Meccano Nuts

Interviews with architects and engineers on how their childhood
obssession with Meccano influenced their design careers – and also how
they still use the toy as a design tool.

“Computers will achieve perfection, but there is less
flexibility,” he says. “The problem with drawing on a computer is that
there is no way of knowing whether it will work. I think it is a
tactile thing. If it isn’t right, gravity will make it fall over; that
is very instructive because it teaches you about mistakes.

This makes me envious. Most constraints that interaction
designers play against aren’t so tangible or immediate in their
feedback – they’re cultural, psychological – I wish there was some toy
or technique that could give that satisfaction of knowing something
will work while tinkering with a design…

Society | Role models