M A K E Rs As Innovators Century Skills INNOVATION LIBRARY Design Thinking Post ins Alternative in the age Reprints OCErie Virtuay OM N1 WI CHERRY LAKE PUBLISHING ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN by Kristin Fontichiaro
Century Skills INNOVATION LIBRARY Contents Chapter 1 What Is Design Thinking Chapter 2 Identifying Challenges and Gathering Data Chapter 3 Making sense of Your Data 16 Chapter 4 Brainstorming Solutions 21 Chapter 5 Prototyping testing and Revising 24 Glossary 30 Find Out More 31 Index 32 About the Author 32
MAKERS AS INNOVATORS Chapter 1 What Is Design Thinking hen you think about inventors what comes to mind Someone in a rumpled white lab coat working alone behind closed doors eventually emerging with a miraculous new inven tion Some people can create that way However many of us could use a little bit of help Otherwise we might spend too much time working on inventions that don't do what we need them to do If we want to create a good invention we need to make sure it is something people can use That's why design thinking is helpful It s thinking about design or maybe even thinking before design It s a process of watching people work learning how they live their lives and finding solutions to the diffi culties they face each day Then you gather up all that information sort it and look for patterns Using those patterns you decide on a plan of action brainstorm design ideas make a model or prototype and then
DESIGN THINKING OOO at OOID ADO I00 O At the grocery store watch how people use carts Do kids look comfortable in the seats Do the wheels turn easily Is the cart too big Too smal Design thinkers are curious to know how to make everyday items better rework and tweak your invention until it does what it is supposed to Lots of people can use design thinking in their jobs You might use it to create a new product as part of a class project The IDEO design firm in California is credited with being the first to practice design thinking They use it to brainstorm ways to make good inventions better like a biodegradable toothbrush
