Teaching critical design thinking

I teach the 2nd, 3rd year students and accompany the 4th year graduation projects. My focus lies on tutoring and supervising of projects from the conceptualisation to implementation.

The lessons and activities are build on the five steps of design thinking:

Empatize

  • Visualising own design process. Considering the phasing of the projects, what will be done and when, and deadline of project presentation.
  • Instruction and tutorial: how to observe a user
  • Tutoring of research and observation
  • Visualising and documenting research
  • Workshop assignments to stimulate creative thinking and image making

Define, Ideate, prototype

  • Analysing theoretical and visual research
  • Defining and writing design research question
  • Visualising of ideas and concepts
  • Evaluating ideas and draft designs
  • Prototyping

Test and implement

  • Instructions and tutorial: how to organise a user test
  • Analysing of test outcomes
  • Finalisation of design