An Introduction to Design Thinking

HUMCOM1: HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION

 Pre-Activity:

A. Fold a piece of paper in half hamburger style.

B. Using magazine clippings or clipart, glue five to
seven examples of clothing, objects, spaces, food,
and music that you love (owned or that you wish you
owned) on one half.
C. On the other half, glue five to seven eamples of
food, clothing, music, spaces, and objects that you
don’t like.

This will be reviewed with a partner.

 Design the IDEAL school bag:
1)Design a BETTER school bag:
sketch your best idea here:

00:04
 Design the IDEAL wallet: How to facilitate this step

Draw
This is what we call the “false-start”.
Of course, you don’t tell participants it is a false-start.
The intention is to contrast an abstract problem-centric approach--one which uses someone’s assumptions that
what they want is what everyone would want (that may be typical for many people)
to a human-centered design thinking approach which participants will experience in the rest of the project.
Don’t play music during this step, to accentuate the difference
between the false-start and the main part of the exercise.
“OK, let’s jump right in.”
“This is going to feel rushed; that’s okay. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to lean into
the project.”
“Come up with some ideas for the ‘ideal’ school bag”
“Go ahead and draw an idea for a better school wallet.”
Let them know how much time they will have.
It is normal for people to feel stuck and delay putting anything down on paper.
Reminding them of the time they have left can push them to start.
. . . At the end of the step:
“How did that feel? My guess is, ‘Not great.’”
“That was a typical problem-solving approach, taking on a given problem, working us-
ing your own opinions and experience to guide you, and with a solution in mind to be
designed.”
“Let’s try something else—a human-centered design thinking approach.”
 better ways to carry cash, IDs, books, laptop, phone, charger, pens & more...

2) Design a BETTER school bag:

sketch a few of your ideas here:

00:03
 That was a
Problem Solving approach
to innovation*...
*innovation: when “innovation” is mentioned in this workshop, it means “a way of coming
up with a new solution or idea.”
 Let’s try a Design Thinking approach
to innovation*...
*Lots of disciplines have ways to create or think up new ideas. Design Thinking’s approach is meant to
compliment, not replace, the way problems are explored and solved in the sciences and humanities.

MYTH #1: Design Thinking is just about really, really putting yourself in
your partner’s shoes. You then will create something they say or think
they want, or what you would want if you were them. FALSE.

FACT #1: Design Thinking is about discovering your partners likes/dis-

likes (sometimes called “taste regimes”), what they already own, and
how they live their lives (“networks” and “practices”) in order to
create what they like, will use for a long time, and will solve a REAL
problem for them, whether they would have thought of it or not. TRUE!
Your Mission: Design something USEFUL & MEANINGFUL
(You are NOT
for your partner. Start by GAINING EMPATHY: designing a bag.)

1)Interview 1:
Ask your partner to introduce themselves to you by walking you
through the contents of their purse or wallet. Ask questions.
NOTES/SKETCHES: Start drawing out or noting the NETWORKS*
of items and activities that their bag affects or is affected by.
2) Interview 2:
Go deeper. Find out more about your partner.
Forget about the bag and dig for specifc stories.
NOTES/SKETCHES: This is to discover your partner’s PRACTICES**.
Sketch or note their daily routines, habits, and more activities
that a school bag might be used or “along the ride” for.

*Remember: a “Network” is just a web of objects that work together to do an activity. For example, **Remember: a “Practice” is just a routine someone has. “Waking” might include a bed, an alarm
“buying” might include your wallet, a credit card or cash, a bike to get to the store, the coat you clock, a cup of coffee, someone else you live with waking you up after you hit snooze...
buy with the money, the person at the register... “Breakfasting” might include a toaster, bread, butter, a plate, a place to sit, a coffee maker...

00:05 per person 00:03 per person

3) Interview 3: The Empathize Card:
Trade taste boards with your partner. Ask
questions about what they like and dislike
about the objects they’ve chosen. Go beyond name
what they say, and make conclusions about
WHY they’re saying it. LIKES THINGS THAT
Ask questions about what they like and dislike
about the objects they’ve chosen. Go beyond
what they say, and try to think about WHY taste regime likes

they’re saying it.

