Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 13 No. 1 (2003) ISSN: 1546-2250 In My World: Designing Living & Learning Environments for the Young Logrippo, Ro (1995). New York: John Wiley and Sons; 273 pages. $NPL. ISBN 0471111627. Ro Logrippo’s award-winning journalismintroducing the general public to children’s design is well representedin her 1995 book, In My World. This book begins with aresearch-focused introduction, and at first glance appears to beintended for a more academic audience. Once the reader moves beyond thefirst couple of pages, however, it quickly becomes clear that thetarget audiences for this work are parents and design professionals whoare just beginning their foray into the world of designing children’sspaces. The book concentrates exclusively on residential interiors andtheir treatments, although many of the concepts are transferableto a variety of spaces that predominantly serve children. In My World has several main ideas and objectives that arewelldeveloped and comprehensively explored. The author’s two primaryobjectives appear to be helping readers understand the importance ofappropriately designing living spaces for children, and promoting theidea of co-designing with children. She deals with each of these areasfully, giving parents and design professionals suggestions, tips, andreasons for design options in children’s living spaces. In addition,she provides methods for involving children in the design process. Thebook incorporates information from numerous experienced individualswith strong histories of working with children, and companies thatprovide resources to support appropriate children’s design. In My World provides readers with ideas about designing fordifferent ages from infancy through the teen years, and gives helpfulsuggestions regarding concerns that parents and design professionalsmay have. It is always helpful to understand the “why’s” behind theviews offered, and this book provides ample information to help thereader understand the developmental, 255 safety, and health reasons guidingthe suggestions given. The information is well grounded in childdevelopment research and can be used with confidence by readers. Shepresents specific examples and photographic illustrations to helpreaders more fully understand the concepts addressed in each chapter.However, many of the illustrations used are of spaces created by designprofessionals for their own children as opposed to spaces created forclients. The author also introduces the readers to areas of specialconcern relevant to today’s family issues, providing suggestions formanaging each of these concerns (e.g., special needs, allergies, sharedspaces, non-traditional living arrangements). Generally speaking, there are several works that complement In My World, but few that can be considered comparable to In My World with its grounding in research and reader-friendly appeal. Ms. Logrippo’s previous writing with Tony Torrice, In My Room, is a prelude to this volume and sets the stage for its contents. Anita Olds’ landmark book, Child Care Design Guide,is a comprehensive manual for design professionals serious aboutthoroughly understanding the details of designing learning and careenvironments for young children. Similar concepts guide both works andboth are well grounded in research but In My World, written in a decidedly parent-friendly tone, and Child Care Design Guide, intended for more serious design and child development professionals, target very different audiences. Linda Ruth’s Design Standards for Children’s Environmentsoffers important information, but concentrates principally onchildren’s anthropometrics, accessibility, and dimensions of resourcesand products such as chairs, play equipment, and furnishings. A helpfulsource of information, her book lacks the practical application ideasof In My World. Finally, there are numerous books published bycompanies such as Sunset and Better Homes and Gardens on store shelvestoday giving helpful hints on decorating children’s living spaces.These often perpetuate inappropriate design ideas and lack thefoundation of child development research in their design suggestions. While In My World has many strengths as previouslyidentified, there are a few challenges in this work. Some of thesuggestions for 256 decorating treatments border on cliché and could bemore creatively directed toward the age group being discussed. Thereare numerous typographical errors throughout the book that can becomedistracting. The book also tends to be somewhat repetitious indescribing details or approaches when addressing similar issues butwith different age groups. This becomes a bit tedious when reading thebook as a whole, but given the target audience, it may be appropriatebecause parents could read the sections of the book most relevant tothe age of their own children...
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Feb 1, 2011
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