Design Thinking? More like Design Doing!
How quickly a semester passes! It feels like yesterday that I showed up on a Tuesday morning to have my first elective class in my whole time at Nova. And talk about elected — I allocated almost all of my bidding points to secure a spot in this class! It all began with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. I was really happy to be there, but it was also challenging to be in a class with almost no one I knew, a big difference from all the classes I had had with my IEI cohort so far. But the anxiety did not last too long, as we got to know each other through playful activities at the beginning of each class, which progressively put me more and more at ease in the environment. It was in these moments, like when we prototyped nap goggles with play dough, that I came to appreciate the freedom and playfulness embedded in design thinking.
There was one particularly memorable day where we learned about the politics of design and power through the readings, and on that day we were tasked with building some kind of recreational zone under a highway in New York City. It was a really fun time, especially after my group members agreed to name it the “Fuck Robert Moses Green Skatepark.”. It was sessions like these that demonstrated how design thinking can intersect with political and social commentary, providing a powerful tool for societal change.
The heart of this course was our collaborative project, which initially presented challenges in team dynamics. Like many groups, we faced tension and struggled with work allocation early on. However, our commitment to open, honest communication allowed us to restructure our roles effectively. This experience not only enhanced our project but also taught us valuable lessons in teamwork and adaptability, and I ended up feeling very grateful for the team members I had.
Something I struggled with, over the course of the semester, was coming out of my shell. I tend to be pretty quiet and shy. For example, the first time we met our consultant I was very quiet and just took notes. But over time, I started getting more comfortable, and started talking more, in class discussions and to others directly as well. And then there was one day that felt like an especially pronounced turning point: before class that day I had a meeting with Nova’s social innovator in residence, and it was so inspiring and rejuvenating that I came to class with a huge smile on my face. Anne-Laure even pointed out how unusual it was to see me that way. And then we had class and I had a bit of an epiphany regarding our project — we had previously talked about merging our platform with another, but then I thought, why don’t we merge every single project in the class? And I pitched it to my group and they liked it and then I went and talked to all the other groups about it and ended up designing logos for all of the other “companies.” For me, that was a huge step in the direction of being more open and talkative with others.
Our final exhibition was a culmination of all our hard work, transforming a police box into a harbor for our project and drawing genuine interest from attendees. The setup itself was a blast — there was so much tape involved! But more importantly, it was a testament to the impact and relevance of our efforts.
All in all I was really happy to be in this course, as I found the subject matter and the readings very politically and intellectually engaging, and our project was dealing with such a real, important issue that it felt very meaningful! Oftentimes our course work can be very theoretical, or politically vapid. The fact that we were actually working with an organization like the Lisbon Project, and attempting to help real people, distinguished this class from any other I’ve taken.
As we close this chapter, I carry with me not just the memories and skills, but a commitment to apply these insights in pursuit of a more inclusive and thoughtful world. Here’s to future challenges and opportunities to design a better tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who made this journey unforgettable. Keep designing!
