3rd 5th grade handbook 2016 by Compete360

DT Philly 2016 3rd â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5th Grade Edition

Acknowledgments Compete 360 would like to acknowledge the following individuals, organizations, and resources. Please note, attribution does not imply endorsement by these sources: +Acumen/IDEO.org (Spring, 2014) Human-Centered Design for Social Innovation, www.plusacumen.org Jon Coddington, AIA, Professor, Department of Architecture + Interiors, Drexel University Nathan Gasser, Owner, Rock River Star The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, and the resources they so generously share: http://dschool.stanford.edu/use-our-methods/ IDEO, IDE, Heifer International, and ICRW, and their Human Centered Design Toolkit, 2nd Edition, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which they share under Creative Commons Attribution, Noncommercial, Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. www.designkit.org IDEO, Riverdale Country Day School, and their Design Thinking for Educators resources, which they share under Creative Commons Attribution, Noncommercial, Share Alike 3.0 Unported License: ©2012 IDEO LLC. All rights reserved. http://designthinkingforeducators.com Fletcher MacNeill, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP Principal, Healthcare Practice, Environetics Mike Silverman, School District of Philadelphia (retired) Noah Tolson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Lean GB Principal and Practice Area Leader for Planning, Array Architects Karl Ulrich, (Spring, 2013) Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society [Lecture Notes], University of Pennsylvania, www.coursera.org/course/design To learn more about design thinking and Compete 360, please visit www.compete360.org www.twitter.com/Compete360 (@compete360, #designthinking)

Except where otherwise noted, this work is ©2016 Compete 360, under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Please see the full text of this license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncsa/4.0/legalcode) for rights and restrictions. Compete 360’s attribution: ©2016 Compete 360. All rights reserved. http://compete360.org

Table of Contents Acknowledgments Welcome and Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Principles of Design Thinking .......................................................................................................... 1 The Designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handshake ..................................................................................................................... 2 Program Structure and Activity Tracks..................................................................................... 3 Project Management Tips ...................................................................................................................... 5 Supplies and Resources ............................................................................................................................. 6 Project Start-Up....................................................................................................................................................... 8 Discussion Topic: What is Design? ............................................................................................... 8 Plan Ahead: Find Your Design Project ................................................................................... 11 Stage 1: Empathize ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Discussion Topic: Seeing Design Challenges around You ...................................12 Discussion Topic: Writing a Design Problem Statement .......................................14 Plan Ahead: Prepare for Research.............................................................................................. 16 Stage 2: Define..................................................................................................................................................... 17 Discussion Topic: Planning and Conducting Research........................................... 17 Discussion Topic: Organizing and Analyzing Findings......................................... 21 Plan Ahead: Prepare to Brainstorm .......................................................................................... 24 Stage 3: Ideate ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 Discussion Topic: Brainstorming ................................................................................................ 25 Plan Ahead: Prepare for Prototyping ..................................................................................... 27 Stage 4: Prototype ............................................................................................................................................ 28 Discussion Topic: Sketching Design Ideas ......................................................................... 28 Discussion Topic: Building Rapid Prototypes .................................................................. 31 Plan Ahead: Prepare to Test and Improve Your Prototype................................ 34 Stage 5: Test ........................................................................................................................................................... 35 Discussion Topic: Getting User Feedback ........................................................................... 35 Plan Ahead: Get Ready for the DT Philly Design Showcase............................. 37 The DT Philly Design Showcase ........................................................................................................ 38 Discussion Topic: Presenting Your Work............................................................................ 38 Discussion Topic: Feedback ............................................................................................................. 39

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................................41 Schedule and Deliverables ...................................................................................................................41 Definitions .......................................................................................................................................................... 43 Templates for Deliverables and Activities

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Welcome and Introduction “The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” –Neil Gaiman

ompete 360 works with Philadelphia public schools to introduce teachers and students to the design-centered approach to problem solving known as design thinking. Our DT Philly initiative—available for high school, middle school, and 3rd-5th grade—trains teachers, helps facilitate student projects tackling a school or community problem, and celebrates student achievement throughout the process. To complete a DT Philly project, students work together to identify an object, a space, a system, or an experience in their school that can be improved through the design process, and they use the five steps of design thinking (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test) to develop a desirable, feasible, and viable solution to the problem. Team members have user accounts for the Compete 360 website, and they upload project work to document their design process. Design thinking helps students practice and refine critical skills including: empathy, as they closely observe people and situations to understand and define a need; information synthesis, as they process data and observations to frame a point of view; risk taking and big picture thinking, as they brainstorm potential solutions; visual literacy and modeling, as they construct prototypes of potential solutions; and reflection and analysis, as they seek feedback, test, and refine a solution. The lessons we’ve learned from past rounds of programming have been incorporated here to better guide your team’s exploration of design-centered problem solving. We look forward to working closely with you to understand your experience, and we’ll use the insights we gain this year to strengthen the program for future participants. Please use this handbook to guide your DT Philly adventure, and enjoy the journey. We’re delighted to partner with you, and we’re excited to see the great work your team will do!

