Design Thinking is a Piece of Cake

An Introduction
to Design Thinking
Icebreaker Copy a sticky
note, then
write your
Copy a sticky
note, then
write your
thoughts. thoughts.
Before we start with the session, let's warm up a little with some icebreaker
questions.

Getting to know you

Below are suggestions for icebreaker questions:

What's your favorite dessert?

What is your favorite place to visit?
Why did you choose to join this workshop?

Time: 5 minutes
What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to

problem solving.

The
Steps Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Empathise

The first stage in Design Thinking process is to Empathize with our End User.
In our example we can think of our End User as the person who will be enjoying the cake.

Empathy is central to the human-centered approach of Design Thinking. We are

always seeking to understand our end user's needs.

Ways in which we can empathize with our user/cake eater

Engage: We can understand our user's needs by speaking with them and having open
conversations. We might conduct a simple interview or survey to find out their likes and
dislikes when it comes to desserts.
Observe: We might watch our user, and their daily interactions. Perhaps we ask them to keep
a food diary, and this may help us see what tastes they have, and if there are any foods or
flavors they avoid
Watch & Listen: We may combine a conversation with an interaction, for example asking our
user to make their favorite recipie and talk us through the process.
Define

Using our knowledge from our Empathize stage, we can use these findings to interpret our user
and focus on their needs.
The Define stage of the process allows us to have more clarity to our initial problem and have
better understanding of our user.

Exercises that might help us Define our problem, "What cake shall we design?"
Create Personas: In this exercise, we may write a summerized description of our end user,
including their personality traits, their needs, motivations, likes and dislikes. If we have
surveyed many people, we may use several people's responses to create a fictional character
persona.
Write a Project Brief: Using our findings, we can reframe our initial question, to ensure we
are asking the right question and then look to how might solve it. For example, perhaps our
user doesn't like sponge cake, so we are now defining our brief to "what kind of cheesecake
should we make?"
Ideate

The term Ideate stems from the word "Idea". In this stage we create ideas that respond to the
user's needs and the defined brief from the previous stage.

This stage is the fun part, where we have quick and rapid ideation sessions, and all ideas are
welcome and encouraged. We then may narrow down our ideas to fewer options depending
on our time and budget restraints for the project.

Examples:
Inspiration: We might use Pinterest to look for cake ideas that fit our brief, or research
recipe ideas online or in books.
Moodboards: Perhaps we create a mood board showcasing all of our personas' favorite
flavors, and we can mix and match new combinations.
Prototype

A prototype is visual, interactive mock-up of an idea. This could be a mock-up of service, a

product, an interior space, sculpture, branding and marketing strategy or a digital interaction
such as a website or app. Prototypes can be two dimensional: drawing or diagram, or three
dimensional.

Ways in which we might prototype our cake design:

Choose three cake ideas, draw up visual representations of them along with the recipe
outline.
Bake two small cupcake versions to taste-test with our end user.
Create 3D versions of our cake design with card and paper, and lay out the ingredients
around each prototype.
Test

The fifth stage of Design Thinking, we test a prototype with users and, potentially with other
stakeholders too. By capturing honest responses and feedback, we invite participants to imagine
possibilities for the potential solution. We use these insights that analyse the effectiveness and
impact of the prototype and refine the idea accordingly.

Recording our test:

A feedback survey: users may want to remain anonymous, so we could ask them to
complete an online survey with their opinions to the cake prototypes
Marks out of 10 A rating could be given to each cake and the highest idea is brought
forward as a final solution, or developed further.
A conversational analysis asking the user for their feedback, perhaps we share tea and
cake togther and we directly experience their responses to each cake prototype
Any Questions?

Any questions about Design Thinking so far?

How would you describe Design Thinking?
What excites you about Design Thinking?
What aspects about Design Thinking are you
unsure of?
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Empathize

Interview Exercise
Working in pairs, each person will interview the other to find out what their needs are for their birthday cake.
Questions we might think to ask:
What are your favorite dessert flavors?
Tell me what allergies you have, if any?
What cakes have you had in the past that created a memorable experience?
Who else will be eating the cake?

