Stuttgart, January 17th: In a groundbreaking step toward fostering creativity in education, PHOENIX has partnered with the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School in northern India to nurture young minds in the Thar Desert region of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Operated by the NGO CITTA, the School combines academic learning with traditional skills training in handicrafts, weaving, and embroidery, empowering girls with economic independence and self-reliance opportunities.
PHOENIX believes creativity should be at the heart of education, preparing children to thrive in a dynamic and interconnected world. Creativity goes beyond routine school tasks and builds self-awareness, critical thinking, and curiosity. It transforms students into lifelong learners who embrace diverse perspectives and foster an open approach to life's challenges.
"Our goal was to help the students view education as a playground for ideas, where exploration and experimentation are encouraged," said Aditi Surana, Industrial Designer at PHOENIX.
According to the WEF (World Economic Forum in 2016, 65% of the jobs children will hold in the future do not exist yet. So, how do we prepare children and adjust education to teach them about the unpredictable? For us, the answer is adaptability. You bring creativity to their lives, teach them to face challenges, encourage lifelong learning, and build confidence.
The workshop, 'Beyond Play,' adapted a core ritual of PHOENIX into an immersive, hands-on experience for the students. Traditionally conducted with interns, this initiative was intended to ignite curiosity and creativity among the girls. The format encouraged playful exploration while introducing design-thinking concepts in an accessible and engaging way.
"We wanted them to see the workshop as a space for discovery and growth, where the possibilities are endless," said Sven Feustel, Principal Industrial Designer at PHOENIX.
The Yo-yo kit used for the workshop was designed by three of our young design talents in 2024: Aaron Moser, Tina Puseljic, and Thomas Eder. It was produced internally at PHOENIX's model shop. They created three kits capable of creating 1956 possibilities of Yo-yos combined. The Yo-yo can be individualised according to the child's taste and wishes or according to the facilitator's requests; it can be fast, slow, more stable, and so on. The workshop was held according to the PHOENIX creative process backed up by our Design Thinking methodology.
The toolkit has an open concept. PHOENIX designed the first pieces, but the children could continuously create their own parts to add to their core device and give life to their imagination.
"Exchanging ideas with the students and watching their creativity take flight was an inspiring experience. It reinforced the value of shared growth and the power of collaboration," said Michael Daube, Founder and Executive Director of CITTA.
The workshop demonstrated the transformative power of creativity when paired with honest reflection. The students' eagerness to experiment and innovate provided invaluable insights, underscoring the importance of involving young minds in shaping meaningful solutions.
About PHOENIX
PHOENIX is a product innovation studio that turns brands into winners of tomorrow's wellbeing mega-economy. As an independent, award-winning studio, PHOENIX makes the foggy future visible to its partners, accompanying them from idea to market success. Today, the team of around 70 international design experts reinvents the future of wellbeing in Stuttgart and Shanghai and thus stands for excellent design -confirmed by over 994 design awards.
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Photos and video copywriting: Vinay Panjwani