Exploring how hope helps people wonder, create and learn.
When people believe something meaningful is possible and can identify pathways forward, they become more able to explore and grow.
Deliberate Wonder® is an evolving body of work exploring the relationship between hope, wonder, play and human development through research, design and practice.
For many years, I wondered if hope improved the conditions for play and problem solving. My work across design, learning and creativity has returned to one central question:
How does hope improve creativity?
Deliberate Wonder® explores the idea that hope is more than optimism. Hope is the cognitive process of having determination to set and meet goals and the confidence and pathways thinking to move towards them. When people experience hope, they are more willing to explore ideas, play, experiment, solve problems and create new possibilities. This is where growth can happen.
The Deliberate Wonder® Framework.
A research informed methodology that guides you from hope to growth.
0. HOPE
It starts with YOU
Hope creates goals, agency and pathways forward. It helps us imagine that something different is possible.
1. NOTICE
See what already exists
We begin to recognise patterns, opportunities and possibilities.
2. WONDER
Ask imaginative questions
We move beyond what is known and begin wondering what could be.
3. CREATE
Turn ideas into action
We play, make, experiment and bring ideas into the real world.
4. GROW
Learn through reflection
We develop understanding, confidence and capability through experience.
0. KNOW
and it continues with YOU!
We return to hope and understand more than before
For growth, we need safe conditions to play outside our comfort zone.
Deliberate Wonder® explores what happens when we intentionally create conditions where people are able to:
• feel confident
• notice possibilities
• ask meaningful questions
• explore ideas
• experiment and play safely
• learn through reflection
CURRENT EXPLORATIONS
Establishing hope and play in everyday practice.
The Deliberate Wonder® Framework fuels early learning education, design projects and research.
Junior Wonder®
A Visual Task System for children 3+yrs to build confidence, creativity and calm.
Junior Wonder® applies ideas from hope, creativity and learning to create experiences that support children’s early learning and development. Through thoughtfully designed tools and resources, Junior Wonder® explores how everyday moments can encourage children to hope, notice, wonder, play and grow.
Designosaur Brand Studio
Wildly Happy Doing Good projects for education, health and environment.
This studio brings creative ideas to life with good design for people and planet. It is the specialised design service agency that has tested The Deliberate Wonder® Framework over 4500 times on creative projects spanning strategy, branding, illustration and storytelling.
Research & Collaboration
Deliberate Wonder® continues to develop through observation, reflection, research and conversations with educators, researchers and practitioners.
Current areas of exploration include:
• hope and creativity
• children’s learning and development
This work is evolving through conversation.
Deliberate Wonder® is being developed with people who share a curiosity about hope, wonder, play, learning and human potential.
I am interested in connecting with:
Educators
Exploring new approaches to creativity, confidence and learning.
Schools
Interested in participating in pilot programs and practical exploration.
Researchers
Interested in investigating the relationship between hope, creativity, play and growth.
Collaborators
Interested in sharing and broadcasting meaningful ideas together.
My integrated curiosity.
What may appear to be a fragmented career has, in reality, been an integrated curiosity.
Over 25 years, my work has moved through design, education and research with each discipline revealing another perspective on creativity and human potential. Deliberate Wonder brings these experiences together into an ongoing exploration of what becomes possible when people are curious by design and deeply care for a creative education.
Continue the exploration
Discover more topics through research, conversations and reflection.
Explore writing on:
• Hope and wonder
• Play, learning and development
• Designing for human potential
• Observations from practice
• Research reflections