Design Thinking Guest Lecture

Design Thinking

A human-centered philosophy and set of tools that help solve problems

• unlock creativity by putting human needs at the center of the innovation process

• achieve this through empathy, collaboration, and experimentation

• focus on the desirability, feasibility, and viability of solutions

Design Thinking Phases

A nonlinear process

Empathize: stakeholder and systems’ mapping, stakeholder interviews, empathy

• problem tree

• empathy map

• needs assessment

Define: synthesizing themes, problem statement

• problem statement

Ideate: brainstorm, brain write

• brainstorm

Prototype: inexpensive, scale-down, rough and ready versions of the solution

• paper info sheet

• wireframe mockup

Test: quick surveys, “Hallway” test, solution interviews, solution experiments, multi-audience feedback loops

• interviews

• behavioral test

Example; Sleep Problems in Autistic Teens

Empathize: focus group with autistic teens and their primary caregivers

Define: problem statement—sleep problems are common in autistic teens, affecting their functioning, emotion, and family well-being. Current sleep therapies overlook their social interaction challenges, the need of structure/predictability, visual supports, and individualized communication and sensory needs.

Ideate: Co-create the Chatbot sleep intervention with autistic teens & caregivers, stakeholder advisory board and interdisciplinary research team.

Prototype: Think aloud testing

Test: Clinical trial