The Design Thinking approach
Today we are talking about a topic that is very close to Tata's heart. Indeed, it is perhaps one of the founding principles of its mission: Design Thinking.
You may have heard of it in relation to STEAM and technology, but it's much, much more. Let's start from the beginning.
What is Design Thinking?
It is a methodology of thinking (so called by the researchers at Stanford University), a simultaneously analytical and creative approach to solving some problems.
“To design” in English actually means to plan: having defined a problem to be solved, the Design Thinking method defines the design and creation phases of a product or service that responds to that need . In other words, when we talk about DT, we mean a design process that leads to the resolution of a certain problem.
It might seem like a recently introduced English term, but Design Thinking actually has its roots in the long-standing culture of design. Even the great Bruno Munari in his book “One thing leads to another” theorized a creative process similar.
How does it work?
If we talk about process and method, we are talking about a system developed in different phases, which we could summarize like this:
Problem definition, analyzing each characteristic. In this phase, research, interviews, observations, data collection, etc. can be used.
Looking for ideas, or even brainstorming. The probable solutions are listed, discussing the possible applications, looking for innovative ideas suited to the context;
Concept development. Once the most suitable solution has been found, development begins, possibly producing a prototype and following up with various tests to verify its functionality;
Launch. Once the artifact/product/service has been designed and tested, it will be ready to finally be applied to the initial problem.
It is needless to mention the positive effects that this method entails: the enhancement of team work, positive comparison between peers, the importance of sharing and, more generally, effectiveness of a thoughtful and well-studied project.
DT should also not be considered as a linear process: once a solution has been found, we could always think about improving it, starting the process again and starting a virtuous circle! strong>
Project by the children of Fanti High School (Carpi)
Are there different models of Design Thinking?
It is not a rigorous method: there are various interesting concepts and reinterpretations.
One is that of the Launch Cycle, created by John Spencer: it is a student-friendly model, designed for the world of education and training. It consists of 7 phases:
L: Look, Listen, and Learn
A: Ask Tons of Questions
U: Understanding the Process or Problem
N: Navigate Ideas
C: Create a Prototype
H: Highlight and Fix
Launch to an Audience
Image taken from John Spencer's blog
Boys and girls are therefore invited first of all to observe, listen and investigate a problem, analyzing it in all its aspects, carrying out research, interviews, learning as much as possible about the context in which they will intervene , before starting the search for possible solutions, comparing and analyzing the consequences. Subsequently they will be able to move on to the creation of a prototype (a drawing, a digital presentation, an engineering project), carrying out tests and recording successes and failures, aware of the fact that “every mistake brings them closer to the solution”.
Also Mitch Resnick from the MIT Media Lab (do you remember him? We talked about him last week in the article on LCL!) has theorized a model - the spiral of creative learning - in his book “Lifelong Kindergarden” : in this case learning is conceived as a spiral, a virtuous circle of play and fun that encourages innovation and aims for constant improvement.
Here the phases are imagine, create, play, share and reflect, start imagining again. The concept is the same: given a problem or a question, the probable solutions are explored, discussed, and attempted until a possible solution is developed, then starting again from the beginning, without forgetting the playful dimension and entertainment.
Image from the essay "All I Really Need to Know (About Creative Thinking)I Learned (By Studying How Children Learn) in Kindergarten" by Mitch Resnick
Design Thinking is all around us
DT therefore does not only concern the world of technology, on the contrary! Being a flexible method, a mental approach rather than a truly rigid pattern of behavior, today it is applied in the most varied fields: by engineers, designers, creatives, teachers, administrators. business managers make extensive use of it in their companies or start-ups before launching new products or services, but we can also think of applications in the world of toys: the Innovation Cycle by Little Bits is one of the most fitting examples.
Any concrete examples?
The Tata which last year involved students of Fanti High School on a path to design and create some games< /span>. The initiative was part of the 2017 Game Festival and was part of the School-Work Alternation hours. For the occasion, boys and girls, coordinated by Tata, had created a video, created entirely with the green screen technique (we also talked about it here).
It was a beautiful and rewarding experience for everyone, complete with recognition: the project obtained third place in the competition “Stories of Alternation” of the Chamber of Commerce of Modena.
Once again teaching and technology have met with memorable results!
If you are curious enough, you can participate in Dr.'s upcoming course. Matteo Vignoli, of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, “Design Thinking for project-based teaching” promoted by the Golinelli Foundation. By working on educational planning, the course aims to transmit the basics of Design Thinking and creative learning, providing useful tools for their application.
Happy planning! :)