DESIGN THINKING IN THE CLASSROOM
A Guide by Abigail Auwaerter, Allison Sparks, & Arleigh Parr
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
3
DISCOVER
8
DEFINE
14
DELIVER
20
WHAT IS DESIGN THINKING? Design thinking encompasses a set of tools that enable us to capitalize opportunities and create effective solutions that have a positive impact on society. This style of thinking is human-centered, collaborative, optimistic, and experimental. This handbook is your step-by-step guide to help you understand the design thinking process in order to best advise your students in solving design challenges.
GETTING STARTED MATERIALS - Activity Sheets (Included in guide) - Post-its - Markers - Stopwatch - Assorted Art Supplies (Glue, Tape, Scissors, Paper, Cardboard, Paint, etc)
DEFINE THE CHALLENGE Students will be tasked to chose an issue they see in their community. They will then use multiple methods to conduct research to gain a better understanding of how and why this is a problem in their community. Then using their research, students will go through a process of ideation in order to come to a final design. Finally, students will learn public speaking skills in order to give them confidence to creatively present their ideas to community stakeholders.
PROJECT PLAN The design process is flexible and can be adjusted to your own timeline. Do you want to spend a day, a week or two, or spread it out over a few months? It’s up to you!
DISCOVER Before beginning a design project it is important to become familiar with the issue that students are going to tackle. Since most young students have not conducted research before, this is an opportunity to educate them on all the resources available to them. After this process of discovery students should have a good understanding of their problem to set them up for ideation.
1
CHOSE AN ISSUE Students should think about problems affecting their own community. To help students brainstorm take walking tours around the neighborhood.
2 LEARN ABOUT THE ISSUE Students will learn about stakeholders & target audience. Students should be informed of all resources of research including libraries, online databases, & interviews.
3
SUMMARIZE FINDINGS After students have finished their research it is important for them to make a conclusion of what they discovered. This can be in the exercise outline provided on the next page.
Name:______________________________
Class:____________
Design Research! Activity Sheet 1 Chose a problem that you see in your city and answer the questions using drawings and text!
#1 What is the problem?
Name:______________________________
Class:____________
#2 Who does the problem affect?
#3 Who can help solve the problem?
Name:______________________________
Class:____________
Design Interviews! Activity Sheet 2 Talk to someone who the problem affects and write down what they say!
#1 What is your name?
#2 Can you describe your lifestyle?
Name:______________________________
Class:____________
#3 What are the best and worst parts about your community?
#4 How have you dealt with this problem in your community?
DEFINE Now that students are familiar with their problem it is time for them to get creative. Through this process of definition, you will facilitate students in ideation and the finalization of their ideas. It is important to not limit the creativity of students but rather stimulate them to think about the use of their idea and how it would solve the problem and benefit the user groups.
IDEATION Students have many ideas but often do not know how to conceptually convey them. Mentors will guide students through exercises to help them think holistically about their researched problems.
FINAL CONCEPT In order to lead to a final design, mentors will encourage students to collaborate with other students to hear multiple perspectives. Using sketching, prototyping and writing skills students will define their idea.
Name(s):______________________________
Class:____________
Design Brainstorming! Activity Sheet 3 Now it is time to put your brain to work! Generate ideas to your problem you researched in activities 1 and 2.
#1 Take 5 Minutes and using post-it notes, write down as many ideas as you can.
#2 Make a group of 3 to 4 students. Share your ideas with your peers and for each idea discuss: - What are the positives and negatives? - How the idea solves the problem? - Who is affected by this idea?
#3 Fill out the Design Template for the idea the group choses. The class will then vote which idea they like best.
Name(s):______________________________
Class:____________
Design Prototyping! Activity Sheet 5 Let’s bring your design to reality! Using classroom supplies create a model or prototype of your final design.
#1 Draw a sketch of your design. #2 Gather classroom materials to create a model with your group in 15 minutes. Materials can include - Cardboard - Paper or Tissue Paper - Tape or Glue - Paint, glitter, markers, etc.
#4 Figure out how to make your design easier for people to use.
#3 Take a picture of your prototype in use!
Name(s):______________________________
Design Template! Activity Sheet 4 Develop your idea into a final concept! Use sketching, writing, and prototyping to show your design.
Design Name:
Design Sketch:
Class:____________
Name(s):______________________________
Class:____________
Describe your design in one sentence.
What problem does this design solve?
How does your design solve this problem?
DELIVER You’ve gone through the process of research and ideation and now your students have awesome designs but now it is time to help them share their ideas. In these exercises your students will learn how to present their designs to a wider audience of stakeholders to show them the process of making their ideas a reality. Public speaking skills will be a necessary part but the mode of presentation should be left to students’ creativity.
1
PUBLIC SPEAKING Confidence is key. Students should feel comfortable and effective in sharing their ideas with other people.
2
PRESENTATION
The mode of presentation is not important but rather how clear the design is described to the audience. Students will have the freedom to chose how they want to present.
3
NETWORKING It is time to get the students’ voices heard by the right audience. Connect them with community members, government officials, and local businesses.
Name:______________________________
Class:____________
Public Speaking! Activity Sheet 6 Speak your mind! Practice communicating your ideas to larger audiences.
#1 Reflect and write about your favorite
day from summer vacation.
Name:______________________________
Class:____________
#2 Share your story with your classmates!
Name:______________________________
Class:____________
Design Presentation! Activity Sheet 7 Share your design! Create a presentation to let people know how your idea can help your community.
#1 Create your Presentation Who is your audience?
What should people know about your design?
Name:______________________________
Class:____________
Where and how are you going to present? (theater, visual art, speech, etc.)
How will you divide up the presentation between group members?
#2 Practice your presentation!