Introduction​​​​

This guide for teachers explains how to supervise a design thinking project for students in school years 10, 11, 12; that is 15 to 17 year-old students, which we group together and name ‘Level IV.’ Design thinking projects are forums for Level IV students to extend their general knowledge by exploring topics in depth; they practice empathy as they endeavour to see things from the point of view of others; they discuss their projects and negotiate amongst themselves to make decisions; their creativity is enhanced as they collaboratively solve problems; their ability to use tools is enhanced with ever more complicated building; their advanced communication skills come in to play as they investigate, solicit advice, and collaborate on design challenges; they experience the ups and downs of any endeavour that involves experimentation and risk taking; and finally, they mature and practice their critical faculties as they reflect upon their successes and failures.

To teach design at this level is to teach the design thinking process. The students learn by doing. Thus, we do not teach a student how to design a specific thing, we teach them how to design anything. At the start of a design project, the teacher sets one or more Design Topics for the class from the range of options to be found in the Design Thinking for Schools website, whether a high-tech drone or robot, an electronic device or smartphone app, a challenging topic set by the teacher, or even topics devised by the students themselves. At this level, where they have had previous experience in designing, students can happily work on unique design topics in groups or individually. Imagine a classroom with groups of students busy at a whole range of projects: a table over there discussing last-mile parcel delivery; a group over there is tinkering at a drone for doing wildlife censuses; over here is a team hunched over their computers developing a smartphone trading app, and so forth. Such a classroom will be a hive of focussed activity, with self-motivated students engrossed in their design challenges, rubbing shoulders with of other teams of students doing equally fascinating work. Learning-by-doing while following the design thinking process will give the students a mental model of the route to success when designing. Some students will inevitably enjoy more success at doing a design project than others. The goal is to raise everyone’s confidence in designing. Level IV students will be able to work on projects individually or in teams, depending on the design topic. The figure below shows the design thinking process for Level IV students, its stages are: EMPATHISE, DEFINE, IDEATE, PROTOTYPE, TEST, and REFLECT.

FIGURE: The design thinking stages, Level IV.

The figure below shows the teacher’s role when supervising Level IV design in class. It begins with PREP, when the teacher prepares the design project; followed by the EMPATHISE, DEFINE, IDEATE, PROTOTYPE, TEST, and REFLECT design thinking stages; and ends with POST for the teacher to assess and mark the student design work.

FIGURE: The teacher’s role, Level IV.

PREP

​​​​​​​Plan a design thinking project in advance. How to choose suitable design topics for the students to work on? Where will the student-designers work? Consider whether they will work in the classroom or at home, and whether they will work individually or in groups. What sources of information do you expect them to use for desk research? How will they do field research? Where will they store their work-in-progress? If they are to work in teams in the classroom, then how to arrange the space for best results? Consider too, the expected outcomes; what will the students have to show at the end of the project? Where possible, try to organise an exhibition at the end of the project for the student-designers to exhibit their finished projects to their parents and teachers. (Note: stationery, materials, and equipment are discussed below.) Print The Design Thinking Process Poster (IV) and display it in your class to familiarise the student-designers with the design thinking process for Level IV. (Note that you will find The Design Thinking Process Poster (IV) (US) with US English spelling on the same page.)​​​​​​​

Schedule
Each Design Topic handout for students indicates how long the project should take to complete. Design thinking projects for students at Level IV can take from half a day (1 session), to one week (5 sessions), up to one semester (15 to 30 sessions) to complete, depending on the topic. Students at this level can maintain focus and work on a single design topic for a prolonged period of time. The teacher and students jointly schedule the design project according to the school timetable. The figure below will help you schedule a design project, it shows the approximate time needed for each design stage for Level IV.

FIGURE: Time schedule, Level IV.​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​To begin
​​​​​​If you want to do a design project in your class but are unsure how to begin, return to the checklist at this page: Teach Design in Your Class, and then choose a Design Topic for your level of student.

Introduce the design project

• To introduce the design project, begin by engaging the students in conversations about ‘design.’ Have the students form groups to discuss the following, they may give a short presentation to explain their points of view.
  • Their favourite designed artefacts and designers.
  • Significant or important designed artefacts. Explain why they are so.
  • Give a definition of design in their own words.
  • Distribute the What is Design Thinking? (IV) handout and discuss. You may compare what the students have said to the information in the handout.

Introduce the design topics

• Allocate design topics for the students to work on, either individually or in groups.
  • Students may choose a topic from the list of Design Topics.
  • Or, they may modify an existing topic from the list to better suit their interests and circumstances.
  • Or, they may write their own topic by completing the Blank Template (IV) design topic handout. (Coming soon.)
• ​​​​​​​Students propose their chosen design topic to the teacher for approval.
  • The teacher evaluates the design topics according to whether they are attainable given the students’ level, and the resources at their disposal.
  • Alternatively, as this step is so important, the chosen design topics may be evaluated by a panel of teachers.

Explain the design thinking process

• Discuss The Design Thinking Process Poster (IV).
• To design artefacts (that is, human-made products or systems) and to solve problems we use the design thinking process that consists of the stages: EMPATHISE, DEFINE, IDEATE, PROTOTYPE, TEST, and REFLECT, which the student-designers will follow in this design project. (Note that these are the same terms used by professional designers, and we use the word process to describe it to Level IV students.)
  • “First, we endeavour to learn about the design topic by EMPATHISING with the needs of the users of the product or system;
  • armed with that knowledge, we then DEFINE what is and what is not essential to the product or system;
  • then we IDEATE, that is, we creatively and intensely seek solutions to the design problem;
  • then we PROTOTYPE our design solution;
  • then we TEST our design solution to see whether it works or not;
  • and finally we REFLECT on our design thinking project, our successes and failures in order to learn from the experience.”
  • (Note that there will be plenty of opportunities for the teacher to recap the stages of the design thinking process as the students progress through the design project.)
• Discuss the Guide to the Handouts for Students (IV) handout.
  • The guide shows which handout applies to which stage of the design thinking process. There are handouts for students for all six stages of the design process.
  • Explain that handouts for students guide them at different stages of the design task, “to help you be a more effective designer.”
  • The students may refer to this handout throughout the design project.
• Use the Mind Map (IV) method to plan the design project.
  • Once the students have chosen their design topic and have obtained the approval of the teachers, it is a good time to make a mind map to plan the project.
  • At this initial stage, the students discuss questions such as: Where, when, and how will they work? Which facilities will they use? Whom can they consult on technical matters? For example: if a team of students intends to design an electronic device, this is the perfect opportunity to try to anticipate the time and resources that they will need to do the project, as well as the challenges they will certainly face to produce a working prototype.
  • This mind map is for planning, not designing. Students should resist the temptation to come up with solutions to the design topic at this stage. The key question is: “How shall we manage this project?”
• Explain the Stationery for Designing (IV) handout for students.
  • The students should get the items listed.
  • They are sufficient for most of the design stages.
  • They do not include materials and tools for the PROTOTYPE stage, as those vary according to the design topic.