WEEK 4: INCLUSIVE DESIGN Online Instruction
TOOLS for Practicing Design Thinking and
Conducting Human-Centered Design Research
WELCOME! This week we are going to explore the tools and process designers use to identify problems and solve those problems with inclusive design solutions including design thinking and human centered design research methods.
Just follow the readings and videos on this page in sequence to complete our fourth week of online instruction. Working through these resources will prepare for you an engaging small group online discussion.
Just follow the readings and videos on this page in sequence to complete our fourth week of online instruction. Working through these resources will prepare for you an engaging small group online discussion.
A couple of weeks ago, you read or listened to the first chapter in the book The Way to Design, by author, designer and entrepreneur Steve Vassallo.
As we work through the material this week try to recall how Vassallo talked about how design has evolved and the changing role and importance of the designer in society. “In recent years, design has become as indispensable to modern businesses as technology. Companies, especially startups, ignore it at their peril.
At the same time, the very concept of design has evolved. In a world in which you can build anything, design can no longer be confined to the making of pretty surfaces and objects. Design is a process for seeking out the right problems to solve and how to solve them. And the burden now for designers and entrepreneurs is understanding whether something is worth building at all.”
This week we’re going to explore Design Thinking and and Human-Centered Design Research Methods. Both are human-centered processes and methodologies designers use to identify and solve problems, often resulting in disruptive innovation and creating positive change in the world including producing more inclusive designs.
As we work through the material this week try to recall how Vassallo talked about how design has evolved and the changing role and importance of the designer in society. “In recent years, design has become as indispensable to modern businesses as technology. Companies, especially startups, ignore it at their peril.
At the same time, the very concept of design has evolved. In a world in which you can build anything, design can no longer be confined to the making of pretty surfaces and objects. Design is a process for seeking out the right problems to solve and how to solve them. And the burden now for designers and entrepreneurs is understanding whether something is worth building at all.”
This week we’re going to explore Design Thinking and and Human-Centered Design Research Methods. Both are human-centered processes and methodologies designers use to identify and solve problems, often resulting in disruptive innovation and creating positive change in the world including producing more inclusive designs.
1. Let's Get Started
Understanding the Design Thinking Process
Design Thinking is a design methodology that provides a solution-based approach to creativity and innovation, and is really useful for tackling problems that aren’t well-defined, or may be completely unknown. Let's start by watching a short video that will help us to understand the design thinking process before we dive into some examples of design thinking in action.
Click the button below to watch the video, narrated by yours truly.
Click the button below to watch the video, narrated by yours truly.
Review of Video Key Takeaways
Understanding the five stages of Design Thinking will empower anyone to apply the Design Thinking method in order to solve societal problems that occur around us.
The five stages of Design Thinking process include
The five stages of Design Thinking process include
- Empathize
- Define (the problem)
- Ideate
- Prototype
- Test
2. Human-Centered Design for Innovation with the LUMA Institute
Next let's explore how we can solve problems faster and better through human-centered design.
The LUMA, Institute believes any individual, team and organization has the potential to innovate, but may not know how. So they created the LUMA System of Innovation, a flexible, easy-to-learn and repeatable framework of Human-Centered Design that anyone can learn to be more innovative and make things better.
This short video provides a great introduction to human-centered design, and will define and explain the process and how to apply the process for effective inclusive design solutions.
The LUMA, Institute believes any individual, team and organization has the potential to innovate, but may not know how. So they created the LUMA System of Innovation, a flexible, easy-to-learn and repeatable framework of Human-Centered Design that anyone can learn to be more innovative and make things better.
This short video provides a great introduction to human-centered design, and will define and explain the process and how to apply the process for effective inclusive design solutions.
Review of Video Key Takeaways
LUMA created a unique and practical framework and a different way of working, that empowers everyone to solve problems faster, with better results called the LUMA System of Innovation.
It starts with a deeply held belief that any individual, team or organization can be innovative, they just might not know how.
So they built an easy-to-learn, flexible and repeatable system around three key design skills:
When people are Looking, Understanding and Making, they can quickly frame problems, gain meaningful insights, align on priorities and produce solutions that work.
It starts with a deeply held belief that any individual, team or organization can be innovative, they just might not know how.
So they built an easy-to-learn, flexible and repeatable system around three key design skills:
- Looking, where we observe the human experience;
- Understanding, when we analyze problems and opportunities; and
- Making, how we envision future possibilities.
When people are Looking, Understanding and Making, they can quickly frame problems, gain meaningful insights, align on priorities and produce solutions that work.
In the following slideshow we'll dig a little deeper into defining human-centered design and the three key design skills.
2. Human-Centered Design Research & Process In Action
In the next two videos we're going to see the human-centered design process in action. The first video is a clip from a full length documentary titled Objectified. The clip focuses on an innovative design firm named Smart Design. The following is a quote from the documentary.
"The way we think of design is let's put great design into everyday things and understand how to make these gadgets perform better and that's what we are really always looking for whenever we design, are ways we can improve the way people do things or improve their daily life without them ever really knowing about it or thinking about it."
This video excerpt focuses on a classic inclusive design case study for OXO Good Grips. Pay close attention to the process the designers work through as they design for the OXO line of products. This will help you in discussion and your journal reflection this week.
"The way we think of design is let's put great design into everyday things and understand how to make these gadgets perform better and that's what we are really always looking for whenever we design, are ways we can improve the way people do things or improve their daily life without them ever really knowing about it or thinking about it."
This video excerpt focuses on a classic inclusive design case study for OXO Good Grips. Pay close attention to the process the designers work through as they design for the OXO line of products. This will help you in discussion and your journal reflection this week.
Smart Design OXO Good Grips Story
After watching the video, read two case studies from Smart Design Worldwide. You can access readings by clicking on the buttons below.
Design Thinking at IDEO
In this next video we are going to watch another design challenge. This challenge was given to another great product design firm named IDEO. IDEO is a global design company committed to creative positive impact through design. From designing the first manufacturable mouse for Apple to advancing the practice of human-centered design, IDEO has long been at the forefront of creating change through design.
The team at IDEO was given the challenge to redesign the shopping cart.
Again, pay close attention the collaborative process the team goes through to redesign the shopping cart and how important human-centered design research is in the process.
The team at IDEO was given the challenge to redesign the shopping cart.
Again, pay close attention the collaborative process the team goes through to redesign the shopping cart and how important human-centered design research is in the process.
IDEO | The Deep Dive
> Small Group Online Discussion Instructions
Now that we have explored design thinking and human-centered design research methods and have seen them in action at IDEO and Smart Design. It's your turn to practice this week in you small group online discussion groups. Dive deep and have fun with your toaster design. Come up with "wild" ideas that challenge the status quo.
Group Online Discussion: Toaster Redesign
For this discussion you are going to apply the design thinking process and human-centered design research methodology to consider the redesign of the commonly used standard kitchen appliance, the TOASTER.
To start your discussion, each member of your group should consider the following questions:
In an effort to do that, consider these questions as you continue your discussion:
To start your discussion, each member of your group should consider the following questions:
- What is required to use this object or space?
- Based on the requirements of the space, who is being excluded?
- What are the assumptions/mental models that lead these exclusions?
In an effort to do that, consider these questions as you continue your discussion:
- How might you include accessibility from the beginning of product development?
- How might you build empathy amongst designers, content strategists, researchers and engineers so that they think about creating accessible products with every mock up and every string of code?
