No Robots Please!

We all recognize the importance of creativity and that without the work of eminently creative people our lives would be significantly poorer. However, psychologists still struggle to define exactly what creativity is (although we seem to recognize it when we see it!). This has served to lessen the importance of creative development as an educational objective; a situation considered unacceptable by many people. Alongside the development of creativity is the overlapping yet distinct pedagogical objective of critical thinking. The challenge for the future is not only to be the first to produce creative and innovative design but also to ensure that these innovations enhance society.

As part of my final Design Interactions MA project, I had the opportunity to gather the opinions of primary school teachers. There seemed to be common agreement that the development of creativity and critical thinking was an important goal. However, there was also the sense that the current educational system, beset with targets and bureaucracy, is rather akin to a military operation. Can creativity flourish in this system and could I find evidence that the innovative and creative thinkers, so vital for the future, are present in the here and now?

The thesis of this project centres around two issues: Firstly, I argue that critical design can and should reach a wider audience and that it is only through a more active participation and engagement by the public that its ideas and values can be fully developed. Secondly that, within the course, some form of design-teaching should be undertaken by the student in order to provide a fuller appreciation and understanding of their subject.

By running the collaborative workshops, the children and I were able to explore and create the future. By presenting the children's work I demonstrate that, from an early age, children can have a clear understanding of the impacts of emerging technologies and can also create inspiring designs based on these technologies. It is their futures after all.

Workshop aims

The NACCCE All our Futures report (see www.dfes.gov.uk/naccce/naccce.pdf ) identified four main features as vital for the development of creativity. These are:

1: The opportunity to use imagination or imaginative activity

I introduced the children to present and future concepts (biotech, nanotech, etc.) and used this as an opportunity to simultaneously challenge and engage their critical thoughts. In particular, I was interested in finding out whether they found certain “advancements” unpalatable or repugnant. There were a range of responses to all the “ethical dilemmas” presented, some of which demonstrated remarkable insight.

2: Pursuing Purposes or applied imagination

I invited the children to design a toy for the future bearing in mind some of the innovations and future technologies presented in the introduction. Where there was an over-dependence on existing technologies, I challenged the children to be more imaginative and novel – hence the title No Robots Please!

3: Being Original

Originality is a key aspect of creativity. It includes personal originality, or work that is original for that person. Originality is also relative to the child's age and environment. It is very unlikely that a child is going to produce a design of significant value on the world stage – or is it?

4: Judging Value

Creativity, innovation and design are ultimately subject to value judgments or evaluation. How do we value the creative and innovative quality of the children's designs? Well, I'll leave that up to you.

About the author

Dr Alan Outten grew up locked in a small, dimly-lit room creating computer games and making things. The computer games led to a BSc in cybernetics which then led to a PhD in biomedical and neural systems engineering. The making things eventually led to an MA in interaction design at the Royal College of Art and a fascination for the science and art of creativity.

Alan's work has ranged from designing stuff for NASA and ESA to recording the sounds of human muscle; from exhibition design to creating guimp – the world’s smallest website (includes the world’s smallest versions of pong and pacman!).

Read Alan's Biography