Design Thinking Process: e3  

Discovery Phase-Checklist
Parts 1, 2, 3
Due:

Work with your design thinking team to take notes about each part of the Design Thinking
Process that you complete together. After you feel that you have fully explored each step of
the three parts listed, change the checkbox to a check mark. Return to and revise each part as
needed.

Prepare for Research – Discovery Part 1

❏ Identify/define the topic

The topic we are going to focus on is Helping Homeless Teenagers

❏ Identify/define the audience (end users) -- Who will benefit from solving our problem
statement? These are the end-users:

We want to stay in the age range of 13-19 years old

❏ Share what you think you know about each end-user (needs, challenges, background,
etc.):

● They are kids

● They need a home
● They struggle with supporting themselves
● They probably were kicked out of the house or lose their family members and don’t have a
home anymore
● Some teenagers may have unfortunately been abandoned
 ❏ Identify what you don’t know:

Where is the majority of homeless teenagers in Downtown San Diego?

How can we help them?
How many homeless teenagers are in San Diego?
Can we help homeless teenagers get an education?
Can we get homeless teenagers to a place to live?
What is the top priority to help homeless teenagers?

❏ Make a plan for your research: How will we complete our research over the course of the
next two weeks?:
● Research the topic
● Interview people

❏ Revisit: Identify the end users, experts and other sources of information:

● San Diego Housing Commission 

Call SDHC ​Main Number: (619) 231-9400 

● PATH 
Address​: 1250 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101 
Hours​: Closes soon: 4PM ⋅ Opens 8AM Thu 
Phone​: ​(619) 810-8600
● Alpha project for the Homeless
Phone: (619) 542-1877
Address: 3737 Fifth Ave #203
● PATH
Address: 1250 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101 
Phone: (619) 810-8600 
SD Youth Services 
 ❏ Users (sometimes called the audience) - who can we contact and how?:

- Homeless teens from homeless shelters in San Diego.

- Homeless shelters

❏ Build questions to ask the end users (think of as MANY relevant questions to ask as
possible):

How has your life changed?

If you are comfortable, could you tell us how you became homeless?
What’s the most difficult thing you had to face?
Have anyone reached out to help you?
Were you viewed differently?

❏ Build questions to ask the experts:

● Is there a career to become an expert on homelessness?

● What made you choose this career?
● What’s the more difficult thing or case you had to face during work?
● What do you think is the principal reason why teens become homeless?
● How does this organization help homelessness?
● At this point in your career, do you think it was the best career to choose?
● Can you give us some examples of how we can help homeless teens?
● Do you think homeless it’s a community problem, a lifestyle or just consequences of bad
decisions?
● Can you tell us a little bit about your job
● What is the main goal of this organization
● What are some ways the government helps the homeless?
● Do you think that's enough? what can they do better?
● Do you think there will be one day where there are no more homeless?

❏ Make a plan for conducting the fieldwork:

We can contact the homeless services and ask them how they handle situations.

❏ Set the schedule for your work on the discovery phase:

Contact the expert -

Interview -

❏ Determine who will do what by when:

- Call or email the homeless shelter - Elijah

- Get an interview by October
- Question to the experts- Giselle
- Research homeless services - Jessica

❏ What do you plan to report back?:

Get information on how to help homeless teens and get a little more knowledge about this topic so we can inform
other people about this issue.

❏ When do you plan to report back?:

November 1
 ❏ Did you dig deep enough?:

Yes we did, we tried to get information from different parts so we can link things together.

Conduct the Research (Gathering Inspiration) – Discovery Phase Part 2

❏ Immerse yourself in context

❏ Learn from groups

❏ Learn from experts

❏ Learn from peers observing peers

❏ Learn from people’s self documentation

❏ Seek inspiration in new places

❏ KEEP AN OPEN MIND!!

Research Findings:
Define the mission for the design thinking process - Discovery Phase Part 3

❏ Identify/define the challenge - Restate your problem statement:

Checklist Evaluation Rubric

Exemplary Evidence Good evidence Some evidence Little or no evidence
✔ x
✖ ⁄