Design Thinking Archives

Oct 31 2022

Scott Witthoft on the Curious Craft of Prototyping

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking, Podcast One Comment

In my latest podcast episode, I interviewed Scott Witthoft, who shared an expanded view of what it means to prototype. I've written extensively about design thinking but his latest book This is a Prototype? challenged my thinking while also providing several new strategies I plan…

Apr 18 2022

Dr. Susie Wise on the Power of Designing for Belonging

By John Spencer Design Thinking, Podcast No Comments

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to interview Dr. Susie Wise on the big idea of designing for belonging. Dr. Wise is a true design thinking expert who asks hard questions about the intersection of design and equity. I have followed her work…

Apr 04 2022

PBL by Design – Exploring the Overlap of Project-Based Learning and Design Thinking

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 2 Comments

Project-based learning and design thinking have both become buzzwords in the educational landscape. But beyond the buzz, both PBL and design thinking have rich histories that span decades. Both approaches also offer practical frameworks for teachers who are crafting authentic projects for their students. So,…

Nov 20 2020

What happens when students launch their work to an audience?

By John Spencer Design Thinking 3 Comments

Right now, I'm feeling the effects of social isolation. My social circle is essentially my wife and my kids. I'm only going out when necessary to go to the grocery store. This Thanksgiving will be the first in years that I don't see friends or…

Oct 07 2019

7 Ways UX Design Theory Transformed My Approach to Course Design

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking 7 Comments

UX Design Theory can teach us a lot about how to build community, communicate clearly, and set up effective systems as we design our courses. The following is an exploration 8 ways UX Design Theory can change the way we teach. What Is UX…

Sep 09 2019

Students Are Often Terrified About Launching Their Work. Here’s How We Can Fix It.

By John Spencer Design Thinking, Podcast One Comment

Picture this. I’m standing up front at the front of the class, an awkward high school freshman new to Arizona. I'm shy. Painfully shy. I don't know anyone in my class. Every part of me wants to crawl up into a ball and hide. The…

Apr 28 2019

The Power of a Launch (Why Students Should Share Their Work)

By John Spencer Design Thinking, Podcast One Comment

This article is part of a larger series on design thinking. Students begin with Look, Listen, and Learn, which is all about awareness and empathy. They move into Ask Tons of Questions, an inquiry phase. This leads to research in the Understanding the Process or…

Apr 23 2019

Helping Students Embrace Revision in Design Thinking

By John Spencer Design Thinking One Comment

This article is part of a longer series on design thinking, a flexible framework for empathy-driven creative work. Previous articles addressed awareness, inquiry, research, and prototyping. This article is about the Highlight and Fix stage, where students revise their work. The Critical Role of Revision I…

Apr 19 2019

Making Is Magic

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking 3 Comments

This article is part of a longer series on design thinking, a flexible framework for empathy-driven creative work. The Power of Prototyping A few days ago, I got the opportunity to do a keynote in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. One of my highlights was the student display area,…

Apr 17 2019

Moving from Recipes to Projects

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking 3 Comments

This article is part of a longer series on design thinking, a flexible framework for empathy-driven creative work. You might want to check out other articles in the series first. Students begin with a state of awareness in the Look, Listen, and Learn phase. Next, they move…