Young V&A: Museum of Childhood rebrand excels at playful spaces but misses chances to go deeper
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Monday, July 17, 2023
The new offering marks an effort to embed creativity into the visitor experience, with child-centred design at the heart of its new strategy.
Key Points:
- The new offering marks an effort to embed creativity into the visitor experience, with child-centred design at the heart of its new strategy.
- Provisions including an extensive buggy park and friendly staff ensure that visitors with young children are welcomed and cared for.
- The galleries are set out over two floors, with a grand central atrium providing a social café space.
- Navigating the space is a free-flowing experience – visitors can choose their own route, unrestricted by timescales and traditional museum etiquette.
Highlights and areas for development
- The highlights of my visit were the subtle interactions.
- A fun remark about the need for a miniature electrician to service the dollhouses.
- Playful spaces within the museum encourage interactions which collectively shape the overall visitor experience.
- This could be further enhanced by providing accessible handling of collection objects throughout the museum, offering the audience opportunities to find their own meanings.
- The playful opportunities that the Young V&A presents are its greatest success, providing places to marvel, question and interact.