Wear & Grow: Nidi and Politecnico di Milano join forces to design furniture that grows with children
For the second year running, Nidi renewed its collaboration with Politecnico di Milano through a workshop exploring the relationship between design, growth and identity.
From 8 to 12 June, 27 students from the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Industrial Product Design took part in Wear & Grow, a design workshop centred on the concept of emotional durability: the ability of objects to retain their functional and emotional value over time, accompanying people through the different stages of life.
The workshop was organised by Professor Mattia Italia and ToyBee designers Bice Dantona and Bernardo Corbellini, with the support of tutor Francesca Corona.
Furniture designed to embrace change
In a world that is increasingly attentive to environmental issues and the well-being of younger generations, design is called upon to take on not only aesthetic and functional responsibilities, but also social and environmental ones.
Starting from this reflection, the workshop invited students to design a piece of furniture or accessory for Nidi aimed at children aged three and over, yet capable of evolving and adapting to their needs throughout adolescence and beyond.
The goal was to imagine products that are durable not only in terms of their materials, but also on an emotional level: objects able to transform, acquire new meanings and continue to be perceived as their own as children grow.
From getting dressed to expressing personal identity
The project began with an everyday action: getting dressed.
It is an action whose meaning changes over time. For a child, it can represent an important first step towards independence; for a teenager, it becomes a way to recognise, express and shape their own identity.
During the workshop, the theme of dressing was interpreted in a broader sense, extending beyond the relationship with clothing. The students’ reflections encompassed all the objects, materials and rituals that accompany children and teenagers as they grow and change.
Shoes, backpacks, school supplies, accessories, personal belongings, memories, passions, creative materials and everyday devices were considered elements that help shape interests, habits, relationships and forms of self-expression.
Designing for today with tomorrow in mind
Through Wear & Grow, Nidi and Politecnico di Milano invited young designers to rethink furniture as a living, dynamic presence: not an object associated with a single stage of life, but a tool that remains open to change.
The workshop presented a design challenge that placed the growth of younger generations at its heart, encouraging a more conscious approach to designing and living: creating fewer objects, but making them longer-lasting, adaptable and capable of building an authentic relationship over time with the people who use them
