#DesignThinking
The best way to learn is by doing. So instead of telling us about design thinking or answering our questions, they guided us through the process so that we could be fully immersed in the process and find our own solutions.
Our challenge, as well as the design process are illustrated on this slide:
Design for the distracted
Benefit Ratio : Given all the choices, why would we use this particular app, website, device, etc. What does it do for me?
Ground your perspective : Education as entertainment! We need to tell stories to hook people, not just give them information. Storyboard the customer’s journey from beginning to end, then think about that goes into creating that experience... and don’t forget the back end people and processes that have a role!
Problem not product : Not how awesome the product is, but what problem does it solve?
Breakout Sessions
I ended up going to see Caylee Rader from Emily Carr University http://www.teachwithdesign.com speak about integrating design. My key take-aways from her talk were:
- Design thinking moves through divergent and convergent thinking spaces.
- Design thinking can be used to explore questions in all subject areas.
- There are 2 components : Thinking and making. We can say we are thinking through making.
- Having students create a storyboard of a day in the life of the person they are solving for helps develop empathy.
- Creating a second storyboard with the use of the student creation helps them insure that their creation will help break down the barriers caused by the problem.
- Problem finding before problem solving - what are the barriers.
- Self-reflection is important at all steps of the process.
- Students are encouraged to keep a process journal where they can reflect on their process and explain why changes were made.
- A question only time is important: After a group or student has presented, the others ask questions that are noted, but not answered. The group or student can then go back and thoughtfully answer the questions and make changes necessary to better their prototype.
- Design is forward thinking - making things better, deciding on how things ought to be.
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