THEIR BAG IS CONNECTED TO:

networks

AND IS INCLUDED IN THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES:

-ing
-ing
-ing

00:01 per person

Switch roles & repeat Interview
1—Interview your Partner: How to Facilitate:

Have participants partner up in pairs.

It helps to refer to “Partner A” and “Partner B” to simplify your language in these interactive steps.
“Your challenge is to design something useful and meaningful to your partner.”
“The most important part of designing for someone is to gain empathy for that person.”
“Empathy is more than just getting into their shoes. What you’re really after here is what kinds of activities and objects they use their wallet alongside and how they do it, and how they feel
about it. ”

“One way to do this is to have a good conversation.”

Be clear about the logistics of the interviews:

“Partner A will have four minutes to interview Partner B, and then we will tell you when to switch.”

“As a starting point, ask your partner to walk you through the contents of their wallet.”
“When do they carry their wallet? Why do they have a particular card in there? What do the things in their wallet tell you about their life?” “What other things do they use with or alongside

their wallet? How does the wallet affect how they interact with others?”

Tell them to take note of things they find interesting or surprising.

“Let’s begin!” (Don’t forget to start playing the upbeat music now.)

2—Dig deeper

After the first set of interviews, tell them to follow up on things that intrigued them during the first interview.
“Try to dig for stories, feelings, and emotion.”
“Ask ‘WHY?’ often”
“Forget about the wallet, find out what’s important to your partner.”
“Why does he still carry a picture of his ex-girlfriend? When was a time he carried a lot of cash? What does she remember most about her first paying job?”
“This time, you’re looking for hints about lifestyle and habit. What kind of life does your partner want to lead, and currently lead? What do daily routines look like?”

Remind them you will let them know when time is up.

. . .“Time to switch! Again, make note of any unexpected discoveries along the way, capture quotes!”
3--Taste Boards
“We saved this for last so that you have a sense for your partner before you learn more about specific likes and dislikes, and not the other way around. You’re going to share your likes/dislikes
board with your partner--remember, you’re going to want to design something that works for them on a deep level of needs first, but if it doesn’t fit in with the rest of their style, then they’re
not going to use it. This might be the frosting on the cake, but frosting is important.

4-- When you complete these steps it’s important to take a moment to put everything you’ve learned together to carry with you for the next step. That’s what your empathize card will help
with: making sure you never lose sight of your partner as you’re thinking of solutions.
 Time to
DEFINE the problem!

MYTH #2: When you use Design Thinking, the

problem is something you know when you start.
After all, if you’re making a solution, you obviously
know there’s a problem, right? FALSE.

FACT #2: Design Thinking is just as much about

finding a real problem and getting to the heart of that
need (defining your problem) as it is about
solving the problem. To find a real problem, you need
to have HUMAN-CENTERED* evidence that backs up,
or “warrants”, the existence of your problem. TRUE!
*Human -centered: coming from people, not just data or your guesses about the problem.
Articulate your current POINT OF VIEW: DEFINE
3) Inventory possible NEEDS: 4) Inventory possible problem
statements:
my partner needs a way to because I found which proves this need
(claim) (evidence) because
name (warrant)

things they are trying to do (needs):

ways they want to feel (insight/meaning):

00:03
5) DEFINE a Problem Statement: 6) GROUP CRITIQUE: 00:01 per person
One of the two places that new ideas in Design come from is group
sharing and collaboration. Share your Problem Statement with a
group of three. Each person has a role that will change each round.
name
The SPEAKER shares their idea.
The COMMENTER uses the sentence starters below to give commen-
NEEDS A WAY TO tary on others’ Problem Statements in a helpful, respectful manner.
The SCRIBE writes down everything the CRITIQUER says on an active
decision making form.
claim
“What has meaning for me about this is...”
BECAUSE I FOUND “What I find surprising about this is...”
“What is memorable for me about this is...”
“What were you trying to accomplish by...”
“What goverened your approach to....”
evidence “What did you mean when you said...”

