Célia Marchessaux

Célia is a French London based Product Designer graduating from the Product Design MA programme at the Royal College of Art.

Her process is characterized by a hand-on approach. She practices ceramics and culinary photography.

Education

2017-2020: BA Product Design, ENS AAMA - Olivier de Serres, Paris, France

2020-2022: MA Design Products, Royal College of Art, London, UK

Awards

2020: 980° Concours Vallauris, Second Prize - Team projet: Ambre Maillot & Célia Marchessaux

2021: inaya - Team Project: Emre Kayganaci, Shruti Agerwala, Suzanna James, Justin Tsang, Célia Marchessaux

Grand Challenge 2021, RCA x Logitech, Winner team
Core77 Design Awards, Notable, 2021
Core77, Community Choice Grand Prize Winner, 2021

Exhibitions

2021: London Design Festival, New Contracts, London

2022: Milan Design Week, BASE Milano, We will design, Milan

2022: RCA Final Show, London

Design is about people.

It is about encountering, bridging and reflecting.

Design is a way to look at the world surrounding us.

Being a designer certainly involves a heavy responsibility toward our planet and society. For this reason, I strongly believe designers have to reinvent themselves everyday to grow with the rapidly evolving societies and circonstances, and collaborate with others in their own journey of growth. It is only by joining perspectives and skills that we will make progress in overcoming real world challenges through precise interventions that impact ecosystems.

Making has always been at the heart of my design practice. I am a maker, hands-on approach believer and craft lover. I believe a designer needs their hands to ideate and feed their creativity.

My design practice focused on human behavior change through playful approaches that bring a smile on people’s faces. I aim through my design projects to help shape and raise a new generation more aware and responsible. These last 2 years, designing for children has been a recurrent field. My final project Muse embodies my values and the way I intend to design, for people and with people.

Muse is a collection of tools that addresses different challenges within a woman’s journey through life. The narrative navigates from puberty to womanhood and targets two different leverage points: Sex Education and gynecological appointments.

Muse answers real world challenges in a society which shies away from Sex Education and surrounds the topics of body and sexuality with shame. Muse empowers girls to face their bodies and break their silence in order to shape a new generation that feels differently, challenges oppressive perspectives and has a healthier relationship with bodies and sexuality.

The first kit contains educational objects and cards that address ‘taboo’ topics to support young girls to gradually become informed and empowered women.

The second kit is tackling women's healthcare and is composed of a gown and an interactive stand. The gown empowers women to only show the parts that need to be seen during a gynecology appointment, while the stand familiarizes patients with gynecological tools.

Muse - The Sex Ed kit

Muse - The Mirror – The first object is a mirror, as a universal object aiming to normalise bodies. Giving a girl a mirror, and encouraging her to look at her intimate parts would have a huge impact. It initiates new rituals and teach a new way of looking at her body. It is made to be used alongside some educational cards that provide an understanding of anatomy and the beautiful variety of bodies. This self standing mirror invites girls and women to explore their body in a more tactile, to take back ownership of their bodies.

Muse - The cards

Muse - The SEX ED Kit, cardboard / papers

Muse - The 4 chapters – My New Body adresses periods, puberty and provides an understanding of the beautiful variety of bodies existing in the world. My Happy Body is about desire, pleasure and consent. It also talks about genders and the importance of feeling home in our body. My Healthy Body focuses on the different contraceptive methods, sexual diseases and initiates new rituals of self check-in. My Changing Body helps women navigating through topics such as 'pregnancy or not pregnancy?', postpartum, menopause...

Muse - The Puzzle

The kit contains educational objects and cards that address ‘taboo’ topics to support young girls to gradually become informed and empowered women. It contains a cardholder mirror, question box, 1.1 female reproductive system puzzle, and four chapters of educational cards: My New Body / My Happy Body / My Healthy Body / My Changing body.

The kit has been designed to answer accessibility challenges. It explores how governmental health structures such as the NHS could address Sexual Education through a women centered approach.

Medium:

cardboard / papers

Muse - The Stand

Muse - Women's Healthcare, Metal / Print / Fabric

The stand, places in the waiting room, removes intimidation by familiarizing patients with gynecological tools.

Muse - The Gown

The Gown - Step by step

The gown brings back dignity, comfort, and the notion of consent by empowering women to only show the parts that need to be seen during a gynecological appointment. The unique size gown embraces the large spectrum of women's body shapes and creates 'windows' to access the breast, the belly, and in between the legs.

Medium:

Metal / Print / Fabric

Muse - The Workshop - Materials

Muse was born from conversations about body and sexuality and the desire to explore this territory through a women centered approach. Muse was iteratively developed with the involvement of several experts such as: gynecologists, midwives, psychologists, teachers - but most importantly women from different ages, backgrounds and cultures. These essential conversations not only supported and welcomed the project but also challenged it with insights. Gynecologists and midwives testified experiencing daily apologies from patients about their bodies. Their call is consistent: it is urgent that women are aware of their body.

The gown echoes patients' experienced vulnerability. The stand targets a leverage point identified with experts: the waiting room's sterility and the need to bridge with apprehensive patients.

The SEX ED kit was tested with 16 girls - Year 9 at St. Margaret School. Being able to curate a workshop, observe how the kit was perceived and collect feedback was the apogee of Muse's journey.

I am forever grateful for the support I received from St Margaret School, which offered me the rare and heartwarming opportunity to introduce Muse to 16 girls.

Children Design for Children Workshop

Fashion Making Process Metalwork Woodwork

Célia Marchessaux

Medium:

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Social

About

Royal College of Art