美学特征。因此，Werkelkueche 提供了多种游戏可能性。弯曲的胶合板台面可用作水槽、车间或滑雪场。侧隔间可以提供存储和隐藏空间或烘烤香脆的面包卷。借助色彩丰富且可互换的工具，孩子们可以实现自己的想法并以有趣的方式模仿成人的世界。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 金奖

Werkelkueche 玩具是 A' Design Award 金奖得主，这是授予一流、绝妙而杰出设计的极为崇高的认可。金奖得主是极具创新、极富远见且璀璨夺目的创作，反映出其设计师的天才、智慧与才干。预计Werkelkueche 玩具将成为一项备受赞誉、引领潮流、气势恢宏的发明，带来前所未有的价值。这件赢得 A' Design Award 金奖的设计是一个壮观而受人敬重的项目，极大地造福并拓展艺术、科学、设计和技术的边界。Werkelkueche 玩具激起强烈的渴望，唤起激情，鼓励创造力，令我们着迷。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The ”Werkelkueche” is a gender-open activity workstation for children. It combines the formal and aesthetic features of children's kitchens and workbenches and thus opens up playful possibilities that are beyond gender stereotypes. The curved worktop can be a sink and a ski slope. The side compartments offer storage space or can bake crispy rolls. The interchangeable tools allow children to realize their ideas and imitate the adult world.
Dimensions & Packaging: 710mmx440mm780mm
Tags: children, kids, toy, gendersensitiv, kitchen, workbench, play, moulded wood, sheet steel
Production Technology: The worktop of the ”Werkelkueche” is made of thermally deformable birch plywood from UPM. This material allowed me to give the rigid wood a soft, deep groove. This material is in optical and haptic contrast to the powder-coated sheet steel on the front and rear walls.
Design Challenge: The challenge in the conceptual work was the fusion of existing toys and their design opposites. I wanted to make a design that was recognizable and at the same time completely new. From a technical point of view, the thermal deformation of the birch plywood was a particular challenge. After several weeks of experimentation, I had found the right bend angle and also a way to connect this countertop to the rest of the pieces.
Research: Expert interviews and surveys with parents, the influence of gender in children's worlds, five qualitative interviews with educators and leaders, survey with over 900 individual answers, gender plays a subordinate role in children themselves up to the age of three, but from the point of pregnancy a clear distinction is made between male and female through the social environment, clothing and objects, parents want more so-called gender-neutral things
Inspiration: The world of children is actually colorful, loud and diverse. But this children's world is often divided into gender stereotypical roles: the clothes are either pink or blue, in the toy department mystical fighting ninjas ”for boys” and cute dolls ”for girls” are sold. This suggests to even the youngest children what social images and expectations are placed on girls or boys.
Project Duration: The project started in June 2020 with extensive research with parents and social workers. I developed the Werkelkueche as part of my bachelor thesis at the Berlin University of the Arts. The project was completed in December 2020.
Operation Flow: The ”Werkelkueche” is an open-ended, intuitive play space for children. There the world of adults can be imitated in a playful way, conflicts can be negotiated and security gained: Who am I and how does it feel to slip into another role? These experiences are an essential part of the child’s self-identity.
Patents: Registered Design. No. 402020204285-0001. Christine Oehme. 2021
Image Credits: Image #1: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020
Image #2: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020
Image #3: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020
Image #4: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020
Image #5: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020