Blog Post #9

Design Thinking is a process that can be used to facilitate a design project with students. It is similar to a template in that is lists 5 specific steps that designers move through when creating a product for a specific reason. The first step is empathy. In this step, the designer gets to know the consumer, and all of the needs of the consumer. The next step is about defining the questions that needs to be answered by designing a project. Simply put, the question would be states like “How can we________ that _ so?” Next is the ideate step. In this step, designers brainstorm, share ideas and gather feedback from others. Brainstorming in this step might look like drawing, making a model, creating a story or talking. After this the designer makes a prototype. This can be done in a CAD program. Finally, designers would test their prototype and gather feedback.
This 5 step process will be very useful for me when I am a teacher and I have the opportunity to work with students in a design based project. I could see this coming in handy in several shop classes where I will have my students create. I like how specific each step is. It allows for “mistakes” or errors to be prevented or caught early and regarded as constructive feedback rather than errors. I have often wondered what inquiry could look like in a shop. I could see it looking like this. I think designing to solve a problem is a fantastic way to participate in inquiry. These 5 steps will make designing as inquiry more manageable.