We are Tsveti and Georgi — a family from Bulgaria raising two kids (Sonny, 6 and Annie, 4) and applying design thinking in companies and organizations as consultants. As most parents do, we want to spend quality time with our children. Yet very few of the games, toys and activities currently available on the market truly match the learning abilities of young minds. They are also quite often boring for us, adults.

So we set ourselves a challenge — how can we combine our passion for creative problem solving in our working lives with fun, meaningful and engaging activities at home? Staying true to the design thinking principles, first we set off to know more about our users and customers. Thankfully, they were right in front of us every day.

Wе discovered that children’s interests are activity-based (focused on the process), not object-based (focused on the end goal). We also discovered that children learn from the whole experience, rather than a single moment. They don't simply want to play with a car — they want to become car designers and build their own vehicle. They don't just want to build a rocket — they want to become astronauts and spaceship commanders, plan and execute a mission, collect samples from alien planets and return them back to base. And after the adventure is over, to try again in a better way or start a brand new one.

We saw an opportunity and decided to do something about it. And this is how Red Paper Plane was born. After a year with design challenges for the home (or missions, as we call them), our small startup ventured into the brave world of education, where we started creating projects for preschools, primary schools and educational centers.

Our goal is to use the full potential of design thinking in education and bring project-based learning to a new level. Ready for a mission? Let's go!