Design thinking is a process which uses creativity and design to solve complex problems. It can be applied to any situation; this article focuses on the classroom. We’ll discuss 3 design principles to help you with creating a conducive environment for teaching design thinking!
Build Empathy
The first design principle is empathy. Empathy undergirds the process of inventing and designing products or services for others. In order to create a good product or service, the ability to empathise and see from someone else’s perspective is vital.
Reading stories and exposing children to current affairs can serve as great platforms for discussion about problems that others may face. During these sessions, you can guide children to stand in the shoes of others and encourage empathy. The more they get to see from another person’s perspective, the better they become at practicing empathy.
Encourage Iteration
The second design principle is iteration. Iteration is doing something again and again until you get it right. In design thinking, this means making multiple changes to improve your design.
This can be a difficult concept for children to understand because they might not want to keep working on something if they don’t like the results. Provide opportunities for children to come up with different designs and make comparisons between the different versions. This will show them that there’s always room for improvement even if, at first, something seems perfect.
Enhance Creativity
The third design principle is creativity. Creativity is the ability to think outside the box and come up with new and unique ideas. This is crucial in the ideation process when developing solutions to problems.
The good news is that children are extremely creative by nature! Provide art supplies or different mediums for children to express themselves and unleash their creativity. Another fun way to get students thinking creatively is to have them invent something out of unexpected materials.
These guiding principles won’t just make for a conducive environment to teach design thinking. When practised in the classroom, these design principles will enable children to develop empathy for others, foster a growth mindset, and encourage creativity. These are all valuable life skills that will serve them well in future endeavours!
