Design Discovery Youth Program: Crafting Creativity with Spoons

A Unique Exploration of Design: High Schoolers Craft Innovative Spoons at UVA

In a corner of the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, high school junior Averi Owens delicately maneuvers a block of wood against a sander. Her mission? To unearth a “sleepy” spoon from within the raw material. “I got the word ‘sleepy,’ and I kind of thought of the spoon like a body,” she explains, envisioning the bowl as the head and the handle as a reclined form. Owens plans to incorporate a thumbhole for ease of use.

Owens is one of 40 high school students participating in the Design Discovery Youth Summer Program, a two-part initiative held by the Architecture School, with each session running for six days and welcoming 20 students. This hands-on experience includes workshops that focus on spoon and inflatable sculpture design, along with site tours and interactive sessions with industry professionals.

The initial session has already taken place, with the second scheduled for June 22-27. The program leverages the expertise of UVA architecture students, staff, and faculty to guide the participants through their creative journey.

But what makes a spoon an ideal design project? “It’s a wonderful opportunity to take a known object and embed it with a character and attitude,” states Kyle Sturgeon, associate dean of strategic initiatives and the summer program’s director. In the program, students are tasked with designing spoons based on specific prompts, such as a word or emotion, which guides their creative process.

The concept encourages students to explore and express their own creative voices while working within given constraints—much like architects must do with a building site and brief. The variations in spoon design are as diverse as the students themselves.

Ava Ahaghotu, another high school junior, received the word “shy” as her prompt. She describes her design approach: “I feel like shy is kind of small, so my spoon is going to be pretty small and kind of narrow. I thought, if you’re shy, you might not have hard edges, so I’m designing it curvy and kind of delicate.”

For Sturgeon, the power of design is significant. “I think it’s hugely important in our future. I also think it’s important who wields that power and who gains access and exposure to it,” he notes. The program aims to ignite a passion for design in students, offering them a glimpse into their potential futures.

Dorothy Streit, inspired by the word “clumsy,” initially envisioned a spoon with chaotic curves. Her design evolved into a more structured form, yet she remains captivated by the creative process. “I like coming up with an idea and creating a physical version of it,” she says, expressing her long-standing interest in design and her consideration of UVA as a top college choice.

The program draws a diverse group of participants from various backgrounds and states, offering them a foundational understanding of architectural design. For some students, this experience is pivotal in their educational journey.

Julian Zelaya, from Montgomery County, Maryland, sees the program as a decisive factor in choosing between civil engineering and architecture. “It gives me a very well-rounded idea of what to expect from architecture in general, and also at UVA specifically,” he shares, highlighting the program’s impact on his future academic decisions.