This document introduces design thinking as a process that can help educators address challenges in new ways. It discusses the five phases of the design process - discovery, interpretation, ideation, experimentation, and evolution - which help move from identifying a problem to developing a solution. The process combines concrete problem solving with more abstract thinking, using techniques like observation, brainstorming, prototyping, and getting feedback from others. It is presented as a structured approach that applies skills educators already use in a new context to generate innovative ideas.

1. Design
Thinking for
Educators
Version One | April 2011

2. This toolkit can help you This toolkit offers you new
create solutions for every- ways to be intentional and
day challenges. collaborative when you are
designing. It hones your
It equips you with the pro- skills and empowers you to
cess and methods of design. create desirable solutions.
Businesses, social entrepre-
neurs and other innovators This is an invitation to
This is a have used them for decades
to create solutions for many
different types of challenges.
experiment with the design
process. Let it inspire you to
approach challenges differ-
Toolkit. In this toolkit, these methods
are adapted specifically for
ently and experience how
Design Thinking adds a new
For You.
educators, because as an edu- perspective to your work.
cator, you design every day.
You design your classroom,
you design curriculum, you
design learning environments
for your students, and you
design experiences and inter-
actions for your colleagues.
Having a process that In some ways, I have Design Thinking has I used to be quick to
brings people together always had elements made me look at our impose restrictions
to create more and of Design Thinking in curriculum in a whole on myself. I could
better ideas has been the way that I have new way. Incorporating easily convince myself
very valuable for us. worked and thought Design Thinking with why a project wouldn’t
about schools, but I Grant Wiggins’ Under- work before ever giv-
Karen, have had no real pro- standing by Design, ing it a chance. Since
Learning Specialist cess to validate some I can research deeper, I have been exposed
of my ideas. I was come up with more to Design Thinking,
looking for approaches ideas and prototype I have made a stron-
that combined the lessons. I have also ger effort to explore
logical rigor of study started to collect ideas. My students
in a traditional dis- feedback as inspira- have become part of
cipline with a more tion to come up with my research team. The
open and creative new lessons or to feedback they provide
approach to thinking. adapt a lesson plan has helped me create
Design Thinking offers for the next time. lessons that are more
a way of problem student-centered.
solving that is more Michael,
integrative of differ- 2nd Grade Teacher Patrick,
ent modes of thought. 3rd Grade Teacher
It validates some of
the things that teach-
ers already do, but
also gives the oppor-
tunity to revisit one’s
practice.
Dominic,
Head of School

3. Guide

4. DT for Ed | Guide | p. 4 The design process is what It’s a deeply human approach
puts Design Thinking into that relies on your ability
action. It’s a structured to be intuitive, to interpret
approach to generating and what you observe and to
evolving ideas. Its five phases develop ideas that are emo-
help navigate the develop- tionally meaningful to those
ment from identifying a you are designing for—all
design challenge to finding skills you are well versed in
The Design and building a solution. as an educator.
Process
PHASES
DISCOVERY INTERPRETATION IDEATION EXPERIMENTATION EVOLUTION
I have a challenge. I learned something. I see an opportunity. I have an idea. I tried something new.
How do I approach it? How do I interpret it? What do I create? How do I build it? How do I evolve it?
Discovery builds a solid Interpretation transforms Ideation means generat- Experimentation brings Evolution is the develop-
foundation for your ideas. your stories into mean- ing lots of ideas. Brain- your ideas to life. Building ment of your concept
Creating meaningful ingful insights. Observa- storming encourages you prototypes means making over time. It involves plan-
solutions for students, par- tions, field visits, or just a to think expansively ideas tangible, learning ning next steps, communi-
ents, teachers, colleagues simple conversation can and without constraints. while building them, and cating the idea to people
and administrators be great inspiration—but It’s often the wildest ideas sharing them with other who can help you realize
begins with a deep under- finding meaning in that that spark visionary people. Even with early it, and documenting the
standing for their needs. and turning it into action- thoughts. With careful and rough prototypes, process. Change often
Discovery means opening able opportunities for preparation and a clear you can receive a direct happens over time, and
up to new opportunities, design is not an easy task. set of rules, a brainstorm response and learn how reminders of even subtle
and getting inspired to It involves storytelling, session can yield hun- to further improve and signs of progress are
create new ideas. With the as well as sorting and dreds of fresh ideas. refine an idea. important.
right preparation, this can condensing thoughts until
be eye-opening and will you’ve found a compelling
give you a good under- point of view and clear
standing of your design direction for ideation.
challenge.

