Best Exercises To Develop Design Thinking

Imagine the situation: you are faced with the task of finding a job. And at this moment, a lot of questions arise in your head: “Where to start? Where to run? And who do I want to work in general? You write a resume , register on a job search site , monitor offers, go to interviews, and here it is, the long-awaited moment, a call from the employer: “You are accepted!” Congratulations! Your design thinking has led you to your cherished goal.

Our every day consists of small and large projects: to do homework, go shopping, hold a meeting. Of course, you can live the day intuitively, but this is definitely not the most reasonable option. Today we will tell you why design thinking is the basis of the success of a modern person and how to develop it.

What Is Design Thinking?

A project is a question, a task that needs to be solved in conditions of limited resources. For example, a student understands that there are two days left before the exam, but he is not ready. Passing the exam with excellent marks is his project, or rather the problem . The very concept of “problem” implies a discrepancy between expectations and reality (the student wants to pass the exam, but in fact he has not even sat down at the textbooks yet). Of course, one can rely on luck and the magical power of the Universe, but why, if there is a much more reliable option: to connect design thinking to the solution of the issue.

Design thinking is the ability to clearly define a problem and find ways to solve it in a resource-limited environment. It breaks the issue into separate tasks, looking for inconsistencies and interconnections between them. Design thinking consists not only in thinking itself , but also in certain actions. With the help of modeling, drawing up diagrams, visual images and discussions, experiments are carried out, actions are taken that help find the root of the problem and solve it .

It is possible to learn design thinking, but for this you need to practice a lot and repeat similar steps from time to time. It's like learning to play a musical instrument: you can read manuals for years and listen to the works of other musicians, or you can get a guitar and rub your fingertips on the strings every day, doing the same lesson until perfection is achieved.

Design thinking is a skill that everyone needs, and in some areas of activity it is a mandatory professional tool, for example, in technical fields. It helps not only to solve the problem, but also to predict the outcome of actions, to prevent the recurrence of the situation in the future. Let's say you went to an important meeting and realized that you left your tablet at home, and with it your work, which you were supposed to present to the customer. And here you have several options to solve the problem: ask the household to send the tablet over, or warn the customer that you are late , because you have decided to return home.

The options for the development of events have been determined, now it remains to do so, so as not to fall into a similar story again: set a reminder on your phone, put the tablet in your bag in the evening, save documents in the Cloud so that you can use it from any device.

Now that we have a rough understanding of how design thinking works, let's look at the stages of its work in detail:

• Problem Identification: The main task of the project is to solve the problem, it must be recognized first.
• Preparation: after the end point is defined and there is already an approximate model of the outcome of events in your head, you need to highlight the criteria that will serve as a “beacon” that the task is completed.
• Project development: at this stage, a deadline is set , an algorithm of actions is thought out and possible risks are calculated .
• Implementation: instructions for the implementation of the project in hand, now it's time to act . It is important to be as flexible as possible here because the course of events may change due to unforeseen circumstances.
• Control : each stage must be compared according to the plan / fact principle. This will help you make adjustments in time if something goes wrong.
• Summing up: at this stage, the initial goal is compared with the final result.

At first glance, it seems that being a designer is easy. But is it really so? Each approach to solving problems has its advantages and pitfalls, let's look at them in more detail.

On The Pros And Cons Of Design Thinking

The realities of today dictate that we have to act with limited resources and always be result-oriented. It is the project-oriented way of thinking that helps us cope with this. Thanks to it, we can achieve our goals in a short time without loss of quality, anticipate risks, quickly respond to them, and optimize the resources used.

Design thinking is aimed at finding the root of the problem and a rational solution, the implementation of which will require a minimum of effort. Another advantage of this approach is that it does not involve the mechanical execution of tasks, but most often requires the development of new skills and knowledge.

