Hyderabad's Better By Design is encouraging children to come up with real-time problems and solve them. Here's how

In today's day and age, aside from scoring top marks, there is an added stress on children to be innovators. To come up with solutions when confronted with existing problems. But the real question that arises is, how does one turn children into young innovators? Should they be provided with more exposure and encouraged to read more, or do we need to ensure that they never miss an episode of Shark Tank? Better By Design has cracked the riddle and designed a solution for it too. This Hyderabad-based company conducts workshops or continuous sessions wherein they encourage children to come up with a real-time problem statement and a solution for it too, while they facilitate the process. The 'x' in the equation is that they also equip them with tools which could be as advanced as laser cutters, which aide them in getting closer to the solution. Curious? We sure were. So we got in touch with Co-founder and CEO Krishnateja Madempudi, who started Better By Design in 2016 with Soumeet Lanka, to find out how they came to the conclusion that this will help bring out the innovator in every child. Krishnateja has an MA in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto and has always been interested in creating something from scratch. "Imagining an idea, pursuing that thought, building it into reality and making it useful for people has always given me unbridled joy," says the Hyderabadi.

Here we are: Krishnateja Madempudi and Soumeet Lanka from Better By Design | (Pic: Better By Design)

"Everyone is born creative, it is the system that makes us believe that there is only one right answer and only one possibility to get to that right answer. Hence, slowly, the creativity that resides within us is extinguished," says 29-year-old Krishnateja. But through Better By Design, children are inspired to challenge the status quo. The activities they carry out make them confident of their own creative capabilities and trust in their ability to come up with solutions. One of the wackiest (and much-needed, we should add) sessions they conducted recently was one where they asked students of CHIREC Public School to come up with games for the visually-impaired. For this, they had to not only empathise with those who have lost their vision but also understand what their idea of fun is. To come up with solutions like an airplane crash simulator and foosball, these kids pushed their limits of creativity and imagination. Another interesting challenge was when students were encouraged to come up with a solution to something that they are always too lazy to do. One of the most interesting solutions to come out of that was a chair that could comb your hair! All these sessions might sound fun and require spontaneity, but don't be fooled. The team has read a lot, researched what the behaviour of an innovative mind would be like and how one can stimulate those behaviours. 

Not only are there tangible results to measure after the workshop - like learning how to work in teams, collaboration, learning to code and more, students also get a boost of confidence 

Next up, they are planning to come up with a space of their own which will, "spark the imagination of children where they can be themselves and imagine endless possibilities," says the Hyderabadi. This will be a 3,000-4,000 sq ft innovation lab of sorts where all the tools will be at the children's disposal and all they have to do is create. Now that sounds like a step towards the future.

Glimpses from the recent workshop 

What's on the cards?

- They want to conduct a parenting workshop to help parents understand how important it is for children to innovate 
- They are planning to launch their summer innovation camps soon 
- They intend on partnering with external organisations to organise more workshops 

For more on them click on betterbydesign.in