Dominic Wilcox takes the philosophy that sparked Little Inventors to Slovakia

Taking place on 9 and 10 October, Eastern brings together an international line-up of designers, artists, innovators and creative thinkers to explore new perspectives on design and creativity.

For Dominic, the invitation is an opportunity to share a philosophy that has underpinned his work throughout his career: that looking at the world with curiosity, imagination and a willingness to think differently can lead us to unexpected and original ideas.

It is a way of thinking that runs through Dominic’s own work as an artist and designer. From GPS shoes that guide their wearer home to a stained-glass driverless car and an art exhibition created specifically for dogs, his work often begins by questioning the familiar, looking at everyday life from an unusual angle and asking a simple question: “What if?”

At Eastern, Dominic has been invited to explore how enriching design can be when viewed through a child’s perspective.

That idea has a particularly special significance for us because it was this philosophy that ultimately sparked Little Inventors.

Dominic had become fascinated by the freedom with which children imagine. Where adults can quickly become constrained by what is practical, possible or already exists, children are often much more comfortable starting with an idea and allowing their imagination to lead the way.

He began to wonder what might happen if those ideas were taken seriously.

What if children were invited to become inventors? What if they were encouraged to draw their ideas without worrying about whether they already knew how to make them? And what if professional artists, designers, engineers and makers then treated those ideas with the same seriousness they would give to an adult designer’s work?

Those questions became the catalyst for Little Inventors, which Dominic founded in 2016.

A decade later, that original philosophy remains at its heart: encouraging people to stay curious, question the world around them and recognise the extraordinary creative potential of young imaginations.

Dominic’s invitation to share that thinking with an international design audience in Slovakia is therefore particularly special. It is an opportunity to return to the ideas that inspired Little Inventors in the first place – and to challenge professional creatives to consider what they themselves might learn from the imaginative freedom of children.

We’re hugely proud to see the thinking that started it all being shared on an international stage.

Eastern Design Conference 2026 takes place at Tabačka Kulturfabrik in Košice, Slovakia, on 9–10 October 2026.