Viva Brighton Issue #67 September 2018

DESIGN
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Pulser cast invented by Andrew, age 9
partnering ‘Super Schools’, and challenges set
by organisations such as Ocado and The Great
Exhibition of the North. It’s free and easy to take
part, with resources available to download and print
at home today.
The overall aim is to inspire and nurture the problem
solvers of the future, because problem solving,
as Dominic points out, is a form of creativity that is
regularly misunderstood. “Some people think that
creativity is something that artists and designers
do, and if you’re not one of them, you’re not
creative,” he says. “That’s not true. Creativity can
be in all walks of life and all types of jobs.”
“If you’ve seen my work, it’s very much about
concepts for the future and imagined creations, not
limited by the practicalities of money or current
technology. It’s about ideas, and so we welcome the
bonkers, crazy idea as equally as the practical idea.”
This might seem to some like a road to disappointment,
but Dominic believes that out-of-the
box thinking is key to creating a positive future
for our children. “There are many problems and
challenges in the world,” he says, “and we need
more problem solvers.”
We do this by teaching kids “the skill of how to
think” - something not easily measurable by exams
or league tables, but of certain importance in our
technological age.
Dominic’s biggest tip for parents wanting to raise
Little Inventors is to offer children constant encouragement.
Negative statements like ‘you can’t do
that’ or ‘that isn’t a good drawing’ can be stifling, no
matter how valid they might seem.
“Creative thinking is dependent on self-confidence
and belief,” he says, “and you build creative confidence
by doing things.” Chloë King
Dominic takes part in the Reasons.to design and
code conference in Brighton this month (Sept 6th &
7th, reasons.to) and his book, The Little Inventors
Handbook, is on sale this October. littleinventors.org
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