Celebrating Women Who Shape Creativity, Play and Possibility ✨
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the inspiring women who have helped shape the way we design, learn and play.
From bold creative voices like Paula Scher, to visionary architect Zaha Hadid, digital design pioneer Susan Kare, and of course Maria Montessori, whose belief that children learn through curiosity and exploration transformed education these women have shaped the world around us in ways we experience every day.
Their work reminds us that design isn’t simply about how something looks.
It sculpts how life is lived, learned and imagined.
Rule Breakers Who Changed Design
For much of history, the creative industries were dominated by men. Yet remarkable women stepped forward with ideas that redefined their fields.
Architect Zaha Hadid, often called the “Queen of the Curve,” reshaped architecture with fluid, sculptural buildings and became the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004.
Graphic designer Paula Scher transformed the visual language of modern branding and public spaces, becoming the first female principal at Pentagram.
And Susan Kare helped make early computers intuitive and friendly through the iconic symbols she designed for Apple’s original Macintosh.
These women didn’t just create beautiful work they changed how people experience the world for the better. In essence this is what good design is supposed to do.
Designing for Play
Some of the most powerful design ideas begin in childhood.
More than 150 years ago, Maria Montessori recognised that children have a natural drive to learn through exploration. Her philosophy of “help me to do it myself” continues to influence thoughtful toy design today simple forms, natural materials and open-ended play that encourage independence and curiosity.
Before founding Binky, I spent many years working as a Creative Director developing toys with international teams, and one thing always stayed true:
the very best toys invite imagination, creativity and open-ended play.
Because thoughtful toy design really matters.
A tower built from blocks.
A story invented in a dollhouse.
A photo captured on a child’s first camera.
Small moments of play that encourage big ideas.
Toys That Inspire Creativity
At Binky HQ, we love brands that share this belief in creativity-led design.
Le Toy Van’s beautifully crafted wooden toys invite storytelling and imaginative play.
Cleverclixx magnetic tiles encourage children to experiment with shapes and structures through open-ended building.
The clever construction systems from Bavvic allow young engineers to build, rebuild and invent endlessly.
And Hoppstar cameras empower children to capture the world through their own curious eyes.
Each of these designs encourages children not just to play — but to create and explore.
Women Who Brought Play Into Design
Many early toy and children’s designers were quietly revolutionary.
At the Bauhaus, designer Alma Siedhoff-Buscher created playful children’s furniture and toys built from simple geometric forms. Though hugely popular, she struggled for recognition within the male-dominated design school.
Similarly, Ray Eames, now recognised as one of the most influential designers of the 20th century, spent much of her career overshadowed by her husband Charles despite her crucial role in the creative direction of the Eames Office and designs like the famous Eames Elephant, designed to encourage a playful approach to our spaces.
These designers believed something wonderfully simple:
Play doesn’t need instructions.
Good design invites children to explore ideas again and again.
Creativity Begins in Childhood
Thoughtfully designed toys encourage:
• curiosity
• imagination
• independence
• storytelling
Yet creative subjects are often squeezed from school curriculums. When art and design disappear, we risk losing the innovators and designers of tomorrow.
Creativity deserves space to grow.
A Thought from Binky HQ
At Binky, we believe creativity begins with something wonderfully simple:
P-L-A-Y!
The toys children build with, the stories they invent and the worlds they imagine are often their first steps into creative thinking.
And somewhere today, a child might be building their very first idea.
A future designer.
An architect.
A storyteller.
Or perhaps a joyful rule-breaker.
Just like the remarkable women who came before them.
✨ Here’s to the women who shape our world and the children who will design the next one.
