Thesis Introduction

“I realized that my engineering activities would not allow me to get as close to the product, to the human and customer processes, as I needed to be…I found I could not be taken seriously…without a design background.” — said by Eloi Bauboux, France, 1998.

Design has long been regarded as a technical craft that is primarily learned through working apprenticeships or in studio classes of undergraduate design programs. However design is about more than just hand and computer skills, it also involves solving real-word communication problems through a process of creative thinking. It is this overlooked aspect of design that is in great demand due to the rapid outsourcing of traditional design skills to India and China and the growing need for private companies to find new and innovative ways to connect with consumers. For these reasons and more, Design Thinking should and must be an essential part of all undergraduate design curriculums. Without it design students are merely a pair of hands and are not inspired and taught to be thinkers who can help develop strategy, find new applications for client’s products and compete effectively in the marketplace.

So Design Thinking is a process of research, analysis, planning and experimentation which is imperative to the creative development of students. They must learn that design is no longer only about choosing the right typeface or knowing the latest photoshop trick, but rather an impassioned curiosity about the world and an investigative empathy for how it works. That’s why business and design programs at Ivy-league colleges and universities like Stanford University and Rotman School of Manangement at Toronto University have latched onto design thinking as a new multidisciplinary approach to solving problems—a catalyst for innovation. This is exactly what all undergraduate design schools should be teaching and what will be defined, compared, contrasted, and proposed in the following pages.

Books about Design Thinking, Creative Exercises and Design Education

Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield

Creative Sparks: An Index of 150+ Concepts, Images and Exercises to Ignite Your Design Ingenuity by Jim Krause

The Education of a Graphic Designer by Steven Heller

Teaching Graphic Design: Course Offerings and Class Projects from the Leading Graduate and Undergraduate Programs by Steven Heller

Problem Solved by Michael Johnson

Graphic Design: A Career Guide

http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/guide-careerguide

Design Thinking

Design thinking is a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues that looks for an improved future result.[1] Unlike analytical thinking, design thinking is a creative process based around the "building up" of ideas. There are no judgments in design thinking. This eliminates the fear of failure and encourages maximum input and participation. Outside the box thinking is encouraged in this process since this can often lead to creative solutions.

Design process

The design thinking process has seven stages: define, research, ideate, prototype, choose, implement, and learn.[1] Within these seven steps, problems can be framed, the right questions can be asked, more ideas can be created, and the best answers can be chosen. The steps aren't linear; they can occur simultaneously and can be repeated.

Although design is always subject to personal taste, design thinkers share a common set of values that drive innovation: these values are mainly creativity, ambidextrous thinking, teamwork, end-user focus, curiosity. There is considerable academic interest in understanding design thinking or design cognition, including an ongoing series of symposia on research in design thinking.[2]

Define

* Decide what issue you are trying to resolve.
* Agree on who the audience is.
* Prioritize this project in terms of urgency.
* Determine what will make this project successful.
* Establish a glossary of terms.

Research

* Review the history of the issue; remember any existing obstacles.
* Collect examples of other attempts to solve the same issue.
* Note the project supporters, investors, and critics.
* Talk to your end-users, that brings you the most fruitful ideas for later design
* Take into account thought leaders opinion

Ideate

* Identify the needs and motivations of your end-users.
* Generate as many ideas as possible to serve these identified needs
* Log your brainstorming session.
* Do not judge or debate ideas.
* During brainstorming, have one conversation at a time

Prototype

* Combine, expand, and refine ideas.
* Create multiple drafts.
* Seek feedback from a diverse group of people, include your end users.
* Present a selection of ideas to the client.
* Reserve judgment and maintain neutrality.

Choose

* Review the objective.
* Set aside emotion and ownership of ideas.
* Remember: the most practical solution isn't always the best.
* Select the powerful ideas.

Implement

* Assign tasks.
* Execute.
* Deliver to client.

Learn

* Gather feedback from the consumer.
* Determine if the solution met its goals.
* Discuss what could be improved.
* Measure success; collect data.
* Document.

Outline: Take 2

Introduction

1. Design Education
• Definition
• Design Concepts and Processes
• History (Past & Present)

2. Design Thinking and Why It's Needed
• Definition
• Techniques (Brainstorming, critical and lateral thinking etc.)
• Application (Problem Solving)
• Reasons Why It’s Needed (Automation, Commoditization, Globalization etc.)

3. The Role of Design Thinking in Design Education and What the future holds
• Design Programs
• Leading Opinions on Design Education (John Maeda (RISD), Roger Martin (Rotam School of Management), Tim Brown (IDEO) etc.)
• The Future of Design Thinking (e.g. T-shaped Skills, Right Brain Thinking and The 6 Senses (Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning)

4. Design Thinking: A Proposed Curriculum
• Theories and Principles
• Assumptions
• Gaols and Objectives
• Strategies
• Instruction Materials
• Time Frame
• Accountability

Conclusion

Outline:

Introduction

1. Design Education
• Definition
• Design Concepts and Processes
• History (Past & Present)

2. Design Thinking
• Definition
• Techniques (Brainstorming, critical and lateral thinking etc.)
• Application (Problem Solving)

3. The Need for Design Thinking
• Automation (Computer Technology)
• Commoditization
• Globalization (Outsourcing)

4. The Role of Design Thinking in Design Education
• Design Programs
• John Maeda (RISD)
• Roger Martin (Rotam School of Management)
• Tim Brown (IDEO)

5. The Future of Design Education
• T-shaped Skills
• Right Brain Thinking
• The 6 Senses (Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning)

Conclusion

Hypothesis

Design Thinking: It's Value, Use and Need in Undergraduate Education

In the past undergraduate design education mainly focused on four or five basic principles of design: composition, typography, form, color, and drawing. These were then imprinted into your personality with the intent to help you communicate messages and ideas and eventually become a professional designer.

But with the emergence of the information age and computer technology, came commoditization and outsourcing. As a result the technical skill set of designers were no longer highly valued. What was once a commodity, was so easily replaced with a cheaper source of labor.

Therefore design education had to evolve from just being a practical form of learning into a more conceptual and analytical process of problem solving. This has opened the door for design students to become more than just skilled craftsmen and technicians but also multi-dimensional design thinkers.

In the future there will be a growing need for such design thinking and the design students who practice it. Because corporate companies will be looking for talented individuals who are empathetic, can tell a story, create and give meaning to their products while connecting to the consumer.