Despite weighty arguments “for”, the organization of project thinking, for example, in business has its own nuances. According to experts, the difficulties are due to individual limitations and corporate culture. Design thinking differs from those analytical methods that are used in most companies, primarily in that it requires the creation of prototypes, otherwise it is simply impossible to study the problem completely.

Another individual limitation is the lack of practice of such an approach. In fact, more often it turns out like this: a team is assembled from specialists who have not previously worked together. They are tasked with solving the problem using design thinking, but the mission fails because there is a division within the team: specialists who have something in common unite and are wary of those who use approaches that are unusual for them in their work. Training will help to avoid such situations, and you should start with small projects that will help build trust within the team and bring minds together.

A huge role in the effectiveness of project thinking is played by the culture of relationships within the organization. If the leader, unlike his team, is not interested in solving the problem in this way, or believes that this is a waste of time , because there are other priority issues, then the project may be derailed. In this case, you need to work on the level of interaction within the hierarchy. Former CEO and Executive Chairman of Procter & Gamble, Alan Lafley, had to part ways with almost half of the executives as their views on the culture of design thinking did not coincide, and they were not interested in developing design thinking in their activities .

As you can see, difficulties in applying design thinking technologies can arise if there was no proper training or there are certain problems within the team understanding their meaning. But this is easily solved. Self-education will be the best step towards solving this issue, because changing the system begins with changing oneself. Take a look at our article What Are Cognitive Biases, And Why Do They Occur? You will learn about the 7 things to avoid when making decisions, which will help you reason logically and consistently, and find non-standard approaches to solving problems.

Technologies For The Development Of Design Thinking

Design thinking is not a kind of skill, which means that it is available to absolutely everyone. To do this, you need to learn how to manage yourself , people and plans. Self-management is a kind of pedagogy in relation to oneself. Having formed a project mindset, we can solve any problem using a minimum of resources.

Mark Forster, in his book Do It Tomorrow, divides projects into long-term and organizational ones. Long-term projects involve regular repetition of similar activities (for example, to learn a foreign language , you need to do several exercises every day, learn new words and practice speaking). Organizational projects consist of several different activities that lead to the same goal (for example, launching an online store).

The outcome of projects depends on the chosen approach. Most often, people divide things into important and urgent, giving preference to the latter. This leads to an accumulation of important tasks and constant hustle and bustle. The author of the book recommends rethinking the concept of "urgent business", implying that if you prioritize tasks that are urgent in their significance, and not because there is no time left to complete them, things will go much better.

Mark Forster identifies the following principles to help shape design thinking:

• Have a clear vision of your goal: the more clearly we imagine what we want to achieve in the end, the easier it is to realize our plans. Vision helps to focus and set boundaries for action.
• Do things in turn: rushing from one task to another is the worst approach to solving a problem. You should always have a clear plan of action and set the main rule: at any given time, work on only one task. This is especially important when performing routine tasks.
• Work a little, but often: It is not worth doing everything in one sitting, especially if it involves labor-intensive work. The human mind is most effective when it works in short periods, but often. So we get tired less , we have time to think, comprehend and compare our actions. It's like in sports: it is impossible to build muscle in one day, doing 12 hours. It will do more harm than good. And training for half an hour daily will give a visible result.
• Set boundaries: specifying the problem helps to use the imagination and find as many options as possible to solve the problem. If the problem is not being solved or things are moving too slowly, then most likely the reason lies in the vague boundaries.
• Keep closed lists: nothing can be added to such a to-do list, and, unlike an open list, it does not increase during the day, but decreases. The order of doing things from the general list does not matter, and the list itself is like a checklist , which helps to cope with the work without being distracted by adding additional tasks. To switch to closed lists, you need to isolate the accumulated blockage from new cases, organize a system for processing new tasks (you can divide cases into blocks and refuse cases that are not necessary), get rid of unresolved tasks, completing them gradually, and not all at once .

