DESIGN THINKING

WHAT IS DESIGN THINKING?

“Design Thinking is about accelerating innovation to create better solutions to the challenges
facing business and society. It starts with people - what we call human centered design - and
applies the creative tools of design, like storytelling, prototyping, and experimentation, to
deliver new breakthrough innovation.”

– Tim Brown, CEO, IDEO. Change by Design .

THE 5 PHASES OF DESIGN THINKING.

These worksheets take you step by step through Design Thinking.

*Teacher Note: This packet was not designed to be printed and handed to students in its entirety. Some sections
may be better to do as a class, on flip chart paper, or another way depending on the Design Challenge identified.
We recommend using your professional discretion prior to printing all worksheets.

1
HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A GREAT DESIGN?

Great design meets three essential criteria.

1. Desirability: Is this what people want?
2. Feasibility: How easily can we do this? Is this affordable? Do we have personnel 1? Do we have
enough time?
3. Viability: Is this sustainable 2? Can we keep it going for a long time? Who will keep it going?

Great innovation is where desirability, viability and feasibility come together.

1. Personnel: people employed in an organization

2. Sustainable: able to be maintained at a certain rate or level

2
 Defining the challenge often begins by noticing problems.

Phase 1

Sometimes it comes out as wishes (“I really wish we had...”)

Sometimes it comes out as complaints (“It annoys me that we’re not...”)
Either starting point is fine.

Problems we see:

Select a problem from above to be your design challenge:

My dreams: My concerns:

Now lets turn this into a How Might We Challenge (HMW) Question:

How might we design a that

[INSERT DESIGN CHALLENGE]

for ?
[USER]

Try this with a friend...Share your dreams and concerns about the design challenge.

Now we will look for opportunities by first seeking inspiration.

3
 Tools for building empathy

Phase 2

Design Thinking is human-centered. Human-centered design starts with understanding the

perspectives of the people who will use the design. We seek inspiration through research
and developing user empathy. External research helps us find new trends or key information
to inspire new ideas. Gathering information from users develops empathy and shapes our
understanding of their needs and values. This helps us define insights. We will learn three
tools to help you become more empathetic—ability to understand another’s feelings.

Obser ve: Watch what people do. Video or sketch

your observations. Take note of these things:
What are they doing? How are they doing it? And
Why are they doing it?

Engage: Interact with the people through talking

with them. Conduct an interview.

Immerse: Become the user. Use the design yourself.

How does it work for you? How do you feel using
it? What would you do differently? How would you
want it to change? You can also learn about external
trends and practices by doing online research.

To experience all three tools divide your team into three small teams and rotate through
each tool. Document your observations to build inspiration for your design.*

*Teacher Note: It might be helpful to group students prior to doing this phase, use your professional discretion on
how to pace your students through using each of these tools.

4
 Observation Plan
Take a video, photograph or sketch 3 different people engaged in an activity
related to your challenge or search online for what others are doing in this
area. You can sketch or write down descriptions to help you remember.
Answer the questions below as you observe.

Phase 2

What are they doing? Sketch

How are they doing it?

Why are they doing it this way?

5
 Engage
1. Create an interview guide with open ended questions.
2. Interview a person about their experience related to the design challenge.

Example Question: Ask users, “What are your needs, wants, fears and
concerns?”
Phase 2

Questions: Answers:

Question: Answer:

Question: Answer:

Question: Answer:

6
 Immersion Experience
Be a user. ‘Walk in their shoes’ and gain their perspective. Example: What
does it feel like to be a person doing this activity? What 3 things will YOU do
to experience your challenge? As you go through each process, be sure to
write down or sketch your reflections on the questions below. You can also
learn about trends and practices by doing online research.
Phase 2

Sketch
What did I do?

What was enjoyable?

What would I change or add to this experience?

7
 Reflect
Now, as a design group, reflect on all the data you have collected to
document this empathy map.*

Phase 2

Feelings & Emotions Thoughts & Beliefs

USER

Actions Say

*Teacher Note: It may be helpful to put this on a large flip chart and use post-its to fill in student input.

8
Example of the Empathy Map
 Insights
Based on the data from the Inspiration phase, we define key insights, the
things people most value or need. From these insights we define the key
opportunities related to our challenge question. We refine our challenge
question (HMW) to address the opportunities we uncovered in the Inspiration
and Empathy phase. Remember insights are non-obvious and authentic.*
Phase 3

Questions:

Based on your research and empathy exercises what have you learned?

