Informed by the analytical practices of the interdisciplinary 'material turn' and social historical studies of childhood, Childhood By Design: Toys and the Material Culture of Childhood offers new approaches to the material world of childhood and design culture for children. This volume situates toys and design culture for children within broader narratives on history, art, design and the decorative arts, where toy design has traditionally been viewed as an aberration from more serious pursuits. The essays included treat toys not merely as unproblematic reflections of socio-cultural constructions of childhood but consider how design culture actively shaped, commodified and materialized shifting discursive constellations surrounding childhood and children. Focusing on the new array of material objects designed in response to the modern 'invention' of childhood-what we might refer to as objects for a childhood by design-Childhood by Design explores dynamic tensions between theory and practice, discursive constructions and lived experience as embodied in the material culture of childhood. Contributions from and between a variety of disciplinary perspectives (including history, art history, material cultural studies, decorative arts, design history, and childhood studies) are represented – critically linking historical discourses of childhood with close study of material objects and design culture. Chronologically, the volume spans the 18th century, which witnessed the invention of the toy as an educational plaything and a proliferation of new material artifacts designed expressly for children's use; through the 19th-century expansion of factory-based methods of toy production facilitating accuracy in miniaturization and a new vocabulary of design objects coinciding with the recognition of childhood innocence and physical separation within the household; towards the intersection of early 20th-century child-centered pedagogy and modernist approaches to nursery and furniture design; through the changing consumption and sales practices of the postwar period marketing directly to children through television, film and other digital media; and into the present, where the line between the material culture of childhood and adulthood is increasingly blurred.

An exploration of how design might be led by marginalized communities, dismantle structural inequality, and advance collective liberation and ecological survival. What is the relationship between design, power, and social justice? “Design justice” is an approach to design that is led by marginalized communities and that aims expilcitly to challenge, rather than reproduce, structural inequalities. It has emerged from a growing community of designers in various fields who work closely with social movements and community-based organizations around the world. This book explores the theory and practice of design justice, demonstrates how universalist design principles and practices erase certain groups of people—specifically, those who are intersectionally disadvantaged or multiply burdened under the matrix of domination (white supremacist heteropatriarchy, ableism, capitalism, and settler colonialism)—and invites readers to “build a better world, a world where many worlds fit; linked worlds of collective liberation and ecological sustainability.” Along the way, the book documents a multitude of real-world community-led design practices, each grounded in a particular social movement. Design Justice goes beyond recent calls for design for good, user-centered design, and employment diversity in the technology and design professions; it connects design to larger struggles for collective liberation and ecological survival.

In "Plastic Culture", British comics artist and illustrator Woodrow Phoenixxplores our relationship to toys in the twenty-first century, witharticular emphasis on Japan - an exporter of both merchandise and ideas.lastic Toys based on comics, movies and TV shows from "Astro Boy", "Godzilla"nd "Gatchaman", to "Power Rangers", "Sailor Moon" and "Pokemon" have had aowerful effect on the West, and have kick-started trends in design and populture that have crossed from Japan to the West and back East again. Withts blend of incisive analysis and stylish photography, this is a book thatill appeal to a wide range of readers: from those interested in the latestrends in contemporary art, to toy collectors young and old, and to anyoneith an interest in Japan's influence on contemporary pop culture.

Toys, fulfilling as they do one of mankind's most basic needs, have existed for as long as we have. From the earliest times both adults and children have used toys to simulate reality or simply to pass time. Renowned designers, artists and architects have always tried their hand at creating toys: from Frank Lloyd Wright's work with Fr�bel's building blocks to Josef Hartwig's Bauhaus chess set that is still produced today. Gerrit Rietveld, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Breuer and Andy Warhol also designed toys. However, most often it was craftsmen and -women - such as the seamstress Margarete Steiff (Steiff teddy bears), the carpenters Christiansen (Lego), or the cabinet-maker Hans Beck (Playmobil) - who designed the most successful and enduring toys. Toys for small children are often distinguished by a high level of abstraction (babies' toys, for example, typically have fluid contours, simplified detail drawings and primary colors), although timeless designer toys such as those produced by Naef cross all age limits and can even be found on executive desks. This volume in the "Design"series presents both contemporary designer toys and classic toys that are still on the market.

The practice of toy design and the theory behind it is studied with particular interest in the ways in which these areas contribute, if at all, to child development. The assessment of the ways in which we play and the toys we have as children with respect to its influence on adulthood will be studied. As well as literary research an interview with a senior designer is carried out. This concludes that the role of the toy designer is complex and subject to the demands of users as well as regulations. A questionnaire was given to 28 respondent ages 18- 25 years; the subject was a retrospective view of toys and their influences on the respondent's current lifestyle. The major conclusions draw from this was that toys not only influence the development of key skills, but also of the positive or negative view on our childhood. These findings show that it is important for designers to draw upon academic research, as well as undertaking their own to create influential toys of quality.

School readiness is as much about schools recognizing the existing capabilities and knowledge each child has when they enter school as it is about supporting children and families in their preparation for entering formal learning environments. Effective approaches that address learning variability must take these differences into account, recognizing and leveraging opportunities inherent in the child’s ecosystem of resources. The Handbook of Research on Innovative Approaches to Early Childhood Development and School Readiness assembles the most current research and thought-leadership on the ways in which innovative education stakeholders are working together to impact the most critical years in a child’s life—the years leading up to and including kindergarten. Covering topics such as change agency, experience quality, and social-emotional development, this book is a crucial resource for educational researchers, child development professionals, school administrators, pre-K teachers, pre-service teachers, program managers, policymakers, non-profit service organizations, early childhood EdTech developers, curriculum developers, and academicians.

The colourful world of figurines may often be associated with anime fans, movie buffs, and hobbyists, but there is a growing section of graphic designers who are making their mark as creator-collectors. Figure It Out turns the spotlight on the talented creatives who apply their artistry beyond two-dimensional surfaces onto unique collectibles that blur the line between toy and art. Featuring a wide curation of projects, behind-the-scene snippets, interviews as well as insights into the materials and processes involved, it takes a closer look at a rising trend in design and pop culture where the only limit is one's imagination.

With radical and innovative design solutions, everyone could be living in buildings and settlements that are more like gardens than cargo containers, and that purify air and water, generate energy, treat sewage and produce food - at lower cost. Birkeland introduces systems design thinking that cuts across academic and professional boundaries and the divide between social and physical sciences to move towards a transdiciplinary approach to environmental and social problem-solving. This sourcebook is useful for teaching, as each topic within the field of environmental management and social change has pairs of short readings providing diverse perspectives to compare, contrast and debate. Design for Sustainability presents examples of integrated systems design based on ecological principles and concepts and drawn from the foremost designers in the fields of industrial design, materials, housing design, urban planning and transport, landscape and permaculture, and energy and resource management.