IDEO defines design thinking as the belief that all problems, even the intractable ones such as poverty, disease and inequality, are solvable. It hinges on the belief we can make a difference, and gives us an intentional process to search for and design relevant solutions to make in impact.

It's a mindset and process that empowers children with the ability to think critically and creatively.

In many respects, schools have been helping students in elements of design thinking for decades. At the heart of design thinking sits the need for developing strong curiosities, and fostering the desire to understand and solve complex problems. It encourages empathy and optimism and embracing ambiguity. As such, design thinking has come in many forms, from project-based learning, challenge-based learning, to inquiry-based learning. They all have elements of encouraging good research, developing and testing approaches, and presenting findings.

Creative and critical thinking have always been crucial skills in learning how to unpack issues and problems. They are certainly even more important now as we deal with the challenges of rapid change in work, life, and the environment that require different approaches and a re-thinking in how to tackle them - statistics show millennials will go through as many as 15 jobs different jobs before they’re forty, stay at jobs for only 2 years, and have up to 5 or more career changes, showing necessity of adaptability. Schools, like businesses and industries, are also keen on developing innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Without a proper understanding of the mindsets, the skillsets and tools that can be used, innovation and entrepreneurship very quickly become token buzzwords. When students experience the process of design thinking effectively, they learn how to ask better questions, see past perceived constraints, generate and filter ideas, and have multiple attempts at prototyping their solutions to discover what works and what wows. Consider the depth and breadth of learning that comes from years of working this way and you’ll begin to see how adaptable, creative, and knowledgeable students can become.

Once the methodology of design thinking becomes more familiar, it can be applied to almost any challenging task. Many schools see it as the domain of the humanities or sciences, but it works equally well in any field, even mathematics, languages, or physical education. At its core, design thinking needs learners to make connections, so it is when learning is well-integrated that real innovation starts.  

Implementation of Design Thinking For Educators

An example of integrating design thinking into everyday subjects include encouraging students to redesign the classroom and classroom flooring as a way of teaching the concepts of perimeter and area. By getting the students to interact with the space, seeing how these mathematical concepts work in real life and how they can apply these concepts in their own redesigns, students not only can grasp these ideas easier, but also remain more engaged throughout the process.

What’s often missed when schools use design thinking approaches, however, is that it becomes another program done to students rather than with them. It's important to nurture learning environments in which students think for themselves and also have a sense of agency, so when teachers look at curriculum they need to ask themselves: could I also undertake this? It makes a significant difference to the depth and impact of design thinking when the school community knows how it feels and what it takes to tackle complex problems. By using design thinking processes to plan and design learning, teachers become better at facilitating and networking this knowledge with their students.