Design Museum Tour Guiding - Testing the water and Christmas is coming

Yesterday I had the chance to have a dry run of my Collection Lab tour at the Design Museum.

Funky  building near The Design Museum

Although I'd spent  sometime in preparation there's nothing like getting actual feedback from 'doing it', very useful to think too about the mechanics of moving the punters from point A to point Bas well.

The narrative that has emerged around the items I plan to major on involves the role of local culture on the country of origin and the significance of the designer in some of the iconic items.

Step forward

Feedback from people who know the Collection Lab intimately also meant I'm now more aware of the Design Museums own awards as well as the reason the AK 47 is so named.

The Collection Lab at The Design Museum which is home to some short design tours 

What everyone (actually me) is thinking about for their stocking

1) Well sometime ago I was excited to see at the Science Museum 3D printing was going mainstream well I've seen that Maplin have them for sale - could be a good thing to get into.

3D printer on the High Street

2) In terms of books I've not got to far with the Marcel Proust classic  'À la recherche du temps perdu' (in search of lost time) but having spoken with the knowledgeable Russian scholar Mr Shaun Sullivan  about Tolstoy's The Death of  Ivan Ilych  (which Scott the CityLit Philosopher teacher mentioned on more than one occasion) I'm now drawn to this much shorter work.

3) I've strategically avoided buying Leonard Cohen's latest CD Popular Problems (and a concert DVD of his relatively recent performance too) also be interested to hear the collection titled The Art of McCartney. 

4) I'd also be tempted by a number of Photographic books (instructive as well as 'Coffee table') and am beginning to think again of upgrading from my current camera.