The Milwaukee Art Museum’s current exhibit, Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America explores the work of some 40 designers who integrated concepts like playfulness and fun into their work for corporations, home interiors, and — yes, children.
It’s a topic that connects strongly with the expertise of architecture critic and writer Alexandra Lange. Lange’s latest book is called The Design of Childhood: How the Material World Shapes Independent Kids. She was in Milwaukee to give a lecture at the art musuem. Speaking with Lake Effect’s Bonnie North, she explains how design affects young people and the adults they become.