Professional Design #2

Design Thinking Meets the ADDIE Model

Design Intent and Context: 

The purpose of this design is to visually integrate the Design thinking process with the structure of the ADDIE model, highlighting how the two models can complement each other in the development of the learner-centered experiences. This visual shows how an Instructional Designer doesn’t have to choose one model over another model. It shows that empathy, iteration, and user-feedback, from Design thinking, can be woven into the structured systematic approach of ADDIE. The message it conveys is that innovation and structure are not mutually exclusive - they can and should work together. 

The target audience for this design includes instructional designers, learning experience designers,  faculty developers, and educators who are familiar with one of both of these models but may not have considered how they intersect. This graphic can be used in professional development workshops, design planning meetings, or as a reference in instructional design toolkits. This design could serve as a bridge between creative and analytic approaches to course development. 

Reflection and Analysis: 

During the design process one of my challenges was figuring out a way to align the stages of both models in a way that was visually balanced and intuitive to the learner. The stages of the Design thinking process are iterative and fluid while ADDIE is linear and structured. To overcome this, I used a flow chart format that visually connects the corresponding stages (e.g., Empathize with Analyze and Ideate with Develop), while maintaining the integrity of each model. A success was the clarity of the final layout which makes the relationship between the stages easy to understand at a glance. 

I used a template that applied the design principles such as alignment, repetition, and contrast, to organize the content and guide the viewer’s eye. The models were visually placed in two columns with the Design thinking stages on the left and the ADDIE stages on the right in each pair. Additionally, the arrows show flow between the pairs and onto the next stage. These design principles make the chart both informative and visually engaging. This process reinforced the importance of storytelling in instructional design and deepened my understanding of how to synthesize multiple frameworks into one cohesive learning tool.