WHAT IS DESIGN THINKING?
And why should teachers and students learn about it?
Design Thinking is most often described as a process and series of mindsets aimed at creative problem solving. It involves rapid cycles of collaborative brainstorming, model-building, testing, and revision, while systematically highlighting the importance of empathizing with the people whose problems you hope to solve. By shifting back and forth between divergent and convergent thinking, the Design Thinking process contributes to the development of creative and innovative ideas that are also capable of practically addressing real world problems.
In recent years, Design Thinking has become increasingly popular in business and engineering professions as a tool for promoting innovation, and is just beginning to make its way into middle and high school classrooms. As of yet, however, there has been little exploration into how Design Thinking might positively impact the education of elementary students. Though some elements of the process are apparent in NGSS K-2 and 3-5 Engineering Design Standards, Design Thinking's human-centered approach is also well-suited to instruction in the humanities, addressing many of the "Unifying Themes" and "Thinking & Process Skills" that inform the New York City K-8 Social Studies Scope & Sequence.
Beyond serving as a catalyst for creativity, there is reason to believe that instruction and consistent practice in the methods and mindsets associated with Design Thinking can aid in building students' empathy, collaboration skills, and sense of civic engagement. Also, it's just a whole lot of fun.
DESIGN THINKING PROCESS
The stages of the design thinking process have been broken down and labeled in different ways by different schools, companies, and organizations, but they are fundamentally the same. I have chosen to use Stanford Design School's model because I find the objectives associated with each stage to be a bit more concrete and accessible for children than some other models.
​
One thing that is important to keep in mind as you read through the descriptions of each stage below is that Design Thinking is, at its heart, an iterative process. That means that--much the like in the Writing Process with which you are likely already familiar--effective designers cycle through these different "steps" in order to revise and improve upon their work. The descriptions below are appropriate to use with upper elementary students.
IDEATE
(Imagine)
Watch this humorous video created by The Florida Hospital Innovation Lab to learn more about each stage of the process.
DESIGN THINKING MINDSETS
The list of mindsets below is by no means definitive. I've chosen to include elementary-friendly versions of the mindsets which I believe to be most accessible and relevant to K-5 designers. The descriptions below can be printed out and shared with upper elementary students.
Empathy Always
Put yourself in someone else's shoes.
Observe and listen to others with your eyes and ears but also your heart. Try to really understand their goals and struggles.
Just do it!
Take action. Get your ideas out there.
Thinking and talking are great, but the only way to find out if an idea really works is to try it out. Take risks. Experiment. Have fun.
Yes, and...
Be optimistic. Be open-minded.
Look for creative ways to build ideas up instead of picking them apart or knocking them down. You never know what you might learn.
Feedback is a Gift
Learn from your mistakes.
When someone is confused by your design or tells you they don't like something about it, they're giving you clues to make it better. Say thank you!
Radical Collaboration
Diversity makes us stronger & smarter.
Collaborating with people who have different strengths, opinions, and experiences can help you to understand and solve problems in new ways.
Iterate
Make it better. And better. And better.
A designer's work is never done. Keep building and testing and revising your ideas until you know you've really solved the problem.