5. DT for Ed | Guide | p. 5 The design process may The design process therefore
seem very straightforward integrates various modes
at first glance, but there is of working: some steps are
one important aspect to more reflective, others are
understand: its real value hands-on, and some encour-
lies in the mix of tangible age interactions with people
problem solving and abstract outside of your team. To help
thinking. The very concrete you know what to expect,
One Thing observations of the first
phase are abstracted as you
define themes and insights.
the following indicators will
guide you through the meth-
ods in the Toolkit section:
to Keep Only after you have devel-
oped a sense of meaning
in Mind
and direction do you develop Hands-On
tangible solutions. What
may seem like a detour in Interaction
idea development ultimately
makes your solutions much This design process can be
more meaningful. applied in many forms. The
following pages contain a
It requires taking a step back variety of examples of how
to reflect, analyze, evaluate, it has been used to create
think again and then evolve. new, relevant solutions in an
This takes time—a scarce educational context.
resource—and can be chal-
lenging, as educators are
used to solving problems on
the spot in their classrooms.
But there are no shortcuts.
The more abstract
steps often feel The small, sometimes hidden,
more intense, details often hold the keys to
but pay off in solving complex challenges.
the long run.
ABSTRACT
CONCRETE
DISCOVERY INTERPRETATION IDEATION EXPERIMENTATION EVOLUTION

6. DT for Ed | Guide | p. 8 They turned to Design teachers] and the players
Thinking to develop a game [kids] had different needs
and combined it with the and understood different
Backwards Design method- things. But the game actually
ology, which begins with had to meet all these needs
the end goal in mind, to cre- simultaneously.”
ate the educational content.
Using Backwards Design, Since launching, Motion Math
Case Study they were able to hone in
on how they could assess
students’ mastery of con-
has been on the “Top 5” list
of educational apps, was fea-
tured in the Wall Street Jour-
Motion Math cepts and work from there to
help them get the concepts
right. Using Design Thinking,
nal, and won an Excellence in
Design Award from Children’s
Technology Review. Most
they were able to create rewarding for Adauto and
a game that was fun, engag- Klein was the fact that insti-
ing and valued by parents, tutional school purchases
teachers and students alike. have been very strong.
“The most important part of Teachers have emailed them
merging the two processes videos of kids playing their
was iteration, being open to game in the classrooms,
really listening to what people and students from preschool
want,” observed Adauto. through community college
are using the game to learn
Adauto and Klein started math skills. The founders are
the process by defining a currently building on their
challenge to create a game success and designing addi-
that would address the tional educational games
biggest stumbling block for to address other hurdles in
elementary school kids. They elementary education.
went out to talk to teachers.
How might we When the founders of Motion Over and over, they heard
Read more about
develop games
Math got together to think that fractions were a huge Motion Math at
about how to use games pain point. Next, they looked motionmathgames.com.
to tackle the to help kids learn, they knew
that teaching math and
for inspiration from the most
popular games at the time,
toughest learn- designing a product weren’t one of which had a bouncing
device to move a character
ing hurdles?
the same thing. Both teach-
ers who worked with ele- around a screen. From there,
mentary-school-aged kids, the team started brainstorm-
Gabriel Adauto and Jacob ing, and generated lots of
Klein began their project with ideas for interactive games
an understanding of both that could help kids learn
what kids liked and what par- fractions. Many prototypes
ents and teachers valued— and feedback sessions later,
but they also recognized that Adauto and Klein launched
their experience and intuition Motion Math. “We did lots
alone weren’t enough to of feedback sessions with
design a successful learning paper prototypes. The most
product. valuable feedback session
we had was with parents,
teachers and kids all together.
We saw how the groups inter-
act, and it helped us realize
that the payers [parents and

7. DT for Ed | Guide | p. 9 Enough theory—it’s time It’s Version One: this is not a
to take action. The Toolkit finished piece, it’s a foundation.
provides you with instructions The Toolkit will evolve and
to explore Design Thinking change based on your feed-
yourself. back. That’s why we want to
hear from you. Please send
us comments, stories, photos
or movies of your experiences
This is a Work using this toolkit to create new
design solutions:
DT_ed@ideo.com
in Progress.
toolkit, February-
April 2011.
Interpretation
Ideation
Experimentation