WHICH PROVES THE NEED BECAUSE 7) REFLECT: 00:05

Something I hadn’t considered before this critique was :

warrant
__________________________________________________
Something this critique confirmed for me was:

00:03 __________________________________________________
One thing that surprised me about the critique experience was:

_________________________________________________
Now, take some time to review your active decision making form.
8) REFINE a Problem Statement:
The Define Card

name

NEEDS A WAY TO

claim

BECAUSE I FOUND

evidence

WHICH PROVES THE NEED BECAUSE

warrant

00:03
3—DEFINE. How to facilitate this step:

Tell them to individually take three minutes to collect their thoughts and reflect on what they’ve learned about their partner.

“Synthesize your learning into two groups: your partner’s goals and wishes, and insights you discovered.”
“Use verbs to express the goals and wishes.”
“These are his needs related to his wallet and life. Think about both physical and emotional needs.”
“For example maybe your partner needs to minimize the number of things he carries . . . or needs to feel like she is supporting the local community and
economy.”
“‘Insights’ are discoveries that you might be able to leverage when creating solutions.”
“For example, you might have discovered the insight that buying with cash makes your partner value the purchase more and take more care with deci-
sions.”
“Or, that she sees a wallet as a reminder and organizing system, not a carrying device.”
4--Find problems and prove their evidence with warrants
“Now it’s time to try and identify some real problems you’d like to solve for your partner based on their needs. A common mistake is to come up with a problem,
like “my partner needs a way to have their wallet on them at all times,” and the evidence might be, “because they always lose things when they put them down.” But
there’s no real bridge there--just because they always lose things, doesn’t mean they always need to have the wallet on them. But listen to this: My partner needs
a way for their wallet to stay found, because they always lose things when they put them down, which proves this need because lost things are only lost when you
can’t find them again. See how that keeps many more possibilities open, and the evidence fits with the claim? That last part is called a warrant, and that’s the part
that proves you’re thinking about a problem in the correct way.”

5—Take a stand with a point-of-view

Now tell them to select the most compelling need and most interesting insight to articulate a point-of-view.

“This is your point of view.”

“Take a stand by specifically stating the meaningful challenge you are going to take on.”

‘This is the statement that you’re going to address with your design,

so make sure it’s juicy and actionable!”

“It should feel like a problem worth tackling!”

“Your point-of-view might be:

‘Janice need a way to feel she has access to all her stuff and is ready to act, because I found surprisingly, carrying her purse makes her feel less ready to act, not more,

which proves this claim because when her stuff is acting against her she is never going to feel like she is ready to act.’
3—DEFINE. How to facilitate this step, continued

6--Group Crit
“Now we’re going to expand and change our ideas using group crit.”
“Most people have had very bad experiences with group crit, and so they don’t like doing them.”
“Maybe they feel judged or like their ideas aren’t good enough.”
“But good ideas never become good on their own--we have to get comfortable with the idea that people really have open hearts and are giving us suggestions from
a place of wanting us to be the best we can be.”
“We also need to adopt a “growth mindset”--did you know that if you take a group of students as young as 5 and tell them that they can grow their brains by making
mistakes and getting better over time, they’ll actually perform better on tests than students who aren’t told that? We need to use this power in our everyday life, too.”
“Too often, we don’t like to make mistakes because we think it proves what we fear, that we aren’t good enough.”
“But all improvement comes from a place of mistakes. Did you learn to brush your teeth or play a sport the first time perfectly? The same thing goes for ideas. We all
need to help each other become better.”

Share your define card with a group of three, each of you will take on a different role. Use the question stems to make comments in a way that seeks to understand
and make the creator think about their work rather than one that comes from a place of judgement. ***Question for Cameron: Is active decision sheet Jabe’s propri-
etary crit material?
7)
Take a moment to reflect on the crit. This might have felt good or bad, and both are okay. This is a skill that you develop over time.
8) Taking the comments from the crit, decide which to incorporate and which at this stage you’re going to choose to ignore. Both are okay. Take some time to re-
write your define card.
 Time to
IDEATE solutions by “going wide” (thinking up lots of
ideas)!

