Learning Spotlight: Design Thinking
WHY LEARN ABOUT DESIGN THINKING?
Design Thinking seeks to understand the people for whom we design products and services. It helps us solve complex problems using empathy. Learning about it will help you develop robust problem solving, analytical and thinking skills that can be applied in any environment.
KEY TERMS
Crazy 8s: a fast exercise that challenges people to come up with 8 separate ideas in eight minutes.
Human-centred: technology and systems that are designed in a way that people can easily use and understand.
Ideate: to form an idea or conception of, look for alternative ways to view the problem and identify innovative solutions.
Prototype: a first initial and generally functional form of a new type or design.
GET STARTED
Video: What is design thinking? (4 mins): a short and snappy overview of the concept.
Article: Design Thinking For Dummies Cheat Sheet (3.5 mins): Summary overview of Design thinking principles and process, includes some great diagrams.
Course (33 mins): Learn through examples how design thinking is used to empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test, and refine. - Learning Design Thinking.
Article (17 Mins): An excellent piece on Design Thinking that goes beyond the basic concept providing rationale, stories and videos.
DIG DEEPER
Course (2 hours): Learning Design Thinking – Leading Change in your Organization explains how to be a good design thinking leader, with specific advice on topics from setting goals to engaging the different skill sets and personalities, creative collaboration and prototyping.
Course (47 mins): Find out how social media can help increase your presence, visibility and personal brand with Personal Branding on Social Media.
Article (7 mins): 10 DESIGN THINKING TOOLS: TURN CREATIVITY AND DATA INTO GROWTH
Article (6.5 mins): This article offers advice on how to use design thinking in your academic practice.
FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITY
Crazy 8s: Brainstorming Activity
Crazy 8s is a typical design thinking activity that can be used when you want to come up with lots of ideas quickly.
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Take a sheet of paper and fold it into eight.
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Set 8 minutes on a timer.
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Get the group to put a distinct idea in each of the 8 sections. (Ideas don’t have to be amazing or novel. The point is to get as may ideas as possible in a short timespan.)