These questions are our human-centred research. Depending on the subject and how we might develop
questions, and chose to engage and interact with our end-user (the person enjoying the cake!) we can
uncover insights from our empathize stage.

There is space on the next page to record your questions and their responses.
Questions Answers

Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
 In this exercise, we will each
Creating a write a summerized
description of our end user,
Fill out the boxes to create
your profile.
1 2 You can also visualise, using
Persona including their personality
traits, their needs, motivations, images, drawings and a
likes and dislikes. collage.

Name & Backstory Hobbies Cakes

Age

Birthday
plans
 Needs Guests Likes Additional
Info

Allergies Dislikes
 Range of Knowledge and Skills
Interests Hobbies Ambitions
T-shaped
Profile

Introduce yourself to
your team by exploring
the range and depth of
your skills. Depth of Knowledge and Skills
Allocate different
colour post-its for
each team member
Profession
Write your skills and
experience on post-its
and place in the
relevant section of the Education
T-shaped profile
Discuss your
similarities and Other Experience
differences as a team
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Persona 1 Using our chosen Persona, we can
move to the Ideate stage of the
Design Thinking Process.

Name & Backstory Hobbies Cakes

Age
Lewis lives in North Shakespeare Likes all cakes.
Lewis, will be 28
London, he travels to work Fixing things Eats a cinnamon roll most
on his birthday
in London Bridge everyday. Motorbikes days.
He eats a cinnamon roll Beach walks when he can Ice cream at the beach
Birthday most mornings, with a get out of London to visit
plans black coffee. family in Chichester.
He's quiet and bookish,
and has been dating his
girlfriend for two months,
Low-key
they met at a Amateur
afternoon tea
Shakespeare theatre group
with snacks
 Needs Guests Likes Additional
Info
Gran
not fussy. All sweet things!
Girlfriend Simone
happy to go with Has a very sweet Simone,
who hates raisins.
the flow. tooth "categorically
Brother, Ed
hates raisins"
Parents
Gran is getting
old, and he wants
to enjoy as much
family time with
her as he can Gran likes to set
re-lighting trick
candles on
birthday cakes .
She's quite
Allergies Dislikes
traditional.
none Seafood, lettuce,
oranges
 Persona
Summary

Lewis has a very sweet tooth, and will eat most cakes, and
sweet things, he’s partial to an ice cream along the beach. He
has a cinnamon roll every other day with a black coffee on the
way to work. It will be his 28th birthday, and he’ll be spending
it with his parents, his brother, his gran and his new girlfriend
Simone who “categorically hates raisins”.
It’s an infomal afternoon tea with snacks. His gran is quite
traditional when it comes to cake, and her favourite part of
birthday celebrations is adding candles to the cake -especially
the joke kind that relight every time they’re blown out. Lewis Lewis
and his brother never tire over Gran’s candle joke.
Rapid-Fire Ideas Ideas Generation
Exercise

Rapid-Idea suggest fest is

all about capturing as
many ideas as possible.

Go big and bold with your

ideas! anything is possible
at this stage.

We are looking for

quantity over quality

Competitor B

Capture your ideas by Rapid Fire

adding them on post- Ideas
its and adding to the
board. Competitor C
Team members should
add a minimum of
three ideas.
How do we select the best ideas ? Search

The Idea Vault

Narrowing Your Idea Focus
Welcome to You have a wealth of
brilliant ideas, and it can
be a challenge to select
The Idea which to take forward to
develop.

Vault! This game will help you

decide and select winning
ideas.

Are you ready to play?

 Ideas are chosen at random from your
previous Ideas Generation sessions

You must travel through the game,

answering the questions, until the idea

Rules of
is either shortlisted as a winner, or goes
into the Ideas Vault!

The Idea If an answer to a question can't be

mutually agreed, it goes to a vote.

