Museum makes a play for design

The Science Museum is in the hunt for designers, it has emerged this week, as it moves to reinvent children’s playground equipment and bring its ideas to market in the UK and abroad.

The skills of product designers, manufacturers and point-of-sale specialists will all be required to develop a raft of Science Museum concepts, which have emerged out of its ‘classrooms of the future’ project involving the Department for Education and Skills and Bedfordshire local education authority.

Andrew Williamson, head of marketing and communications at Science Museum Solutions, its consultancy arm, says commercial opportunities have been identified that ‘bridge the gap between learning and education and play’.

These are largely technology-driven and interactive, he adds, reflecting the current computer-based entertainment trend.

‘It’s not about putting a GameBoy in the middle of a field [but rather] designing playground products and environments that are more appealing and more aspirational for today’s kids,’ Williamson says.

Expressions of interest should be made to Andi Francis at andi@andico.co.uk before the 30 November deadline. Discussions with successful partners should progress quickly in the New Year.