Principles of Design Thinking Design thinking (or DT) is a creative and structured approach to problem solving that is promoted by leading universities, like Stanford and MIT, and by cutting-edge companies like IDEO and SAP. In K-12 education, design thinking offers students a fun and hands-on opportunity to develop 21st century skills—including creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication— while actively connecting what students do in school to what goes on in the world around them. Here are some important principles of design thinking:

It’s about people. You are designing a real solution to a problem experienced by real people. To do this well, you must develop deep empathy for those people and understand their needs, motivations, thoughts, actions, and emotions. It’s collaborative. Working with others—especially people who have different skills, backgrounds, or points of view—makes your project stronger. It’s optimistic. Design thinking helps you understand that you can change and improve things around you, so you learn to see problems as challenges or puzzles to be solved. It’s experimental. Design is an iterative process…prototyping and testing your ideas helps you learn and innovate. Failure is part of the learning, and trying out ideas that don’t work will help you figure out what does work. It’s action-oriented. DT is as much about doing as thinking—get out and observe people and environments, build and test models of your solutions (they don’t have to be perfect, just good enough to see if or how well your idea works)—and then keep refining your design concept based on the feedback you receive from your users (the people for whom you are designing). We believe design thinking provides opportunities to engage students in a lively, meaningful, and challenging educational experience while preparing them to tackle complex problems in and outside of school.

The Designer’s Handshake DT Philly participants commit to honesty, integrity, curiosity, collaboration, respect, and civility in their design work. Design projects will be student driven, with all submissions being the work of student team members, performed with guidance from the teacher. Please provide proper attribution for images or work you use that is not your own, and please note that Compete 360 reserves the right to share examples of project work for program purposes. Behaviors that will help you succeed in your design work include:       

Engaging all of your team members. Being faithful to the DT process (know where you are in the design process, what the goals are, and use appropriate methods for that stage). Practicing empathy (deeply engaging with your users and diligently capturing their needs). Committing to quality (submitting rigorous and thoughtful work, and revising your work as appropriate). Being mindful of the project calendar and meeting regularly. Persisting through moments that are challenging or frustrating. Communicating frequently, openly, and respectfully—within your team, with your users, with Compete 360 staff, and with others in the DT Philly community.



Embracing creativity (pushing yourselves to consider a broad range of possible solutions to your users’ needs, and to doing original work).

Program Structure and Activity Tracks DT Philly 3rd – 5th grade is a flexible program that can be incorporated into the school day or run as an extracurricular activity. Teams work best when they are large enough to be diverse but small enough for everyone to play a meaningful role. We recommend that teams consist of three to seven students. All DT Philly teams should be led by a teacher in the school. The goals, activities, and due dates for each phase of your project are highlighted at the start of the corresponding section in the handbook, and a complete list of submissions and due dates appears in the appendix. Project work is divided into required activities (lessons and deliverables), and optional activities (inspiration tools and achievements). Please use the activity track that best suits your needs and the time available: Foundation Track: Each stage of DT Philly contains one or two lessons called “discussion topics” and one or two required activities called “deliverables.” Introduce your students to the concepts in the discussion topics and submit the deliverables to complete the Foundation Activity Track. Discussion Topics: These are sections that walk you through the foundational ideas of the design thinking process and provide instructions and context for each step of your project work. Deliverables: These are basic, required activities that help guide your team through the DT process and build your project portfolio. Each time you submit a deliverable, we will send you a puzzle piece. Submit all of your deliverables and your team will have a complete puzzle as a memento of your DT Philly experience. Explorer Track: Each stage of DT Philly also has two optional activities your team can complete, if you have the time. The first activity comes at the start of the stage and is intended to inspire you. The second is an extension activity that challenges your team to go a step further in your work. While we present these opportunities to you in a particular order and at particular times, there are no due dates for optional activities, so feel free to do them at any time. Inspiration Tools: These are optional activities intended to inspire and prepare you for your upcoming project work. Completing and submitting these activities earns your team virtual tools to be displayed on your team page. Achievements: These are optional activities that challenge you to go one step further in your project work. Completing and submitting these activities earns your team virtual badges to be displayed on your team page.

