Experience that inspires Me to Explore Possibilities in Life, be it Small or Big. 

What was this experience about? 

I started this Introduction to Design Thinking course in July 2023 in Aarhus University located in Denmark. The design thinking model we applied was the Stanford 5 Steps Design Thinking model, which starts from empathise, define, ideate, prototype and lastly, test. Throughout the 3-week course, the main learning point was to apply this model into real life scenario. 

During classes, we used case study and actual workplace issues shared by the guest speakers to apply this model and brainstorm solutions. Besides, we had three assignments - one individual, one pair and one group assignments. All assignments are designed for us to apply the Stanford Design Thinking Model and be creative in resolving issues in real life. 

In the class, we had about half of the classmates were international students coming from different countries (e.g., Australia, Canada, Netherlands, the US, Turkey, Hungary etc.). During class, I can absorb different perspectives and different mindsets that my classmates had. 

In term of social aspect, I got to interact with different classmates to learn more about their countries and cultures. I also observed that students coming from different countries with different cultures can affect their personalities and workstyles. Some can be vocal while some can be more reserved.  

Thoughts about this Experience (Reflection)

I truly appreciate this opportunity to participate in this OSS program in Aarhus University. In this journey, a few important learning points are:  

1. During brainstorming, do not judge any solutions anyone has think of. Just think as much as possible, be it silly, simple, reasonable, or weird. Write all of them down. Unsuitable ideas will be phased out eventually as we progress. Don't let existing beliefs, knowledge or judgment stop any possibility. 

2. Don't stop at the surface of the problem, find out the actual reason of the problem. For example, I think my problem is I feel tired easily. Solutions are to sleep more and get more rest. If I go deeper into the problem, I should ask more "Why" questions. Why am I feeling more tired? Is it I don't have enough sleeping time? Is it I have been too drained due to the busy schedule? The main idea is there can be more context under the surface. Exploration and think deeper. 

3. Design thinking is about People. Whenever we are trying to resolve a problem, we should go about how would this benefit the users, instead of how to make this product/service better.  

This experience has inspired me to be brave and think out of the box to resolve problem. I think this is very important lesson in the time to come, especially with AI and machine learning, we will need to be more creative and bold to imagine how the new world will look like. 

Besides, this experience has heighten my levels of culture understanding and given me chances to practices adaptability to blend into the local Danish culture. 

What is Next? 

With a broader global perspective I have gained from this experience, I can now approach challenges with a broader perspective which is no longer confined to local norms, but enriched by the ingenuity and cultural nuances I encountered from my classmates around the world. I envision myself to be able to work in multinational environment that appreciates diversity and inclusivity.