MYTH #3: Ideation is all about randomly thinking up as many

ideas as possible, and then testing the ones that “feel right.”
FALSE.

FACT #3: Ideation is about thinking up as many ideas as pos-

sible using different types of creativity. New ideas come from
two places: surprising yourself with new ideas through your
own creative process, and working with others to create new
ideas through critique and feedback. Sketching helps with
both because it makes ideas concrete enough to think & talk
about but, unlike words, fuzzy enough to mean more than one
thing. TRUE!
 Time to
IDEATE solutions by going wide!

Three types of creativity for “Things That Fly”

Fluency - The number of ideas you have

-robin, cardinal, eagle, sparrow

Flexibility - The different categories for your ideas

robin, airplane, mosquito, time

Elaboration - The details you add to your ideas

-a migrating robin, a robin in an airplane, “time” when
you’re running behind, “time” when you’re having fun
Generate ideas using fluency, flexibility and elaboration IDEATION
9) Sketch RADICAL ways to meet your user’s needs.
*Remember, stick to pictures at this stage, NOT WORDS, because sketches make ideas concrete enough to think & talk about but, unlike words, fuzzy enough to mean more than one thing.

Sketch Cheat Sheet

Don’t worry if you’re not an artist. Sketching isn’t about making a beautiful
drawing! It;s to generate ideas. Think of it like free writing.

00:05
 Time to
IDEATE solutions by “going narrow” (picking the most
promising ideas)!

MYTH #4: Ideation is all about picking the idea that

feels right to you, or that your partner likes the best.
FALSE.

FACT #4: Ideation is about picking the solution that

most effectively: 1) solves the stated problem, 2) fits
with your partner’s taste regimes, practices, and
networks (is something they will use), 3) Makes
changes in those habits for the better, 4) Is feasible, 5)
is something that will be used for a long time and can
be improved in the future.
 Consider your solutions using a rubric. PROTOTYPING
10) Choose 2 of your most promising ideas to measure
against this rubric of Design Thinking Considerations.
Solution 1: ____________________________________________________ Solution 2 : ____________________________________________________

1. This solution solves the problem stated on my problem card. 1. This solution solves the problem stated on my problem card.
Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely

2. This solution will fit in well with my user’s current practices, habits, and tastes. 2. This solution will fit in well with my user’s current practices, habits, and tastes.
Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely

3. This solution will make changes for the better within practices & habits. 3. This solution will make changes for the better within practices & habits.
Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely

4. This solution is something my partner will want to use on the long term, 4. This solution is something my partner will want to use on the long term,
not just for a short amount of time. not just for a short amount of time.
Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely

5. This solution isn’t a “quick fix,” it helps my partner have a better future. 5. This solution isn’t a “quick fix,” it helps my partner have a better future.
Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely Not At All Somewhat Mostly Almost Completely
9—Sketch to Ideate
Before having the participants go into ideate, have them do the following:
“We’re going to spend 60 seconds right now thinking of all of the ways to use a brick. This is going to feel rushed and a little out of place
from the rest of the activities, that’s okay. We’re just introducing an idea. Ready? Go!”
“That’s the usual way people brainstorm. But what if we looked at different types of creativity we can use to beef up our ideas?”
Read the ideate 3 kinds of creativity.
“So now, I want you to go back and do two things: one, try and use all three types of creativity in your brainstorm. Two, we’re going to
sketch, not write a list. The thing about pictures is that they capture ideas in a way that we and others can understand, but one picture can
mean a lot of things to different people. For example, if I drew a person with an envelope, it could be a man, woman, child, teacher, secre-
tary, messenger. But if I wrote the word “mailman,” then suddenly it becomes one thing. And remember, we’re going for fluency! So draw,
because it will help you get across many, many more ideas than just a word. Ready, go!”
“Which list was more successful?”

Have them bring all of their cards from previous stages and place in front of them.
Remind them they are now creating solutions to the new challenge they’ve identified.
They them to sketch a lot of ideas, and to try to create a number of different ideas.
“GO FOR VOLUME! Remember to sketch and use the three types of creativity!”
“This is time for idea generation, not evaluation—you can evaluate your ideas later.”
You can even suggest a friendly competition to come up with the most ideas --
“See if you can come up with at least 7 ideas!”
Remind them they are not necessarily designing a wallet; instead they should create solutions to problem statement they just created.
“Remember to be VISUAL.
... “One minute left! Try to sketch at least 2 more wildly different ways to address your problem statement!”