The badges you can earn are named after individuals that invent, create, design, or build thoughtful and innovative products. Here are all of the badges you can earn: Start‐Up Achievement – Earned for Completing Let’s Start Talking about Design While experimenting with adhesives, Dr. Spencer Silver discovered a glue that stuck lightly to surfaces without bonding tightly to them. This discovery was of "microspheres," which retain their ability to stick but are also removable. While Silver initially couldn’t think of a way to use this new invention, another scientist, Art Fry, was frustrated that his bookmarks and notes kept falling out of his books. Fry attended a seminar about microspheres and the two partnered to create the Post‐it Note.

Empathy Stage Achievement – Earned for Completing Get the Picture Earmuffs were invented by 15‐year old Chester Greenwood. As the story goes, Chester asked his grandmother to sew fur onto ear‐shaped loops of wire—an idea that came to him while ice skating. He later improved the model and patented it, started a factory, and made money selling earmuffs to U.S. soldiers during World War I. Greenwood went on to develop and patent many other products. Define Stage Achievement – Earned for Completing Scavenger Hunt Before rubber erasers, people used wax or moist balled‐up bread (which often got moldy) to remove pencil marks from paper. The evolution of the modern eraser can be traced to 1770 and is often attributed to Joseph Priestley, who described the ability of vegetable gum to erase pencil marks, and to Edward Nairne who claimed to accidently pick up a piece of rubber instead of bread, thereby discovering rubber’s erasing properties.

Ideate Stage Achievement – Earned for Completing Wild Thing Play‐Doh, the easily molded clay, started out as a cleaning product! Developed to remove soot from wallpaper, the non‐toxic, non‐staining, reusable compound was repurposed in the early 1950s by businessman Joe McVicker who learned that his company’s product was easier for children to manipulate than other types of modeling clay. Over the years, new colors and forms of Play‐Doh have been introduced, including glow‐in‐the‐dark Play‐Doh.

Prototype Stage Achievement – Earned for Completing Design Like a Pro Inventor Joseph Friedman came up with the idea for the flexible straw while watching his young daughter struggle to drink a milkshake through a straight straw at her uncle’s fountain parlor. He inserted a screw into a straw, and tightly wound dental floss around the outside to press ridges into the straw that aligned with the screw threads. Once the screw was removed, the straw could be bent over the lip of the glass, making it easier for a small child to use. Friedman patented his invention in 1937.

Test Stage Achievement – Earned for Completing Round 2 Philadelphia inventor Theophilus Van Kannel was granted a patent for his revolving door design (an improvement on an existing idea) in 1888. While Van Kannel was rumored to have been motivated by his aversion to holding doors for others, his three‐partition door provided unique advantages: it was virtually noiseless; it kept wind, snow, rain, and dust out; and it allowed people to pass in both directions simultaneously. In 1889, the Franklin Institute awarded a medal to Van Kannel for his contribution to society. Showcase Stage Achievement – Earned for Completing Spread the Word Gino Tsai, a mechanical engineer, and his designers at J.D. Corporation developed the Razor Scooter to help Tsai move more quickly around the large bicycle factory he ran in Taiwan. They are said to have spent five years creating their updated version of a traditional scooter using airplane‐grade aluminum (tested to support a 1,100 pound load without bending) and designing a patented brake system that works by stepping on the rear fender.

Project Management Tips Here are a few strategies to help your project proceed smoothly: Use our templates (if it makes life easier). We’ve provided templates in the back of this handbook to guide and structure much of your work. Feel free to use and upload them, or submit your responses and design work in a format you choose. Get un-stuck. Deliverables are due each week, so it’s important to meet regularly and stay on track. If you get stuck, contact Compete 360 staff—we’re here to help. Be the early bird. If you have the opportunity to work ahead, do it. Deliverables build on your preceding work. Look ahead to the next activity and see if you can start on or prepare for it before your next meeting. Divide and conquer. Consider giving team members regular or rotating roles such as previewing video links or activities, uploading deliverables to www.compete360.org, etc. Mind the calendar. Time is a design constraint everyone faces. Be clear about what you need to accomplish each week, use your time wisely, stay focused, and keep moving forward. Document your work. Take great notes, record all of your ideas, and save all of your working materials…revisiting early work can help you later in a project. Make friends. Design is a collaborative process and inspiration can come from anywhere. Peruse the website to see what other teams are doing and leave them a comment about their work. 5

