Reflective Journal Week 1 - Intro to Design Thinking

Today was the first class for Design Thinking at AUT, we first started discussing what we all thought Design Thinking was, my idea was that Design Thinking was a creative approach to problem solving.

As we went through the course we were given a glimpse into what Design Thinking really means and from my personal perspective it has a great focus on the relationship between design, creativity and innovation within a business context. 

"the methods and processes for investigating ill-defined problems acquiring information, analysing knowledge, and positing solutions in the design and planning"

To thoroughly explore this relationship several tools are used including empathy developing, insight gathering, brainstorming, creative ideation and basic idea 

prototyping. 

What really popped out about these ideas was how contemporary Design Thinking is and how it is versatile and can be applied to varying solutions through relatively simple processes. 

We then briefly went through the learning outcomes for this paper; 

1. Explain the fundamental principles of design. 

2. Explain the fundamental principles of design thinking including cognitive 

processes, human-centred research, collaboration, creativity and integration. 

4. Undertake basic design thinking project to drive the creation and implementation 

new ideas. 

3. Identify and analyse the key steps in the design thinking process including insight 

gathering and analysis, brainstorming,ideation and implementation. 

5. Communicate ideas effectively and creatively using basic visual tools. 

6. Analyse the impact of design thinking on contemporary business practices to drive 

ideas, to improve user/customer experience and help create business competitiveness.

We then briefly went over the IDEO Design Thinking Model that worked through six stages;

1. Understand

2. Observe 

3. Point of View 

4. Ideate 

5. Prototype

6. Test

Then we had a look at the AUT model we would be following for our problem solving

Another idea that struck me was that Design Thinking was incredibly human focused, not only about there products, graphics, buildings and services but there individual human experiences. 

After this process we were all asked to make collages that represented ideas regarding solutions to life as a student at AUT. My collage was about food and had a large McDonalds insignia so I was grouped together with people who largely used symbols in there group. 

After that we were asked to brainstorm general assumptions we had made about University.

My group and I then made a plan to meet at 10.20 every Monday before class for a debrief and to discuss. Overall I am excited about this class and am looking forward to branching out my way of thinking into a new perspective!