Who?  What? Why?

 

Who?

I surely felt like Alice in her Wonderland at the intensive 3-day Design Thinking course.

As I am working as a teacher right now being a student was different. After a while though I was back in the proper role and looking forward to the next coffee break. Personal innovation: I can still study.

Who teached?

Dr. Katja Tschimmel and Lecturer Mariana Valença were a new very interesting acquaintances. Two very high profile experts were an excellent pair to introduce a new topic. Both guest speakers where so dedicates to their topic and such experts that I found myself deep in thoughts both school days and nights. Personal innovation: Need to ask myself: How is Desing Thinking part of my work at school? What can it be in the future?

What?

Design Thinking has its origins in the traditional Design world. Innovations, new solutions, unthinkable ways made to work – they have been accepted also to business world during the last 20 years. Like Dr. Tschimmel writes any kind of business and organization can benefit from the designers’ way of thinking and working. Design Thinking is understood as a way of thinking which leads to transformation, evolution and innovation, to new forms of living and to new ways of managing business. So Design has spread outside its own box.

I would like say that Design Thinking a process where one person, team or organization is challenges to solve a problem and find answers is a creative ways. Pictures, building blocks, drawings, post it –notes, interviews, questionnaires, sketching and several other tools are used to visualize and help the process. A creative design approach is becomes a part of traditional problem solving in sometimes old-fashioned business world. Unconventional ways and new combinations in the process and very visual work method are a great opportunity to problem solving. Personal innovation: Think outside your own box, be creative!

Why?

If you are not a fortune teller or Alice’s Mr Rabbit it is hard to say what future brings. One thing is for sure – we are facing more and more challenges in the business world. Unstable world, hunger, wars, pollution, energy crises, Brexit, national debt eg. There are business challenges but also problems on the national level. Cross-training needs to be encouraged. Teams need to be more visual. Stimulating working ambience, free spaces, whiteboards, mind maps, no limitations on creative discussions will lead to new kind of thoughts, ideas, innovations, problem solving. Team or organization befits and working with a road map will lead to remarkable results.

Personal innovation: As we are facing very tough times at my work, money is tight, several cuts ahead, new organization model is launched in January, students have more severe personal issues and challenges teachers just need to be creative. New methods, more creativity, involving students on all the steps of learning, new ways to co-operate with businesses, we need to develop and think in new ways.

Sources:

Lectures,

Katja Tschimmel’s paper “Design Thinking as an effective Toolkit for Innovation” OR research report D-think
Miettinen, Satu (toim.) 2014. Muotoiluajattelu 2014. Helsinki: Teknologiateollisuus ry.