What happens when children design their own furniture? The participatory project Chair for Kids by designer Taekhan Yun shows how imagination can become real, functional design. Developed with students from an English school in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the project transforms children’s playful sketches into colorful handmade chairs.
The process started with a simple exercise: each child was asked to draw a chair. These drawings became the starting point for exploring shape, balance, and function. The students then measured their own bodies to understand scale and ergonomics, learning how proportions influence comfort and design.
To bring their ideas into three dimensions, the children created clay prototypes based on their sketches. These models guided the construction of the final chairs. In the final stage, the children colored the furniture themselves, turning each piece into a personal expression of creativity.
More than a simple design experiment, Chair for Kids is a lesson in creativity, collaboration, and confidence. By involving children in every step—from drawing to making—the project demonstrates how design can become a powerful educational tool, empowering young minds to imagine, build, and shape the world around them.