DEAL (Ash & Clayton, 2009) with it
I have danced around the term design thinking for a long time. As a graduate student studying environmental design at UCalgary, we studied design theory and I came to embrace a broad definition of design as “signalling intent.” In my recollection, we would have used the term design thinking to describe our overall approach to solving wicked problems. Given that it has been a decade since I finished my graduate work and design thinking has continued to gain momentum, I thought BMC 377 provided a unique opportunity to: 1) see if, and how, design thinking had changed; and 2)add another tool to my professional toolbox. I will admit that prior to the course, I had placed design thinking firmly in the category of jargon that sounds incredibly promising and exciting but also confusing (e.g., innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, innovation ecosystem, hub, etc.). People use these terms in all sorts of ways and very few take the time and effort to describe their meaning.
For my reflective essay, I have opted to use the DEAL model (Clayton & Ash, 2019). I took a DEAL workshop through the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning from one of the authors in 2019 and I have been considering using the it for assessment of the initiative I run at UCalgary. So, this reflective paper presented a chance for me to test drive the model.
D — Description of experiences in an objective and detailed manner — Prompt: What did I learn?
I found BMC 377 to be a “choose your own adventure” course. A learner could play in the shallow end of the pool or take a deep dive off the 10-metre tower. My level of engagement was somewhere between those extremes. The course readings and videos were very instructive and thought-provoking. Examining the content each week via discussion board posts and the cumulative work on the individual and group assignments enabled me to scaffold my learning. Upon revisiting the course learning outcomes, I believe that the two learning outcomes that resonated most for me included:
· Apply design thinking models and techniques that lead to solving problems and identifying opportunities; and
· Develop a design thinking mindset through human-centered design and creative problem-solving approach.
E — Examination of those experiences in light of specific learning goals or objectives — Prompt: How did I learn it?
The course content that advanced these two learning outcomes most for me was the individual and group projects. I am very much a reflective learner and most of the time I like to sit on the sidelines and observe others engaged in the task that I aim to learn before engaging in hands-on learning. This course pushed me out of that reflective place and forced me to engage with the material in an experiential fashion. To do so, I needed to let go of the idea that there is a right or wrong way to engage in design thinking. This was one of my most powerful learnings. It strikes me that one of the key tenets of design thinking is that it is very action-oriented. Additionally, I learned through considering the views and experiences of other learns in the course- both through posts on the discussion board and interactions with my group members.
A — Articulation of L — Learning — including goals for future action that can then be taken forward into the next experience for improved practice and further refinement of learning — Prompts: What does it matter? What will I do in light of it?
Realizing the learning outcomes from BMC 377 has set me up to begin weaving design thinking into my work and personal life. It strikes me that I will have to be intentional in establishing this new habit as it is easy to slip back into old ways of being and doing. I think that using some of the Mural boards and Design Sprint tools are a great place to start as I have received positive feedback from my colleagues about these tools when I have demonstrated their potential. I think that COVID-19 has set the stage nicely for more “remote collaboration” and these tools are really useful and powerful for design thinking at a distance. I truly was surprised by how easy it was to work with my group members both in real-time and asynchronously.
Something else that resonated with me from the course was the concept of humanity-centered design and the question “Are we designing a world we want to live in today and tomorrow?” This question is particularly relevant during the current COVID-19 pandemic which has magnified the incredible disparities and inequities in our societies and associated systems. The pandemic gives us pause to consider designing a better world and not simply falling back into old ways of being and doing. So many opportunities and challenges lay waiting for us to engage with human-centered design and to make the world a better place for everyone.
“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” — Mahatma Gandhi
This quote is often truncated to read “be the change you wish to see in the world” (Ranseth, 2015). I would like to close off this reflection by challenging myself and my classmates to design the change we wish to see in the world.
References
Ash, S.L. & Clayton, P.H. (2009) Generating, deepening, and documenting learning: the power of critical reflection in applied learning. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, I, 25–48.
Ranseth, J. (2015, August 27). Gandhi didn’t actually ever say “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Here’s the real quote…https://josephranseth.com/gandhi-didnt-say-be-the-change-you-want-to-see-in-the-world/