Vault The Ideas Vault is a place to park ideas

that might not be attainable right now,
but perhaps worth considering in
How this game works future.

Keep playing until you have discussed

all of your ideas and have a shortlisted
selection.
Your Game Masters (nominate someone)
(your name goes here) (your name goes here)
 How to Play The Idea Vault
Follow along and have fun!

1 2 3 4 5

There is a total of Questions have If you run out of If an Idea goes to Winning Ideas
4 minutes YES or No time, there is an the Ideas Vault, will be shortlisted
allotted for each answers and are extra 20 seconds you start from and presented at
idea. There are designed to be per question to Round 1 with a the end of the
four rounds- you answered vote YES or NO. new Idea. game.
have one minute quickly. Majority wins.
per question.
What is your Project Brief?

We are designing a cake for (persona's)

Birthday. Which cake should we make
or buy for them that them and their
guests will enjoy most?
Ideas to discuss

(insert idea 1 here)

(insert idea 2 here)

(insert idea 3 here)

(insert idea 4 here)

(insert ieda 5 here)

Are you ready
to play?
Select your first idea.

Choose at random, each idea will get it's turn in the spotlight.
With your idea in mind, consider the following questions.
Round 1 (Input your selected Idea here.)

Does it answer our defined question

in your project brief?

YES NO

 If you
If you answered
answered
YES, you can move
NO, it goes
onto the next
into the
round
Ideas Vault

Into the Vault!

Ideas can stay here for safe-keeping. They may not be right for this project, but could be
revisited in future.
Round 2 Is this cake idea exciting to you?

Prompts: Prompts:
Do you feel vs. Has this been
inspired and done before? Do I
energised by this feel overwhelmed
idea? by it?

YES NO
 If you
If you answered
answered
YES, you can move
NO, it goes
onto the next
into the
round
Ideas Vault

Round 4 Will it meet everyone's needs?

Prompts Prompts:
vs. Will we need to
will everyone
amend it for
enjoy it?
tastes/allergies?

YES NO
 If you
If you answered
answered
YES, you have a
NO, it goes
Winning Idea!
into the

Ideas Vault
Break

Time for a quick water break!

The Game Masters will
determine the Winning Ideas!
It's Results Time!

Shortlisted Idea 1

Winners
Idea 2
Idea 3

These ideas can be further

developed, and perhaps
considered for prototyping.
 Ideas in the Vault

Idea 1
Idea 2
Ideas can stay here for safe-keeping. They may
not be right for this project, but could be revisited
in future.
Thank you!
Until our next game!
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
 It's Results Time!

Shortlisted Idea 1
Idea 2
Winners Idea 3
Prototyping exercise

A prototype is a visual, interactive mock-up of an idea. We do them in a quick, low-cost way to

test with our user before creating a final solution, or further development.

We'll prototype three of our cake designs:

Choose three cake ideas, draw up visual representations of them, or create a collage to
show how they might look.
Alongside this, create a rough idea of the recipe, or flavors to be used in the cake
Our prototypes can be created using paper, or design software, whichever the group is
most familiar with.
You'll have 10 minutes to create each prototype.
You can use the next page as a template
 How are you feeling?

(cake Drawing/visual representation of cake

name #1)

1 Ingredients

2 Baking Method

3 Presentation
Time: 10 minutes
 Visuals

Drawing/visual representation of cake

1 Ingredients

2 Baking Method

3 Presentation
Time: 10 minutes
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
 Cake Name #1
TEST
Gather Feedback from
your users

1 Ingredients

2 Baking Method

3 Presentation
TEST
Gather Feedback from
your users

1 Ingredients

2 Baking Method

3 Presentation
 Cake Name #1
FINAL
CAKE Recipe

DESIGN
1 Ingredients

Fresh
raspberries 2 Baking Method

Vanilla
cream
Chocolate 3 Presentation
biscuit base
FINAL
CAKE Recipe

DESIGN
1 Ingredients

2 Baking Method

3 Presentation
Any Questions?
Thank you!