'We want to add to their lives, not take away...'

Abstract

[Extract] Design thinking is described as a 'human-centred innovation process that emphasizes observation, collaboration, fast learning, visualization of ideas, rapid concept prototyping, and concurrent business analysis, which ultimately influences innovation and business strategy' [1]. This process, best known in the academic environment from the school of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University and the University of Potsdam, has become increasingly popular in higher education. In addition to increasing attention at the higher education level, the Design Thinking Toolkit for Educators [3], released by the design and innovation consulting firm IDEO, intends to involve primary and secondary teachers and their students in this process towards creating a more desirable future. Design thinking is, however, mostly applied in universities at the postgraduate level, in order to foster innovative thinking and collaborative interdisciplinarity to 'effectively meet the demands of an increasingly complex world within which design is practiced' [4]. This could be due to the fact that undergraduate design programs typically focus on creating employable 'problem sowers' rather than 'solution finders'.