10--Consider ideas along criteria

“So, we’ve come up with a ton of ideas, and now it’s time to choose one to move forward with. “
“Sometimes picking between ideas can seem arbitrary--maybe you just go with what you or your partner likes best.”
“But Human-Centered Design considers a lot of things that you need to keep in mind to make the best solution you can: can it really solve
the problem, does it fit into what your partner does in their everyday life? Someone who moves around a lot is not going to like a heavy
wallet, but for someone who commutes and wants to keep one in their car, that could be a perfect solution. Someone with a taste for sim-
ple and clean design is not going to want to use a flashy gadget that draws a lot of attention. And what about long-term use? If they’re go-
ing to throw the product away in a year, it’s not as good as one they could use for five years. And finally, if it helps fix their problem now but
keeps bad habits in the future, it’s not as good as something that will fix a habit over time. We need to consider these BIG QUESTIONS when
deciding what to really go forward with.”
11) SHARE your solutions with your partner + CAPTURE feedback.
Use critique question stems from the previous group critique:

“What has meaning for me about this is...”

“What I find surprising about this is...”
“What is memorable for me about this is...”
“What were you trying to accomplish by...”
“What goverened your approach to....”
“What did you mean when you said...”

00:03 per person Switch roles & repeat sharing.

 Synthesize Learning: FEEDBACK

12) REFLECT to deepen your EMPATHY: 13) (RE)DEFINE your Problem Statement:
New things I’ve learned about my partner and his/her NEEDS:
The Define Card

name

NEEDS A WAY TO

claim
New things I’ve learned about my SOLUTIONS and my
APPROACH to meet my partner’s needs: BECAUSE I FOUND

evidence

WHICH PROVES THE NEED BECAUSE

warrant

00:03 00:03
Iteration #2! EMPATHY + PROTOTYPING + FEEDBACK

14) Generate a new SOLUTION

Sketch your big idea, note detail if necessary!
You ARE NOW ALLOWED TO WRITE!

00:03
7—Reflect & generate a new solution
They’ve had a chance to share their sketches with their partners and collect feedback.
“Now, take a moment to consider what you have learned both
about your partner, and about the solutions you generated.”
“From this new understanding of your partner and
his or her needs, sketch a new idea.”
Tell them this solution may be a variation on an idea from before or something completely new.
They are still addressing a problem statement that they articulated, but you might point out that their
previous problem statement may need to change to incorporate the new insights and needs they discovered.
“Try to provide as much detail and color around your idea as possible.”
“How might this solution fit into the context of your partner’s life?”
“When and how might they handle or encounter your solution?”
While participants are working, grab the prototyping materials if you have not already.
10a)ARTICULATE your solution.
My solution is:
____________________________________________________________

It solves the problem by ______________. It fits into the user's taste regimes
because it _______________. It fits into the user's existing networks and
practices, including _____________, by _______________. It improves on
current networks, practices, and habits by _________________. The reason
the user will want to keep and continue to use this solution in the long-term
is _______________. In the future, the problem might be improved further
by ___________. This solution helps get the user closer to that future by
_________________.
 PROTOTYPING
10) BUILD your solution.
Make something your partner can interact

[not here]

00:08
10—Build!
Tell participants to use the idea they just sketched as a blueprint for a tangible manifestation of their solution.
“Create a physical prototype of your solution.”
Explain that they should not simply make a scale model of their idea to explain the idea.
They should create an experience that their partner can react to.
They could decide to test just one aspect of the overall solution.
“MAKE something that your partner can engage and interact with.”
“If your solution is a service or a system,
create a scenario that allows your partner to experience this innovation.”
“Use whatever materials are available to you—including space!”
Provide some urgency and excitement in your voice—you want to get them building immediately.
“Be scrappy and quick—you only have a few minutes!!”
 SELF-CRITIQUE
10b) Take a step back and consider your prototype.
Consider what you know about your user’s networks,
practices, habits, and tastes --

Are there ways to incorporate stronger affordances?

