Design Thinking Workshop
DCU Lego® Education Innovation Studio (LEIS) and DCU Ryan Academy in conjunction with the School of STEM Education Innovation and Global Studies hosted a Design Thinking Workshop in the DCU, Institute of Education (IoE) at DCU’s St Patrick’s Campus, Drumcondra
The workshop was facilitated by Sean McNulty, Chairman and
Director at Dolmen - a creative design and innovation consultancy company. The purpose of this workshop was to provide an overview of the design thinking process, touching on the concepts such as ‘empathy mapping’ and ‘needs mapping’. It also addressed the linkages between the design thinking process and inquiry based learning, demystifying the jargon while identifying common language and practices.
Design Thinking refers to creative strategies designers utilise during the process of designing. Design Thinking is a methodology used by designers to solve complex problems, and find desirable solutions. Design Thinking draws upon logic, imagination, intuition, and systemic reasoning, to explore possibilities of what could be—and to create desired outcomes that benefit the end user. When design principles are applied to strategy and innovation the success rate for innovation dramatically improves. The purpose of design, is to improve the quality of life for people and the planet. Nigel Cross (2007), in his book Designerly Ways of Knowing, says, “Everything we have around us has been designed. Design ability is, in fact, one of the three fundamental dimensions of human intelligence. Design, science, and art form an ‘AND’ not an ‘OR’ relationship to create the incredible human cognitive ability.