Maintain an idea board. Design thinking is a visual, tactile, and experiential process. If possible, we recommend that you dedicate some space—a portion of a wall, for example—to the project so team members can share great quotes or images from their research, or share sketches and other visuals that help them track and focus their work. Read the handbook and discuss each week’s concepts, goals, and activities to help your team better navigate the process. Challenge the team to do thorough, high-quality work—review, revise, revisit, and reflect as you go. Follow through on your project work with an implementation plan to help make your idea a reality! DT Philly Overview DT Philly Training Teacher training and program kick‐ off.

Start‐Up Set up team profiles and start learning about design.

Empathize Identify challenges, write problem statement.

Define Identify user needs from interviews, observation, and research.

Design Showcase Share the story of your design project and see if you can

Test Get feedback on prototypes, refine a solution, get more feedback.

Prototype Generate design concepts and build prototypes of your

Ideate Brainstorm and explore a variety of possible solutions to users’ needs.

implement it.

solution.

Supplies and Resources All teams will receive a starter supply kit to support their project work. Supplies you may find useful for particular phases of your project are listed here: Empathize/Define/Ideate Stage  Pencils/erasers  Pens/markers  Notepads  Straight edges/rulers  Post-it Notes  Easel pads, whiteboard  Camera

Prototype/Test Stages  Foamboard  Adhesives/connectors  Paper  Camera  Scissors, X-Acto knives  Assorted arts & crafts supplies  Household objects (cans, toothpicks, foil, etc.)

Some web-based programs, apps, and tools you may wish to explore if your group is tech savvy are listed below. We’ve noted costs and other considerations to the extent that we know them.      

Popplet https://popplet.com/: free mind map tool that allows you to add images and drawings, and to print work. Post-It Plus http://www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/ideas/plus-app/: an application allowing project documentation and sharing of work written on Post-it Notes. Autodesk’s 123D http://www.123dapp.com/: a family of modeling applications. One of them, https://www.tinkercad.com/, is great for beginner 3D modeling. Tuva Labs https://tuvalabs.com/: a data sets visualization tool with 25 free data sets; Tuva Premium needed to view the other data sets. Explain Everything http://explaineverything.com/: an online whiteboard animation and presentation tool. Download costs $3.99. InVision www.invisionapp.com: a tool to create screenshots for prototypes of apps or computer programs.

If you know of any other resources that might be helpful to your fellow DT Philly designers, please email info@compete360.org.

Good luck, have fun, & keep in touch!

Project Start-Up “And will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)” –Dr. Seuss

t’s time to set up your team profile, learn about the power of design and the role it plays in your life, and see how design thinking helps you solve problems creatively. Don’t forget to check out other teams’ work throughout DT Philly so you can learn from your fellow design thinkers. You have one week to complete your project start-up activities. Here’s a preview of goals, dates, and activities (more information is provided in the pages that follow): January 11-15: Introduce your team, start learning about design  The “Design Team Profile” deliverable and “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” deliverable are due Friday, January 15.  Optional: “The Wonderful World of Design” inspiration tool, “Let’s Start Talking about Design” achievement activity.

Discussion Topic: What is Design? Visit any design firm website and you will find an “about us” section that introduces you to the company’s key leaders and lets you know what’s special about the company. Before jumping into your first topic, take a moment to create a design team profile and introduce yourselves to the DT Philly community.

Deliverable – Design Team Profile 1. Choose a team name and upload a photo or image for your team logo. 2. Write a brief paragraph in the “About” section introducing your team or answer the introductory interview questions provided. Answer the questions as a team, not individually. 3. Contact Compete 360 (267-886-8233 or kawilliams@compete360.org) and schedule a visit so we can meet your team, answer any questions you may have, help you get started (if necessary), and learn from what you’re doing. 4. Optional: Have each team member choose a new avatar or upload a picture to personalize their account. Due Friday, January 15