Project thinking is an excellent assistant to education, because getting a profession is also a project. In the process of learning the same mistake is often made: a person, just a little bit before reaching a certain peak , begins to think that he already knows everything and there is no point in reaching the end. Experts have called it the illusion of a climber who dreams of reaching the peak of the summit, but knocking down his feet, washing his shoes (in a word, gaining experience), a few steps before the goal decides to turn back, because he has already seen everything.

So he deprives himself of the opportunity to look at the stunning landscape and understand that behind this mountain, it turns out, there are even higher mountains, which can only be seen from the cherished peak. The learning process must also have a specific plan: divide your educational path into stages , find ways to get to each planned height.

As for managing people, in this case the main tool is delegation . If you're the type who thinks it's best to do everything yourself, you should learn to trust other people to do the work. Mark Forster recommends not postponing work, but delegating it as early as possible. Be specific in setting the task, divide the deadline into several intermediate blocks and at the same time leave a margin of time, for example, if the task needs to be done in 10 days, say that the performer has 7 days for it. Remind about the deadline before it comes and ask for reports right away once they are reached .

Delegate is worth it when it is more profitable than doing something yourself. It is possible to forego cooking and order it in a restaurant, but this does not make sense if the cost of the order is higher than the time saved . The benefit depends on the competence of the performer, among other things, and this must also be taken into account.

Another component of project thinking is the ability to manage projects . By itself, this type of thinking implies a systematic approach, so here we are talking about building the very management system that will lead to the desired result. Dragon Dreaming is a project management technique, it is a worldwide network that brings people together depending on their goals and capabilities. The design process is based on a culture of triple win-win cooperation, and its outcome is a victory for everyone involved in the project, for the community and the Earth as a whole. This is how project management looks like, according to the concept:

According to the creators of Dragon Dreaming, project management begins with a dream , but, as practice shows, 90% of dreams never become a reality, because people do not share them and do not unite to realize them. The first step towards the realization of what was conceived is to share the dream and find a team that will help bring it to life. Then comes the planning and implementation stage, after which the team moves to action, and the final stage of the project is the celebration: the results are summed up, team members praise each other, single out the best, celebrate personal growth and the growth of the whole team.

Developing Design Thinking In Children

The formation of project thinking in children is one of the primary tasks of educational institutions. School years are undoubtedly wonderful, but it is during this period that students face their first problems, which they must learn to solve on their own.

Design thinking helps them:

• Analyze the issue;
• Understand its essence;
• Build the stages of solving the problem;
• Carry out these steps;
• Draw the right conclusions.

This approach helps to look at the problem not as something negative and unsolvable, but as a task that requires a systematic approach. Marina Bityanova, Ph.D. in Psychology, author of a course on the development of design thinking for fifth grade students, suggests studying an approach to solving problems in the form of metaphor and visual images , this way it will be easier for children to understand the essence of the issue.

The author identifies the following approaches to solving problem situations:

Problems are like a jigsaw puzzle: they consist of several separate pieces. The problem will be solved when each of its components is solved. This approach is used when the problem can be divided into semantic parts, this is especially convenient when working in groups. The task of children is to learn to identify them and find solutions.

Problems similar to layered jelly: you can solve this kind of problem by following a sequence of actions. It is imperative to follow the order of steps in this case. The task of children is to learn how to draw up an algorithm of actions and divide the stages into important and not important.

Snowflake problems: These problems can be solved in several ways. The task of the children is to identify ways to solve the problem, analyze them and choose the most suitable one.

Problems similar to the Olympic rings: they arise when people work "for themselves", pursuing their own interest and not helping each other. Such problems are rare today, the outcome of their solution depends on how well everyone has completed their tasks, and on the result of the work of the whole group. The task of children is to achieve their own success and help solve the problem of another.

Problems similar to the parable of the elephant: four blind men met an elephant for the first time. One of them touched the trunk and said: "The elephant is like a thick rope." Another claimed that he looked like a pole, feeling his leg. The third, touching the elephant's belly, said that it looked like a huge barrel, and the fourth, touching the ear, said that it looked like a mat. The meaning of the parable is simple: we all perceive words and actions differently, therefore, when solving the issue as a team, you need to be able to understand what each interlocutor means and come to a common denominator. The task of the children is to determine the meaning of the words and develop a common point of view in the dispute.