[What does it afford... What could be improved...

Questions... Ideas...

00:15
10b—Affordances!
Something that new designers miss is the idea of affordances.

Very simply, an affordance is something an object signals that it can or can’t do.

Think about a door with a handle--would you push or pull it?

What about a door without a handle? Would you push or pull it?

Look at the chairs in this room. They afford sitting because there is a flat spot and a backing. It’s almost like they’re inviting
me to sit.

What other affordances do you see in the room?

Now look at your prototype: what do you want it to do, and how does it signal that it can do that?

Take a moment to reflect on how you could change it to include more affordances.

10c) SKETCH your modifications
Sketch your prototype and highlight suggested
changes and provide detail
RAPID PROTOTYPING + FEEDBACK
11)SHARE your solution + CAPTURE feedback.
[What worked... - What could be improved...

? Questions...
! Ideas...

00:08 00:05 per person

Switch roles & repeat sharing.
11—Share your solution and get feedback
Explain that one partner will have time to share and collect feedback, and then they will switch so the other
partner can share.
“Now you’re going to have the opportunity to share your prototype with your partner.”
Validation of the prototype is not the point—it should be an artifact that facilitates a new, targeted conversa-
tion.
“When you test, LET GO of your prototype, physically and emotionally.”
“Your prototype is NOT PRECIOUS, but the feedback and new insights it draws out are!”
“Don’t defend your prototype; instead, watch how your partner uses and misuses it.”
Tell them to jot down things their partner liked and didn’t like about the idea, as well as questions that
emerged and new ideas that came up.
BE MINDFUL of your innovation process: REFLECT

12)REFLECT on your design thinking process:

1. Was your final design the same or different than your ideal design?

2. Where did you get stuck?

3. When did you get your a-ha’s?

4. How did EMPATHY contribute to your design?

5. How did PROTOTYPING alternatives contribute to your design?

6. How did FEEDBACK contribute to your design?

7. How would you improve your process?

00:05
12—Group gather and debrief
This step is important! A well facilitated reflection has the power to turn this exercise from simply a fun
activity to a meaningful experience that could impact the way participants approach innovation in the future.
Quickly pull together a few tables that everyone can gather around.
Tell everybody grab their prototypes and
set them on the table in the middle of the room.
“We’re going to huddle around and see what innovations you’ve created for your partners!”
“Who had a partner who created something that you really like?”
“Who sees something they are curious to learn more about?”
Ask for the person who created the prototype and engage them in the conversation.
“How did talking to your partner inform your design?”
“How did testing and getting feedback impact your final design?”
“What was the most challenging part of the process for you?”
The key to leading this conversation is to relate the activity to the big takeaways you want to illustrate.
Some of core values of design thinking that would be great to draw out include:
Human-centered design: Empathy for the person or people you are designing for, and feedback from users, is fundamental to good design.
Experimentation and prototyping: Prototyping is not simply a way to validate your idea; it is an integral part of your innovation process. We build
to think and learn.
A bias towards action: Design thinking is a misnomer; it is more about doing that thinking. Bias toward doing and making over thinking and
meeting.
Show don’t tell: Creating experiences, using illustrative visuals, and telling good stories communicate your vision in an impactful and meaningful
way.
Power of iteration: The reason we go through this exercise at a frantic pace is that we want people to experience a full design cycle. A person’s
fluency with design thinking is a function of cycles, so we challenege participants to go through as many cycles as possible—interview twice,
sketch twice, and test with your partner twice. Additionally, iterating solutions many times within a project is key to successful outcomes.

Self- and group- surprise: The idea that new ideas come from personal ideation, especially through sketching, but also through group critique,
and how essential this is to the whole.
DESIGN IS A PROCESS:

collaborate

accept

EMPATHY
iterate synthesize

DEFINE
TEST

stoke
show

PROTOTYPE
IDEATE

select
gniknihT ngiseD ot noitcudortnI nA