Exchange with children on creative thinking

beyond play - nurturing creativity through design

12/2024
Relevance
Our first step into nurturing creativity in education brought us to the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School in northern India. This school, run by the NGO CITTA, focuses on providing girls with access to education in the rural Thar Desert region of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The NGO’s mission combines academic learning with training in traditional skills like handicrafts, weaving, and embroidery, empowering girls with economic independence and self-reliance opportunities. The school’s remarkable architectural design and shared commitment to these values inspired us to collaborate on a meaningful first project.
Storytelling
Design Modelling
Industrial Design
User Journey
Design Strategy
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Challenge

If creative thinking could empower education

We believe creativity should be a cornerstone of education. It equips and prepares children for a dynamic and interconnected world. When expression is not limited to daily school tasks, it can help them build self-awareness and confidence. It promotes young minds to think critically, question assumptions and promote exploration. Creativity fosters curiosity and encourages students to become lifelong learners. With a boundless flow of imagination, students are more likely to become reflective of their surroundings and open-minded individuals who embrace diverse perspectives and experiences.

Adidi, designer at PHOENIX Design agency ministring the workshop with the girls on the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School
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Impact

Creative impulses that foster growth and learning

We aim to elevate our core ritual, ‘Design a YoYo,’ traditionally conducted with our interns, by expanding its impact beyond the immediate task. This initiative seeks not only to leverage our expertise in developing holistic design solutions but also to create additional training-related opportunities. Our concept is to design a workshop format that sparks curiosity, inspires creativity, and provides a hands-on experience. The format should introduce an idea that exceeds expectations, incorporating a toolkit we can develop in-house for ease of creation and replication. By integrating all of our services, we craft an offering that embodies our passion while reflecting our approach to innovation and education.

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"Creativity and unconventional thinking are superpowers, allowing young minds to see possibilities beyond the ordinary."
Aditi Surana, Industrial Designer

Collaboration

The synergy of exchange and constant growth together

We love to exchange ideas; we love to pass on thoughts, to inspire, to influence and to enter into dialogue. Why? For progress, for a contribution to a better future. To co-operate with like-minded people, interested people, motivated people, young children, and professional experts. To learn, develop and expand. Because only when impulses are passed on and reflected upon can greater waves be created. There is constant back and forth, just like the momentum of a YoYo.

Implementation

Where ideas meet honest reflection

It’s not enough to simply develop ideas; good ideas need to be experienced and tested against reality. Kids, in particular, have a unique ability to reflect on ideas without filters, providing us with valuable insights. They make the best partners for testing innovations—learning, reflecting, growing, and optimising together. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the spark in a child’s eyes when they make positive discoveries. It fills you with courage and motivation to keep believing.

"We wanted them to see the workshop as a playground with flexible guidelines rather than rigid rules, encouraging them to explore freely."
Sven Feustel, Principal Industrial Designer
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