d-school Afrika Mindset Cards

The d-school Afrika Mindset cards are part of the Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika’s approach to embedding design-led thinking across diverse African contexts. They are designed as practical prompts and reflective tools that help learners and practitioners cultivate the attitudes necessary for design thinking, beyond just the methods and tools.

What the Mindset cards represent

• Mindsets as foundations: The cards emphasise that design thinking is not only about techniques but about cultivating ways of seeing, acting, and collaborating.

• Afrikan resonance: They adapt global design thinking principles to Afrikan realities, encouraging context-sensitive innovation that draws on local knowledge, cultural practices, and community values.

• Learning through doing: The cards are used in workshops and programmes to spark conversation, reflection, and experimentation. They help participants internalise values like empathy, curiosity, resilience, and co-creation.

How the Mindset cards are used

• Facilitation prompts: Each card highlights a mindset (e.g., “live the behaviour,” “play with possibilities,” “lead with curiosity”) with a short description and a uniquely Afrikan proverb.

• Discussion starters: In group settings, they encourage dialogue about how these mindsets apply to real challenges.

• Reflection tools: Individuals use them to check in on their own approach—whether they are open, iterative, and human-centered in their problem-solving.

Why the Mindset cards matter in Afrika

• The Mindset cards help bridge diverse disciplines and communities, aligning with d-school Afrika’s transdisciplinary ethos.

• They encourage solutions rooted in Afrikan contexts, rather than importing models wholesale.

• They foster capacity development, equipping students, professionals, and institutions to approach complex social and educational challenges with creativity and inclusivity.

• Click on a card from the mindset card deck below to reveal it

• Click on the revealed mindset card to view the reverse side which features a descriptive narrative of the mindset as well as a uniquely Afrikan proverb aligned to each mindset card

• Access your own copy of the printable d-school Afrika Mindset cards using the button above