Welcome to Day 2!
Welcome to Day 2!
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It’s Day 2 of our Difference Makers Engineering Camp and we’re going to explore the Design Thinking process more and practice on a few new projects.
It’s Day 2 of our Difference Makers Engineering Camp and we’re going to explore the Design Thinking process more and practice on a few new projects.
Today, we’ll explore:
Today, we’ll explore:
- More on design thinking
- Brainstorming effectively
- Practice interviewing clients and designing to serve their needs
- Design iterations
Getting Started
Getting Started
Interview with a STEM Professional
Interview with a STEM Professional
Meet Dr. Tipton
Meet Dr. Tipton
Dr. Tipton is a Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tulsa.
Steven Tipton is a recognized expert in mechanical design, with emphasis in the areas of multiaxial fatigue and plasticity design and analysis and coiled tubing mechanics. He is an active industry consultant and holder of 9 US patents. He is the director of the University of Tulsa Coiled Tubing Mechanics Research Consortium.
Design Thinking
Design Thinking
Sourced from Sprouts: https://youtu.be/_r0VX-aU_T8
Design Thinking is a 5-step process to come up with meaningful ideas that solve real problems for a particular group of people. The process is taught in top design and business schools around the world. It has brought many businesses lots of happy customers and helped entrepreneurs from all around the world, to solve problems with innovative new solutions.
Design Thinking is a 5-step process to come up with meaningful ideas that solve real problems for a particular group of people.
Step 1: Empathize
Step 1: Empathize
The purpose of step one is to conduct interviews that give you an idea about what people really care about. We need to empathize with their situation.
The purpose of step one is to conduct interviews that give you an idea about what people really care about. We need to empathize with their situation.
For example, if you want to help elderly people, you might find that they want to stay active. In your conversations, they might share with you different ways they can do that. Later into the interview you'll want to dig a little deeper, look for personal stories or situations where things become difficult. Ideally, you redo the process with many people with the same problem.
For example, if you want to help elderly people, you might find that they want to stay active. In your conversations, they might share with you different ways they can do that. Later into the interview you'll want to dig a little deeper, look for personal stories or situations where things become difficult. Ideally, you redo the process with many people with the same problem.
Step 2: Define the Problem
Step 2: Define the Problem
Looking at the interviews, you can now understand the actual needs that people are trying to fulfill with certain activities. One way to do that is to underline the verbs or activities that the people mentioned when talking about their problems: like going for a walk, meeting old friends for tea, or simply going grocery shopping around the corner store. You might realize it's not so much about going out, but more about staying in touch. After your analysis, formulate a problem statement: “Some elderly are afraid to be lonely. They want to stay connected.”
Looking at the interviews, you can now understand the actual needs that people are trying to fulfill with certain activities. One way to do that is to underline the verbs or activities that the people mentioned when talking about their problems: like going for a walk, meeting old friends for tea, or simply going grocery shopping around the corner store. You might realize it's not so much about going out, but more about staying in touch. After your analysis, formulate a problem statement: “Some elderly are afraid to be lonely. They want to stay connected.”
Step 3: Ideate
Step 3: Ideate
Now focus only on the problem statement and come up with ideas that solve the problem. The point is not to get a perfect idea, but rather to come up with as many ideas: like unique virtual reality experiences, senior friendly hover boards or a modified pushcart. Whatever it is, sketch up your best ideas and show them to the people you are trying to help, so you get their feedback.
Now focus only on the problem statement and come up with ideas that solve the problem. The point is not to get a perfect idea, but rather to come up with as many ideas: like unique virtual reality experiences, senior friendly hover boards or a modified pushcart. Whatever it is, sketch up your best ideas and show them to the people you are trying to help, so you get their feedback.
Step 4: Prototype
Step 4: Prototype
Now take a moment to reflect on what you have learned from your conversations about the different ideas. Ask yourself, how does your idea fit in the context of people's actual lives. Your solution could be a combination of a new idea and what is already being used. Then connect the dots, sketch up your final solution and go build a real prototype that's just good enough to be tested
Now take a moment to reflect on what you have learned from your conversations about the different ideas. Ask yourself, how does your idea fit in the context of people's actual lives. Your solution could be a combination of a new idea and what is already being used. Then connect the dots, sketch up your final solution and go build a real prototype that's just good enough to be tested
Step 5: Test
Step 5: Test
Now test your prototype with actual users. Don't defend your idea in case people don't like it, the point is to learn what works and what didn't, so any feedback is great. Then go back to ideation or prototyping and apply your learning. Repeat the process until you have a prototype that works and solves the real problem. Now you are ready to change the world or open shop.
Now test your prototype with actual users. Don't defend your idea in case people don't like it, the point is to learn what works and what didn't, so any feedback is great. Then go back to ideation or prototyping and apply your learning. Repeat the process until you have a prototype that works and solves the real problem. Now you are ready to change the world or open shop.
