The document explores a design thinking approach to learning coding, integrating concepts from cognitive psychology and behavioral economics. It outlines steps to understand oneself, tackle problems, track progress, and reward achievements through a growth mindset. Additionally, it discusses the importance of flow in creative activities, emphasizing the balance between confidence and self-doubt in the learning process.

1. A DESIGN THINKING APPROACH
TO LEARNING TO CODE

2. Nate Cooper
• WORDPRESS SINCE 2005, HTML SINCE 1997
• SIMPLE LABS, FOUNDER (WP CONSULTANCY)
• TEACH WP & FRONT END: SVA, GA, 92Y
• PRESENTATIONS AT AMAZON, APPLE, SXSW
• BUILD YOUR OWN WEBSITE COMIC BOOK
• FOUNDER REBOOT

4. Design Thinking!
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test

6. Solving problems
using design methodology

7. Gather Organize Visualize

8. Brain-based
What is design thinking?

9. Cognitive psychology + Behavioral economics

10. Step 1: Know your self

11. Try softer

12. Some imperfect models of the brain

13. Split Brain experiments

14. Triune Brain theory

15. Dual System hypothesis

16. Visual processing is faster than thought

17. John Snow’s map
Of cholera cases
Around Broad Street
London, 1854

18. John Snow’s map
Of cholera cases
Around Broad Street
London, 1854

20. Step 2: Tackle problems you can solve

24. Difficult but Solvable

25. can mean a lot of different things

26. Apache
MySQL
PHP
Rails
node.js
Joomla
Wordpress
Drupal
HTML/CSS/JS
Text Editor
Sublime
Dreamweaver
Javascript
Flash
Browser
Front End Back End
Server
Client
Production machine

28. Are you able to
correctly set up
the problem?

30. Step 3: Tracking progress
Focusing
Facilitation

31. FOCUSING FACILITATION

32. “I am your resentment,
and I am here to tell you
that you are underappreciated.”

33. 1. Clear a space.
2. Get hold of a feeling.
3. Apply labels.
4. Test the label or labels.
5. Ask for meaning.
6. Receive the meaning, feel a shift.
FOCUSING : The six steps

34. Facilitation turns experiences and feelings into goals and steps

37. Metal Models
‘Understanding’ means building
(working) mental models to make
accurate predictions.

38. Behavioral economics
Step 4: Understanding false positives

39. Behavioral Economics Takeaways

40. Behavioral Economics Takeaways
Without an explicit point of comparison, people use one unconsciously.

41. We overweight small risks
while underweighting large ones.
Behavioral Economics Takeaways

42. We accept too much
risk
to avoid a loss
Behavioral Economics Takeaways

43. Behavioral Economics Takeaways
We exaggerate
differences in a paired
comparison

45. Step 5: Reward progress

46. 10 Growth Mindset Statements
What can I say to myself?
Instead of: Try thinking:
I’m not good at this.
I’m awesome at this.
I give up.
This is too hard.
I can’t make this any better.
I just can’t do Math.
I made a mistake.
She’s so smart. I will never be that smart.
It’s good enough.
Plan “A” didn’t work.
What am I missing?
I’m on the right track.
I’ll use some of the strategies we’ve learned.
This may take some time and effort.
I can always improve so I’ll keep trying.
I’m going to train my brain in Math.
Mistakes help me to learn better.
I’m going to figure out how she does it.
is it really my best work?
Good thing the alphabet has 25 more letters!

47. Flow
“The state in which people are so involved
in an activity that nothing else seems to
matter; the experience itself is so
enjoyable that people will do it even at
great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”

48. “If you find yourself asking yourself (and your
friends), "Am I really a writer? Am I really an
artist?" chances are you are. The counterfeit
innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one
is scared to death.”
― Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break
Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative
Battles