Play on Words
A tool for learning to read, born out of the captivity of children.
"Jeux de Mots, le labo" is an interactive device created by Atelier Baudelaire in collaboration with Bold Design. The project emanated from the desire to create innovative and fun objects for learning to read and write, and to introduce young children to the fields of typography and modular design.
At the invitation of the Centre d'Initiation à l'Art (pour les) for children 0-6 years old in Clermont-Ferrand, Atelier Baudelaire and Bold Design developed the original prototype into a multi-scale construction game.
Born out of a desire to create educational objects for children and people with disabilities, a first experimental prototype was designed during the closure period. Using upcycled materials and resources available at the time from hardware stores, shapes and colors were designed and developed as the children experimented. The result is a series of five small 3D printed modules that can be assembled to form the 26 capital letters of the alphabet.
Using a range of 5 basic modular shapes made to different scales, the workshops gradually stimulate children's motor skills. With the help of lettering guide and 'how to use' sheets, a drawing workshop begins where children can create free 2-dimensional graphic compositions on A4 sheets. This is followed by a modeling workshop where children can try their hand at building in volume, playing with balance and gravity, using the same shapes. Finally, a motor skills workshop using the same large modules gives children the opportunity to combine spatial construction with physical engagement. This monumental scale allows them to imagine architectures and routes in a collaborative way. These 3 scales of play give children the opportunity to reproduce the designer's creative process: first reflection through drawing, then experimentation on the scale of the body and space. In this laboratory, children train their fine motor skills and learn about drawing, patterns and the organization of shapes in space. These are all games that prepare them for an alternative education in writing and composition, to be repeated and invented as they see fit. Cooperation, dialogue and negotiation between the children provide a free, joyful and playful introduction to the designer's approach.
2020-2024
Exhibitions :
at Mille Formes, Clermont Ferrand from april to july 2024
at Grand Hornu at Home Made exhibition — from 15.10.23 to 11.02.24
at MAD at Uncertain Spring exhibition — from december 2020 to june 2021
Project initiated by Camille Baudelaire
3D prints of the prototype and co-design of the milleforme exhibition with Bold design, with the participation of Mathis El Idriss
Graphic design for the MAD exhibition with Arp is Arp
Photos Grand Hornu Caroline Dethier
Conception :
Camille Baudelaire + Olivia Grandperrin + Julien Benayoun et William Boujon (Bold Design)
