도미닉 윌콕스. 사진=도미닉 윌콕스(Dominic Wilcox).
About Dominic Wilcox
Dominic Wilcox is a British 'inventor.' He has created GPS shoes and a stained-glass driverless car — things that, to most adults, seem utterly useless. For 18 years, he was an ordinary kid. He was never the top student in art class — usually second. He became a graphic designer because it was "similar to being an artist, but with a salary." Today, he leads the Little Inventors project, turning children's wildest invention ideas into reality. Four of his books have been published in Korea by Myungnanghan Chaekbang, including Little Inventors Mission Oceans.
[To Dominic Wilcox]
Hello, I'm an editor at
Economic Review
, a Korean weekly magazine. We'd like to feature your book
Little Inventors Mission: Oceans
and this interview in our Children's Day special.
My 11-year-old son read the book and asked me: "Dad, what does this person actually do?" That was where it all started. It was the first time he'd ever been curious about an author. I read the book myself after that. It reminded me of my own childhood — the things I used to make with my dad. So my son and I prepared these interview questions together.
Some questions may sound a bit blunt — for two reasons. First, my translation may not fully capture the nuance. Second, I've tried to keep my son's questions as close to his original words as possible. As you'll know, children can be disarmingly direct. Please imagine a mischievous child asking these questions — and read with a smile.
From J's dad
Tree Branch Work Desk. Made by Dominic Wilcox. Photo by Joe McGorty.
[To The Curious Child]
Q. So… what do you do?
Hello, I'm Dominic Wilcox. I'm an artist, designer, inventor and ‘thinkeruper’ who works within the territory of the ‘everyday’.
[On Reinventing the Everyday]
Q. You call yourself a "Reinventor of Normal" — does that mean you find everyday life unsatisfying? Most people just go about their daily lives without questioning them. Why do you feel the need to reinvent the ordinary? Or do you love it so much you want to make it even better?
I don't think many people live a life without imagination. People read fantasy books, watch movies about aliens or crazy cartoons. They dance and sing and look at paintings and sculptures.
Life is much more than just eating, working and sleeping — or at least it should be!
I like to find ideas within everyday life and the things that surround me, to make a feeling of delight and surprise.
Q. Gold-leafed skimming stones, tiny sculptures riding the hands of watches… why do you keep making things that appear useless? Is your definition of "useful" simply different from everyone else's?
If you visit an art museum you will find many useless things. But these things bring joy to people, they take their mind to a new place. This is interesting and many people would feel sad without art or music, or fiction books. But none are practical and useful in the traditional way.
I quite enjoy playing with people's ideas of what is useful or useless. It surprises people and they think about what they see in a new way that they haven't thought about before. You can try it. Think about joining two objects together to create a new object. Maybe you will think of something rather strange.
Q. Looking back, was not being top of your art class actually a blessing in disguise? Many parents worry when their child thinks differently, fearing it will distract them from their studies. But you weren't number one in art class either — and yet here you are. (I find studying boring, by the way!)
I don't think my life would be different if I was the best in class at art. The important thing is that I followed the direction I was interested in.
I think in the modern day people need to be flexible in the way they think so they can adapt to new ways of working. The world changes very quickly and so what is learned today may not be of use in the future.
But we can learn to think well and become inquisitive people — a bit like having a healthy and fit body, we can have a fit brain that can adapt to any new ideas and future ways of working. Creative thinking helps us be innovative and solve problems, which will always be useful in all areas of work and life.
Q. Have you ever been in a workshop with children and found yourself learning something from them — something you, as an inventor, hadn't thought of yourself?
I think that children have much fewer restrictions on their imagination than adults. Their ideas can be very unusual and surprising.
When people grow older they become more worried about what other people think. So they don't share ideas so much and their ideas become more simple and predictable, less interesting.
I think that adults can learn from the free thinking that children have. Adults could have much better ideas if they combine their knowledge with the creative thinking that children have. This is something I am reminded of when I work with children — it keeps me feeling creative.
Dominic Wilcox leads a workshop with children. Photo by Liam Saint Pierre.
[Little Inventors Mission Oceans]
Q. Which sea creature do you think is the greatest inventor in the ocean?
Every creature has its own super power. I think I like those flat fish that look like the stones on the bottom of the ocean to disguise themselves. I would like to hide whenever I wanted and people wouldn't notice me!
Q. Be honest — do you truly believe a child's invention could save the ocean?
Good ideas can come from anyone no matter what their age. There are many examples in history of young people having ideas that were developed into products or machines. Unfortunately if we don't nurture and encourage children's imagination then they will lose it as they grow older. The world has many challenges and we need more creative thinkers of all ages.
Q. Was there a brilliant idea that just missed the cut?
There are many ideas that didn't make the book. I can't think of an ocean related idea right now but one boy invented a worry shredder. If you have a worry you put it in the machine and it shreds it into little bits then prints out a positive message to help you. It also gives you some candy.
Q. The book is subtitled Invention Ideas to Save the Seas — but what about you? Do you have an invention idea to save the entire universe?
Yes, I have many ideas to save the universe but they are top secret!
Plastic Masterpiece Maker. Concept drawing by Erica.
Plastic Masterpiece Maker. Concept by Erica. Made and photographed by David Dumbrell.
Pioneers Sea Sweeper 1000. Concept drawing by Lainey.
Pioneers Sea Sweeper 1000. Concept by Lainey. Made and photographed by Lottie Smith.
[How to Send Your Idea]
Q. This is an activity book — how would you like young readers to use it?
It is an activity book so I hope they read it but also start writing and drawing their ideas inside it. It is a book to be used not just read.
I hope that it inspires the children to look around them and think, "How could I make this better, or more fun or more surprising?" You always need to be looking out for new ideas — so keep thinking and keep inventing!
Q. How could a Korean child get their idea into your next book? Is it really possible?
Well they can upload their idea to littleinventors.org and someone in the Little Inventors team will review the idea and give you feedback. When we need ideas for future books we will look over all the ideas on our website. Maybe your idea will be chosen!
The Little Inventors website (littleinventors.org). Ideas submitted to the site are reviewed by the team, who provide feedback. Dominic Wilcox selects ideas from these submissions for his books.
[From "A Child Hard to Explain"]
Q. In Korea, there's a saying that no matter how old you get, you're always still a child in your parents' eyes. With that in mind — what kind of child are you to your parents?
My parents always ask me "what are you doing now" and "How do I explain what you do to my friends?" So I am the child that is difficult to explain!
Little Inventors Mission: Oceans
Little Inventors Mission Oceans | Dominic Wilcox & Ellie Buckhead | Translated by Jeong Su-jin | Myungnanghan Chaekbang
An activity book that explores the underwater world and tackles environmental problems through invention. Structured around three steps — learn, think, and invent — the book guides readers through ocean issues such as coral bleaching, plastic pollution, and climate change. Following Dominic Wilcox's prompts, readers are encouraged to ask unconventional questions and bring their ideas to life through drawing and writing. The book also features invention ideas submitted by children from around the world, including a water-saving bicycle, a Plastic Masterpiece Maker that transforms plastic waste into art, and a robot fish.
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