We're staying in England for one more conversation,—this time with Alex, 11, Wren's brother. We talk about motivation, choices, bias, interactive boards, Shakespeare’s spelling skills, the fast pace of modern childhood and—as our guest beautifully sums it—“cultural developments of life”.
Alex is brilliant at expressing thoughts with confidence and virtuous authenticity. It's a conversation between equals with surprising twists and insights.
This season is all about listening closely to what each child knows, feels, and thinks about the topics we usually discuss as adults in the field. And this has been wonderful so far!
*** Host***
Host: Polina Lulu
*** Links of the D4CR Association and active local chapters***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide
D4CR Association
Our next stop: England — meet Wren, 8, who has a lot to say about what child-friendly really means. We talk about safety, freedom in learning, digital experiences, and how creativity evolves through exploration. Wren shares which platforms she avoids and why.
Her insights are sharp and brilliantly articulated, and her words remind us — again — not to underestimate younger voices. That’s what this season is about: pure curiosity to understand what each child knows, feels, and thinks about the topics we’re so used to discussing in the industry. Hope these conversations spark ideas and action — and help bring youth voices into the world we’re designing together.
*** Host***
Host: Polina Lulu
*** Links of the D4CR Association and active local chapters***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide
D4CR Association
In this season, we’re on a journey of exploring how kids understand design, children’s rights, and what we can learn from their unique insights, context, and perspectives. Hope these conversations spark ideas and action, amplifying the impact of youth voices in the world we’re designing together.
Our first stop: Pakistan, where Sarah, 16, kindly invites us into her reality — where some things we consider basic, like meeting with a friend in a park, aren’t obvious at all. On top of design and children's rights, you'll hear strong ideas on education, lessons in gratitude, and making an impact outside of your comfort bubble with the cards that life gives you.
*** Host***
Host: Polina Lulu
*** Links of the D4CR Association and active local chapters***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide
D4CR Association
Are you ready to enrich your understanding of play and spaces that allow equitable child experiences?
In this episode we are joined by Marie Williams to reflect on the urgency of prioritizing play and moving beyond conventional ideas and aesthetics of play tools.
Emphasizing the importance of play experiences, we discuss the value of transferring knowledge, sharing diverse stories, and co-designing with children—without relying solely on our interpretations.
What a perfect way to close out the first season!
*** Links to the guests and hosts***
Guest: Marie Williams
Host: Polina Lulu
***Relevant links***
https://dreamnetworks.co.uk/
Welsh Assembly Play Policy, 2002
*** Links of the D4CR Association and active local chapters***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide
What is play, playfulness, and physicality? What are their practical sides and applications in the AI Era? What boundaries should we set to ensure AI is sensitive to children's playful minds?
In this episode, we are joined by Yesim Kunter, play expert and futurist, to discuss these serious questions, looking at AI as a Human+AI interplay.
*** Links to the guests and hosts***
Guest: Yesim Kunter
Host: Polina Lulu
***Relevant links***
Instagram for Jesim's Play and Design related
Instagram for Yesim's Art Work
*** Links of the D4CR Association and active local chapters***
Peek into the Joan Ganz Cooney Center’s approach for prioritizing children’s best interests, leveraging their unique insights, and positively impacting the work of children’s tech and media creators.
In this episode, Michael Preston, Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, shares the wonders of partnering with kids and each other. Discover how the Cooney Center Sandbox, a design and innovation lab, plays a pivotal role, serving as a place where children and adults engage creatively to together foster a positive and inclusive digital world for children.
*** Links to the guests and hosts***
Guest: Michael Preston
Host: Polina Lulu
***Link to the Joan Ganz Cooney Center***
https://joanganzcooneycenter.org/
*** Links of the D4CR Association and active local chapters***
What can children tell us through their interactions with everyday clothes? And what can they learn about themselves and others through clothing? Why and how can young people inspire a more ethical fashion industry driven by D4CR principles? It takes no less than three experts to address these questions through the analysis of collaborative experiences of co-creation with children. Let’s embark into their journey and explore with us the learning power of clothes!
Join us on this exploration with Aude Le Guennec, Design Anthropologist, Design Anthropologist, co-curator “Dressed for School” (in partnership with the French National Museum of Education), Laetitia Barbu, designer and artistic director at Ark-Ellia Design and Illustrious Lab, and Anne-Charlotte Hartmann-Bragard, expert in brand strategy, image and communication and founder of Studio Abi, promoting textile education.
*** Links to the guests and hosts***
Guests: Dr. Aude Le Guennec, Anne-Charlotte Hartmann-Bragard, Laetitia Barbu
Host: Polina Lulu
***Links & references mentioned in this episode***
Illustrious Lab (Laetitia Barbu)
Studio Abi (Anne-Charlotte Hartmann-Bragard)
https://www.audeleguennec.com/home
https://radar.gsa.ac.uk/profile/1719
Tell Me exhibition :
https://d4crscottishchapter.wordpress.com/gallery/
https://d4crscottishchapter.wordpress.com/munae-press-release/
https://my.octopus3d.com/tour/shabiller-pour-lecole (online exhibition)
https://d4crfrenchchapter.wordpress.com/galerie/ (in French)
*** Links of the D4CR Association and active local chapters***
Get inspired by how the D4CR principles are being applied in various organizations and academia. From inclusivity to the impact of digital technology, we explore the challenges and opportunities in different industries.
As an expert in play and designing for children and a co-founder of D4CR, Krystina provides unique insights into creating impactful experiences for children that address their present needs and pave the way for a better future.
