Key Stage 3-5 Free Activity

Lesson Plan: Redesign your kitchenware

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Philippe Starck is the designer behind some pretty weird and wild designs such as the ‘Juicy Salif’ lemon juicer that looks like a metal spider but one of Philippe’s designs for Italian company Alessi made making a cup of tea more complicated than usual.

In 1989, Philippe designed the Hot Bertaa kettle to be different from everything else available. There was no lid to pour the water in, no handle and no way of plugging the kettle in. So, how did it work?

Watch the Design Museum film about the Hot Bertaa Kettle and why it might be an impractical but eye-catching design.

Things to do

How does the Hot Bertaa compare to your kettle at home? Remember to ask an adult’s permission before looking at the kettle in your house and remember that it’s used to boil water so it can get very hot!

Inspired by Philippe Starck, pick an ordinary object in your kitchen and revamp it using lots of colours and imagination. You can make it eye- catching, weird and wonderful.

Share your illustration with the Design Museum on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using #DesignFromHome.

To read

Alessi 9093 Teakettle

Alessi have some more practical kettle designs such as the interestingly title 9093 kettle. Read our article about the 9093 kettle; how does it compare to the Hot Bertaa.

Young Design Museum

Young Design Museum

See what other activities are available for young people as part of the museum's Digital Design Calendar.

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