The children were an incredible reservoir of ideas. They helped us in deciding the optimal path for the marble to run, which to them meant the path with the most systemic possibilities (Fig. 5). The children contributed lucidly and thoughtfully, supporting their ideas genuinely. In working with these two young designers, however, we came to face a few realities. The expansiveness of their imagination did not always comply with our time and budget constraints, as well as what was physically possible to achieve within the project parameters. Finally, we decided which of their ideas were viable and which ones could not be achieved while attempting courtesy and avoiding disappointment. Co-Creation with Children and Education// What could be the benefits of co-creation in the education system? As of yet, most systems of education are far from perfect. As Jan Vissers recog- nizes: the traditional schooling practice, with its emphasis on the acquisition of factual knowledge and lack of encouragement to explore and comprehend deeply, is possibly a major cause of the disappearance of curiosity. If so, it may be the single most impor- tant inhibitor of the development of the scientific mind (Vissers, 2006). Co-creativity is one tool which can potentially reverse this negative image of a “traditional” schooling system. Through fostering the “encouragement to explore” in early education, co-creation and co-design have the potential to let young minds glean shared knowledge, social skills, and problem solving abili- ties that extend beyond the “acquisition of factual knowledge.” The idea of working towards a shared goal can do no harm in teaching the young the complexities and benefits of teamwork and success- ful negotiation. As Sanders and Stappers acknowledge, however, “co-creativity requires that one believes that all people are creative. This is not a commonly accepted belief..."(2008). Some believe co-creativity has taken too long to become a mainstream method- ology because of this stigma. Acknowledging that all people can play out different and equally important roles free of hierarchy is essential to the process. This idea of hierarchy is notable in co- creation with children as there is usually an established hierarchy built into adult-child relationships which must be, to a degree, diffused. Sanders and Stappers continue: “When we acknowledge that different levels of creativity exist, it becomes evident that we need to learn how to offer relevant experiences to facilitate peo- ple’s expression of creativity at all levels” (2008). This is where the professional role of the designer seems to become most relevant, in providing communicative tools and expertise as a negotiator in order to assist in what can potentially be great opportunities for learning. CONCLUSIONS// Working with children presents opportunities and also challenges; from this project we can deduce that there is much work still to be done in the arena of successful co-creation involving children. At times, design projects done between 34 CURRENT children, and those who can merely try to remember being children, can dwell on the communication pitfalls of such a relationship. To avoid this, designers can try to use empathy, understanding and meaningful involvement to find new ideas and avoid the suffocation of imagination. This project teaches that recognizing the importance of ergonomics in constructed objects undoubtedly results in products which can better foster user engagement. Moreover, not progressing too quickly to a “decided” object is crucial for both the successful relationship between co-designers and also the end product. Overall, it is exempli- fied that there are sure benefits of being meaningfully engaged with co-designers from the beginning a project, to its final manifestation. + REFERENCES// 1. Cohen, David and MacKeith, Stephen A. (1991). The Development of Imagination: The Private Worlds of Childhood. London: Routledge. 2. King, Stanely and Conley, Merinda. (1989). Co-design: A Process of Des- ign Participation. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 3. Sanders, Elizabeth, B., N,. and Stappers, Pieter. (2008). Co-Creation and the New Landscapes of Design. Retrieved April 2, 2009 from 4. Vissers, Jan. (2006). Nurturing the Scientific Mind: Opportunities in Early Childhood. Retrieved April 2, 2009 from IMAGE REFERENCES// Fig 1. Troyer & Nawrot. (2009). Fig 2. Troyer & Nawrot. (2009). Fig 3. Troyer & Nawrot. (2009). Fig 4. Troyer & Nawrot. (2009). Fig 5. Troyer & Nawrot. (2009).