It takes practice to get children up to speed on the types of problems, to teach them design thinking, how to interact in a group , and how to make collective decisions. The author of the course suggests performing exercises , each of which is aimed at solving a certain type of problem:

"New Year in the Amazon Jungle"

This exercise helps to master the mosaic-type problem-solving method. According to the scenario, the researchers invited students to celebrate the holiday in a little-explored area of ​​the Amazon River basin. They waited for them there and hoped that the children will reach their destination on their own, taking with them all the essentials and preparing the program of the event. Game progress: students are divided into 3 groups to solve 3 different tasks: determine the route, understand what you need to take with you and make a holiday program.

Groups that decide on things and an action plan are provided with sheets of A3 paper, on which they will state the course of their thoughts, and the group that thinks over the route is given a map with a grid layout, where each 5 * 5 square is a one day long path . Children must decide which way they will choose to go to the destination.

Each group is given 15-20 minutes to complete the task, after which they present their project, and the audience ask clarifying questions and make their suggestions.

"Harvest"

This exercise helps children understand how to deal with "layered" problems. It is based on the Wechsler test . The essence of the task is as follows: students are provided with consecutive "Farmer" pictures , each of which must be designated by a letter of the alphabet.

The task of the children is to write a column of numbers according to the number of pictures and write a letter denoting the picture opposite each serial number. After that, the children tell why they matched the letters and numbers the way they did.

"Our class room"

The exercise introduces the "Snowflake" type of problems and helps to find different ways to solve them. Instruction: children are given the task to remake the office of their class at their discretion. But at the same time, there are certain conditions: there must be a training area and a recreation area, an equipped space for storing things and educational materials; in the room itself there should be a place for children, teachers, etc.

All conditions are posted on the board. Students are divided into several groups, each of which receives a sheet of paper with a schematic representation of the room, as well as felt-tip pens. They have 15-20 minutes to complete the task. Next, each group presents its own project, but the others should not comment or rate the presentation. Then a vote is held for the best project, and those who vote on the outcome of the exercise can justify their choice.

"Missed Date"

The exercise is aimed at working out a problem similar to the parable of the elephant. The facilitator reads the following text:

“Two friends decided to meet on the weekend and spend time together. They agreed to meet at a certain place at 9 o'clock. One of them came to the meeting place at 9 am and waited in vain for his friend for an hour. Worried, he called a friend and ... woke him up with his call!

Waking up, the friend said: "I thought we were meeting in ..." The children are invited to come up with their own answer on why the two friends did not manage to meet.

It is important at the end of the exercise to bring students to the conclusion that the heroes of the story understood the words in different ways, and this is typical of absolutely all people .

Project thinking develops a critical view of the situation: the child evaluates all options for the development of events, questioning each step and calculating the risks. Thanks to the collective project activity, children become more attentive to each other, learn to hear and listen , acquire social skills , develop their personal qualities. Also, this approach to work helps to improve the atmosphere in the team. As you can see, the role of design thinking is very important in the development of children as mature members of society and future professionals.

Conclusion

Be able to think projectively = be able to turn a task into a project activity. This is an approach to achieving goals that focuses on the result, not on the process, saves resources, develops additional personal and professional skills. Design thinking is used not only in design, construction, marketing and other professional fields, but also in everyday life, when we organize recreation, undergo training or just plan our day.

Design thinking is a combination of creative, systems and critical thinking that helps to create an image of the future and excludes abstract conclusions. The ability to consider a task as a project is important to develop at an early age, because this ability allows you to solve even the most non-standard tasks using various techniques and algorithms . This is one of the key skills of a successful leader and a professional in his field.

We wish you interesting tasks, and that all projects are implemented with pleasure!

And as always...

...many thanks for reading!