WORKSHOP

Collaboration through Design Thinking

3 hours

Short overview:

The workshop will introduce participants to collaborative ways of problem solving, allow them to recognize the importance of receiving feedback and how to respond to it. Design thinking method facilitates teamwork through various stages of the process.

Objectives of the workshop:

  • To introduce Design Thinking as a collaborative problem solving methodology
  • To reflect on one’s teamwork role

ANNEX FOR THE WORKSHOP (PDF)

SESSION 1
Methods: Trainer’s input
5 mins.
Material usage/Remarks:

If the participants don’t know each other, add a game or exercise to learn each other’s names.

Description:

Introduction to the workshop. Welcome the participants. During this workshop they will work in groups as software development companies. Their aim is to create an application. They will be going through a Design Thinking process. Ask if anyone knows this method.

SESSION 2
Methods: Drawing
5 mins.
Material usage/Remarks:

Handout: http://service-design.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/SDP-30-circles.pdf
You can create a handout with instructions in your language

Description:

Warm-up. Give away handouts with 30 circles, and ask them to make simple drawings in 180 seconds. Ask who managed to make all 30. Ask what kind of drawings repeat among participants. Did anyone draw something unusual?

SESSION 3
Methods: Mini-lecture
Materials: Persona Presentasjon
5 mins.
Material usage/Remarks:
  • A presentation slide with Design Thinking stages (see example in annex)
  • Persona (see annex)
  • The Design Thinking process consists of 5 stages: Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test
Description:

Introduction to Design Thinking, give a brief input on a method and describe what the DT process looks like. Present a persona (fictional character to represent a target group)

SESSION 4
Methods: Group work
15 mins.
Material usage/Remarks:

Questions for groups:

  •  What does your Persona think? Feel? Hear from others?

    See around them?

  •  How it would be if you were this person?
Description:

Create groups of 3-4 people. Remind them that they form a software company. They start with the first stage of DT process – Empathise. Ask them to go through the Persona’s information and to try to figure out, what is the situation of that person. At the end, ask groups to share their discoveries.

SESSION 5
Methods: Group work
Materials: Paper sheets Pens
15 mins.
Description:

The participants have accomplished the first stage of the process and now it is time for the second – Define. Ask them to list min. 10 of the Persona’s problems. At the end ask to choose one problem to work with in the next stage. Ask to turn this problem into a question: How can we (as a software company) help the Persona? In what way? Encourage sharing chosen problems.

SESSION 6
Methods: Brainstorm
15 mins.
Material usage/Remarks:

Questions for groups: 15 min.

  •  How can you respond to the chosen problem?
  •  What kind of app can you design to help Persona? Note: it is time to brainstorm, design is in the next stage
Description:

Third stage – Ideate. The participants brainstorm on possible innovative solutions for the Persona’s problem. Their aim is to think of an application for smartphones.

SESSION 7
Methods: Group work
Materials: Colourful markers Paper sheets Pens Templates
2.1 hours
Material usage/Remarks:
  • Marvel app installed on smartphones, Marvel app instruction Learn more about Marvel: https://marvelapp.com
  • Approach groups while working to check out their progress, if needed offer help
Description:

Fourth stage – Prototype. The participants put their ideas on paper. Ask them to use a template to visualize their app. After 15 minutes introduce Marvel, an app to prototype applications without code. Ask them to download the app. Show them how to transfer their drawings to Marvel app.

SESSION 8
Methods: Group work
15 mins.
Material usage/Remarks:

The elevator pitch is a well-known method to practice presentation skills

Description:

Ask the groups to prepare a 60-second presentation (elevator pitch). They should include: which problem this app solves, how this app works, what are the benefits for users.

SESSION 9
Methods: Elevator pitch
30 mins.
Material usage/Remarks:

Give feedback to each presentation as well

Description:

Presentation and feedback. After each presentation the rest of the participants gives feedback including what they like about presented idea and what could be improved.

SESSION 10
Methods: Group reflection Self-reflection
40 mins.
Material usage/Remarks:

Questions for self-reflection:

  • what was my role in the team?
  •  what was my input to the team’s work?
  •  am I satisfied with the result? with the team’s work?
  •  what can I improve?
  •  did I enjoy working in this team? Why/why not?
Description:

Sum up the Design Thinking process that participants went through. Mention that this method is used by international companies e.g. Google, Facebook, WhatsApp and can be useful in their future work. Ask which stage participants liked the most. Notice that probably different people felt better in different roles in the group. Encourage participants to spend 10 minutes on self-reflection about their role in a group, about their input. Ask them to write down their reflections. Invite the participants to share their reflections within the groups they were working. At the end, ask groups to share the main reflections from their discussions.

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