Design and Education: Fast and Slow

I used to think I’d end up in a corporate job in Bangalore. Product Design at NID. UI/UX  Internships. The standard path.

Then I got drawn to design for children, and I never left.

What I’ve noticed is: there’s a real tension between design and education that nobody in either field talks about.

Design constantly asks us to evolve. Iterate, test, throw out what doesn’t work. A good designer can ship something in a week.

Education moves slowly, by necessity. A child needs time to fail, pick herself up, and try again. A curriculum needs an academic term, before you know if it worked.

So, how do you design for a child’s world when you believe in both?

The three spaces I’ve found are:

→ EdTech: fast feedback loops, real usage data, but often too focused on engagement over learning

→ NGOs: mission-driven, real reach, but constrained by donor goals & resources

→ Toys and games: play is learning for children, and products can respond quickly to a changing world

I’ve spent 10 years across all three. Orgs like UNICEF, Agastya Foundation, Magic Crate and IIT Gn gave me a deep look into all 3 spaces.

Jump Design is what I’m building now: a studio for companies that understand that the world isn’t designed for children, but it should be.

Not just make products look “fun”. But to design them right, from the inside.

What do you think is the bigger gap in learning design for children: design rigour or learning depth?