Sapna HEMRAJANI

“As a designer, you also have to want to create a product that can change or improve lives.”

Design is closely related to life. The 123 Count With Me fabric book designed by Sapna Hemrajani, the founder of Smart Mama, was inspired by her 5-year-old son, “I look at things from a child's perspective. Being able to think like a child can be a huge advantage when designing new toys. Not only does thinking like a child open your mind to a whole new world of possibilities but you also end up with a product that a child would actually love.”

Most parents do know that the frequent use of “electronic pacifiers” is not good for children, but they have no way to keep them focused. Therefore, Sapna created toys that are fun, educational and screen-free. “It is essentially a counting book, but the book is designed to also develop fine motor skills, enhance hand dexterity, and encourage creative play,” shared by Sapna.

Responsibilities and Missions of Designers

Quiet books have gained popularity in recent years but are expensive to produce. Sapna has designed and developed her book at a fraction of the price so that it is more affordable for families. Being in the dual roles of designer and parent, she is highly aware of product quality and hopes that more designers would take responsibility to ensure that their designs are safe and meet stringent quality standards. “As a designer, you also have to want to create, not for monetary reasons, but to really produce a product that can change or improve lives,” said Sapna.

Sapna HEMRAJANI

Founder, Smart Mama

Sapna considered herself to be a habitual entrepreneur who is essentially addicted to the stimulus. She first incorporated her own company trading frequency-controlled products and semiconductors at the age of 21 and then expanded into household and consumer products.

Her life changed when she had her son, who is now five years old and has also been her source of inspiration for her brand Smart Mama™ which carries a range of beautifully embroidered award-winning play books, wall charts and other unique products which are meticulously hand stitched by master embroiderers and designed to engage young minds through play. She struggled to find quality toys that didn’t require batteries or an outlet but were still considered ‘fun’ to play with and were educational all at the same time.

Together with her son, Sapna explored new ways to play with toys and games and suddenly there were single, simple ideas that opened up to a whole new world of possibilities and the designer within emerged. Using all the imagination and wonder of the universe, experimenting and patience, Sapna was able to design and develop products she felt she wanted to bring home to her own child, and to every child’s home.