People seem to value…..

People are motivated by …

People need ….

Now put your opportunity into your new How Might We challenge question. Something
like this...

How might we design a that

[INSERT DESIGN CHALLENGE]

[OPPORTUNITY]

for ?
[USER]

*Teacher Note: This may be the time to refer to the Vin-diagram page. Depending on the Design Thinking
knowledge and age of your group. You may also want to talk about feasibility or constraights, and how this may
play into their final designs. However, be cautious of discouraging wild ideas, some of the best designs are scaled
back wild ideas.

9
 Brainstorming
Through brainstorming we generate as many ideas as possible, then we use
tools like storyboarding to iterate 3 the idea.

Phase 4

Ideate.
To brainstorm, provide each person a set of Post-its and a sharpie pen. Read your HMW
challenge question again. Now, each person should brainstorm as many ideas as possible
to solve your design challenge. Review the brainstorm tips below to help.

After brainstorming, vote and identify your top 1-3 ideas to take for ward.

1.

2.

3.

Remember:

Don’t judge!
There are no bad ideas at this point.

Encourage wild ideas

Innovation begins with the impossible.

Build on the ideas of others

Think, “Yes, and...:” and try to build on each idea.

Be visual!
Try a quick sketch.

Stay focused of the topic

One conversation at a time!

Go for quantity
Get LOTS of ideas down. Let it flow quickly!

3. Iterate: make repeated use of.

10
 Storyboarding
We use simple drawings, called storyboards, to explain how our top idea
works. Sharing the story with others gives us feedback to improve and refine
our idea.

Phase 4

1. Working individually, create a first draft storyboard on how you see the top idea
working. Storyboarding is simple. Create a four frame box on a blank piece of paper and
draw the story of how your idea works. Keep it simple.

2. Each person pitches their idea to the team. Use the feedback grid to help you. Vote to
identify the top 1-2 ideas to storyboard as a team.

3. Then, as a team select from the top ideas to take on to the next step experimenting.

Example Stor yboard

1 2
Harry wants a faster way to
get around.

First he makes the parts to a

jet pack he can wear on his
back.

He screws them together

3 4 with his friend Will and they
fill it up with the magic
formula.

Finally Harry straps it on

his back and fires it up – It
works! Yay!

*Teacher Note: It may be helpful to create a few storyboards as a class to learn the storyboarding process.

11
 Feedback Grid
When sharing sketches and storyboards this feedback grid helps to gather
input. Give one of these feedback grids to each person you share the design
with and ask them to complete it.

Phase 4

Good Change

Questions Ideas

Based on your votes what has your team decided to prototype?

12
 Prototype & Test
Experiment with prototyping and testing. Design a prototype using
maker supplies. Now, plan and conduct a test for your design to see if it
accomplishes your goal.*

Phase 5

Prototyping
1. Draft a solution prototype description:

2. Sketch or insert a picture of your prototype model:

3. Build your prototype with maker supplies.

Testing
Example Test: A library was about to implement a glass walled quiet room. Instead of
spending thousands of dollars to build the idea, the library tested the idea by sectioning off
the proposed space with tape and visibly marking it a quiet zone. This allowed the library
to conduct a low-cost and quick scaled test to see if their idea would be practical prior to
spending money on full-scale construction.

2. What assumptions need to be tested?

Test activities:

Test success criteria:

Desirable:

Feasable: Time:

*Teacher Note: It may be helpful to explain how to scale a test. Scaling a test will ensure that you are testing an idea
that may succeed later, better yet it may fail early with a low-cost quick test.

13
 Design Pitch
The design pitch shares the challenge, idea description, storyboard, prototype
and test plan. Create a display of information to pitch your idea. Check the
tips below to make sure you include everything.

After your pitch, gather feedback on the grid and iterate your design again.
Phase 5

Challenge:

Idea Description:

Stor yboard:

Prototype Model:

Test Plan:

Be sure these elements are represented

in your design presentation:

• How Might We Challenge

• Idea Description
• Storyboard
• Model or sketch of prototype
• Test Plan
© Bridge Innovate 2015 bright-spark.org 14
Join the Design Thinking Revolution!

Website:

Email:

Congratulations, you have applied all the phases of Design Thinking to solve a
challenge.

15