Mind Mapping & Brainstorming
Mind Mapping & Brainstorming
Sourced from University of South Australia: https://www.unisa.edu.au/
Brainstorming is a key component to a successful solution. While it’s easy for us to come up with one or two ideas that would work, we create our best solutions when we think of ALL the possibilities.
Brainstorming is a key component to a successful solution. While it’s easy for us to come up with one or two ideas that would work, we create our best solutions when we think of ALL the possibilities.
Mind mapping and brainstorming are techniques that engineering designers use to generate, express and organize ideas.
Mind mapping and brainstorming are techniques that engineering designers use to generate, express and organize ideas.
Brainstorming is simply thinking aloud and suggesting as many ideas as possible, no matter how mad they seem, without analyzing or criticizing them. Mind mapping is a way to get all of the ideas in your head down onto paper - a visual representation of your ideas consisting of words, images and colors, and can help you to:
Brainstorming is simply thinking aloud and suggesting as many ideas as possible, no matter how mad they seem, without analyzing or criticizing them. Mind mapping is a way to get all of the ideas in your head down onto paper - a visual representation of your ideas consisting of words, images and colors, and can help you to:
- focus on your research topic/question
- structure and plan your assignment
- combine one or more types of major thought relationships
- identify relationships between ideas/concepts.
Step 1:
Step 1:
You can create a mind map on paper, whiteboard or digitally, using visual mapping software such as FreeMind. To begin:
You can create a mind map on paper, whiteboard or digitally, using visual mapping software such as FreeMind. To begin:
- write your topic in the center of a blank page
- associate your ideas freely anywhere on the page and do not filter out ideas.
Step 2:
Step 2:
When you have run out of ideas:
When you have run out of ideas:
- consider each item and determine how this point is related to other points and to your topic
- map relationships with lines, arrows, colours, images and bold type.
Step 3:
Step 3:
Use the relationships you have identified to reorganize your ideas.
Use the relationships you have identified to reorganize your ideas.
Brainstorming and Brainwriting with Dr. Tipton
Brainstorming and Brainwriting with Dr. Tipton
Dr. Steven Tipton is a distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Tulsa. Watch this video to learn how to generate ideas via brainstorming and brainwriting!
Brainstorming is the simultaneous oral generation of ideas. Brainwriting is the simultaneous written generation of ideas.
STEM@Home Challenge: Interview a Client
STEM@Home Challenge: Interview a Client
Sourced from the Institute of Design at Stanford
Instead of just telling you about design thinking, we want to immediately have you jump right in and experience it for yourself.
Instead of just telling you about design thinking, we want to immediately have you jump right in and experience it for yourself.
We are going to do a design project for about the next hour. This is going to feel rushed; that’s okay. Roll up your sleeves and really lean into the project. Ready? Let’s go!
We are going to do a design project for about the next hour. This is going to feel rushed; that’s okay. Roll up your sleeves and really lean into the project. Ready? Let’s go!
Materials Needed:
Materials Needed:
- Pencil
- Paper
- Client to interview - This could be a family member or friend
- Various prototyping materials
Instructions:
Instructions:
- Use the Gift Giving Worksheets (linked above) to redefine the gift giving experience with a client/partner. These pages will help guide you through interviewing, identifying, defining, ideating, prototyping and testing something meaningful for your client.
- It suggests switching roles, but you don’t have to do that unless both parties would like to participate fully.
- We recommend that you take a break between Interview 1 & 2 to reflect and think of more questions to ask.
Create! No-Sew Mask Tutorial
Create! No-Sew Mask Tutorial
Start creating! This tutorial will walk you through how to create a no-sew face mask.
STEM Challenge: 5 Chair Design Competition
STEM Challenge: 5 Chair Design Competition
Sourced from the Institute of Design at Stanford
The 5 Chairs activity encourages students to design models of chairs based on design principles they pull from user profiles. Students get to put into practice design iteration and using different materials.
The 5 Chairs activity encourages students to design models of chairs based on design principles they pull from user profiles. Students get to put into practice design iteration and using different materials.
Materials Needed:
Materials Needed:
- Client Descriptions
- Colored Pencils
- Paper
- Scissors
- Corrugated Cardboard
- Pipe Cleaners
- Modeling Clay
- Tape
- Toothpicks
Instructions:
Instructions:
- Review the Simpsons clients, select one and understand your client’s needs.
- Write down two needs you plan to incorporate into the design of your chairs.
- One more design principle: your chairs have to reflect your own style as a designer; your goal is to create something delightful/cool for your user.
- We are going to build 5 iterations of your design using different materials:
- Draw a Chair (3 minutes) - Using the provided colored pencils, draw three sketches of a chair on a piece of paper.
- Cut a Chair (5 minutes) - Using ONLY your scissors, a sheet of corrugated cardboard, and tape, make a standing representation of your chair
- Bend a Chair (4 minutes) - Using as many or as few of the provided pipe cleaners, make an expression of your chair.
- Mold a Chair (5 minutes) - Using the provided clay, make a model of your chair.
- Assemble a Chair (5 minutes) - Using tape and toothpicks, build your chair.
Reflection
Reflection
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