*** Links to the guests and hosts***
Guest, Krystina Castella
Host, Polina Lulu
*** Links of the D4CR Association ***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide
D4CR Association
250 children wrote a 40 meters long message saying “WE HAVE RIGHTS, WE DESIGN THE FUTURE” expressing with chalk their thoughts, opinions, and feelings. What a fantastic way to celebrate Children's day!
In this episode we talk with Clara Vieira Rodrigues, the leader of D4CR Porto Chapter, about this powerful event, as well as about co-creating with and for children in public space as an act of community involvement and design activism.
*** Links & references mentioned in this episode***
More about the event with video and photos
*** Links to the guests and hosts***
Guest, Clara Vieira Rodrigues
Host, Polina Lulu
*** Links of the D4CR Association ***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide https://childrensdesignguide.org/
D4CR Association https://designingforchildrensrights.org/
Active local chapters:
Berlin https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/d4cr-berlin-chapter/
Malmo https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-malmo-chapter/posts/
Tel-Aviv https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-tlv-chapter/
Porto https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-porto-chapter/
This episode is about systemic integration of play and playfulness into Denmark’s New Children’s Hospital - Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital in Copenhagen. One of the D4CR co-founders, Caser Mathiesen is the lead play designer of the hospital’s internal design team. Casper describes the systemic approach to play and concrete examples of how this approach manifests in enhancing the overall experience for children, their whole families and the hospital staff.
*** Links to the guest***
Casper’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmathiesen/
*** Links & references mentioned in this episode***
Video about the vision of the Mary Elizabteh’s Hospital : https://youtu.be/qqtoK1vQoWQ
https://www.rigshospitalet.dk/maryelizabethshospital/english
*** Links of the D4CR Association ***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide https://childrensdesignguide.org/
D4CR Association https://designingforchildrensrights.org/
Active local chapters:
Berlin https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/d4cr-berlin-chapter/
Malmo https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-malmo-chapter/posts/
Tel-Aviv https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-tlv-chapter/
Porto https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-porto-chapter/
Applying children's rights in design for kids is a win-win-win, for the company, for the product and for the children. It’s the smartest thing to do from a business perspective. This is the culture today. Millennial parents really care about ethical design. You can see that in different parts of their lives, including what they give to their children. If the product is safe, private, child-centered, age-appropriate, allows play and learning (these things are all part of child rights) - you are actually giving your product a huge advantage with this group of audience.
And it’s easy to do and easy to start. Once you try, you won't understand how you didn't do it before!
*** Links to the guests and hosts***
Guest, Shuli Gilutz, Ph.D.
Host, Polina Lulu
*** Links of the D4CR Association ***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide https://childrensdesignguide.org/
D4CR Association https://designingforchildrensrights.org/
In this episode we talk about the use of Speculative Design in exploration of the future of Children’s Rights in digital products. Michelle Bruce, a star designer from D4CR’s Berlin local chapter walks us through the methods and the outputs of the workshops they have been running with both adults and children in the room.
*** Link to the guest***
Michelle Bruce https://www.linkedin.com/in/michbruce/
*** Link to a post with photos of the event***
*** Links & references mentioned in this episode***
The cards used in the workshop:
1) Speculative Design cards - the workshop discussed used tailor-made speculateve cards, and here are alternative decks that can be considered to be used: https://shop.nearfuturelaboratory.com/products/the-work-kit-of-design-fiction-2023-mj-edition
https://situationlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FUTURETHING_Print-and-Play.pdfhttps://tarotcardsoftech.artefactgroup.com/
2) D4CR Children’s Design Guide’s rights-based principles: https://childrensdesignguide.org/
*** Links of the D4CR Association ***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide https://childrensdesignguide.org/
D4CR Association https://designingforchildrensrights.org/
Active local chapters:
Berlin https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/d4cr-berlin-chapter/
Malmo https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-malmo-chapter/posts/
Age appropriate is a trendy and widely used term in designing for children. This term is also sometimes unfortunately, overused or even abused, both intentionally and unintentionally. In this episode, we'll learn from and with a special guest who is my go-to expert on the topic. We'll dive into what age appropriate refers to it's history and research where and how it is used today, as well as how we can recognize well-made age appropriate practices, products, and solutions, and make better choices in our work.
*** Links to the guests and hosts***
Guest, Sara Grimes
Host, Polina Lulu
*** Links of the D4CR Association ***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide https://childrensdesignguide.org/
D4CR Association https://designingforchildrensrights.org/
Welcome to Designing for Children’s Best, a podcast about how to turn our best intentions into outstanding child experiences. In this very first episode we are introducing Designing for Children’s Rights association that is behind this podcast, our mission statement, as well as taking an in-depth look at why it is important to have children as stakeholders and what impact it creates. Our guests today are Jonna Tötterman and Petter Karlson, two of the core heroes that have been at the heart of the D4CR community from the start.
*** Links to the guests and hosts***
Guest, Jonna Totterman
Guest, Petter Karlsson
Host, Polina Lulu
*** Links of the D4CR Association ***
Designing for Children’s Rights Guide https://childrensdesignguide.org/
D4CR Association https://designingforchildrensrights.org/
Active local chapters:
Berlin https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/d4cr-berlin-chapter/
Malmo https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-malmo-chapter/posts/
Tel-Aviv https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-tlv-chapter/
Porto https://www.linkedin.com/company/d4cr-porto-chapter/
And there is also great stuff happening in Los Angeles, Eidhoven and Helsinki.
For more details, drop us a line at podcast@d4cr.org