So what is design thinking (DT) anyway? The terminology and steps that make up the design thinking process might seem a bit foreign now, but they will soon become familiar. We made a three-minute video for you to help explain what design thinking is and how it works. Watch the video here: https://goo.gl/Q7Lf0v. Design thinking is used in many businesses and industries (including education) to generate creative approaches to existing problems, and it incorporates many of the values and steps designers use when they are creating new products, services, spaces, or experiences. Inspiration Tool – The Wonderful World of Design: When you think about it, everything around us is designed. If you have a few moments, take a spin around the wide world of design with this video: https://goo.gl/FSPKeB. To earn the compass tool for completing this activity, learn and share with us the name of one famous designer and something he or she designed. Then think about the people you know in your own lives. Are any of them designers? If so, tell us who they are and what they do. Submit your responses under the appropriate heading at www.compete360.org. When we talk about how well something works or how well it is designed, we are talking about manmade products, services, places, or experiences that are intended to meet a need. Some things are designed better than others, and learning to see good and bad design will help you see opportunities for improvement and will help you find inspiration for your own work. Think about some of your favorite things and experiences. What do you like about them? What makes them enjoyable or effective? Now think about some of the “pain points” you experience throughout the day…what is it about the product, place, or experience that is annoying or inconvenient? Could these problems be fixed through design?

At right is something we think is well designed—a Timbuk2 messenger bag. Why do we love this product? It is durable but attractive, the shoulder/cross body strap is adjustable and comfortable, it has reflectors on the ends of the closure straps to increase visibility, it has interior compartments to organize items of various sizes, and it has adjustable straps/tabs and Velcro strips to ensure it closes securely even when you stuff it full to capacity. Guess what else? It’s waterproof! This eliminates the need for a common workaround—wrapping belongings in plastic bags before putting them in your bag if you’re going out in the rain—and is an example of how good design can meet latent needs, or needs that people might not be fully aware of. Why do we buy backpacks and other types of bags? To carry our belongings. Keeping our belongings dry might not be the first thing on our mind when buying a bag, but it sure is a great feature.

Unfortunately, not all design is good. Check out the door to the right. Common objects should incorporate design clues that tell the user what to do—in this case, to push, pull, or twist a knob to open the door. A handle typically indicates that you should pull, and a plate or a bar signals people to push. Instructions added to objects or processes, like the “push” sign on these doors, can be a sign that an item is not intuitive and was not well designed. In your daily travels, do you see things like this that are not intuitive or easy to use? A common saying among designers is “there are no stupid users [people who use the design], only bad design.” http://www.doctordisruption.com/wp‐ Remember this as you complete your DT Philly design work!

content/uploads/2013/09/Prag_REST_a ffordance dissonance thumb.png

Deliverable – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Use the cards provided in the zip lock bag labeled for this activity (in your supply kit) to review the characteristics of good and bad design and then discuss whether the items pictured on the cards represent good design or bad design. Share your decisions with us, and, as a team, also come up with and share your own examples of good and bad design (two examples of good design and two examples of bad design) under the appropriate heading at www.compete360.org. Due Friday, January 15 Chances are the designers behind your favorite products or experiences invested a lot of time in research and in experimentation. Why? In order to:     

understand how a product, experience, space, or system can solve a problem or make life better for a group of people (these people are called “users” by designers), explore all the reasons the need is not currently being met through an existing product, imagine new ways to meet the needs they identify, experiment with a variety of possible solutions, and ensure that the solution they think is best actually works.

Achievement Opportunity – Let’s Start Talking about Design: If you like, take your new understanding of good and bad design out of your classroom and to a larger audience. Connect with three adults in your school (not your team teacher) and share with them what you know about the elements of good and bad design. Then, ask them to identify one thing in their classroom, school, community, or life that is an example of good design and one thing that is an example of bad design. Use the template in the back of the handbook or submit your findings in your own format under the appropriate heading at www.compete360.org to earn the Fry/Silver Badge. See p. 4 to learn how Art Fry and Dr. Silver came to invent the Post-it Note.

Plan Ahead: Find Your Design Project Now that you have an understanding of good and bad design, begin to think about things, places, experiences, and systems in your classroom or school that could be improved through the design process. In the next stage of your project, you will consider a variety of design challenges around you, choose one to become your project, and start learning about your design problem.

Stage 1: Empathize “Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.” –Steve Jobs

n this phase of DT Philly, you will identify opportunities to use design to solve a problem and select a challenge to address. Why is this stage important? To help you choose a project that is exciting and gives you room to be creative while also being manageable. Here’s a 95-second video we made to introduce you to this stage of your design work: https://goo.gl/xNuzO1.

You have two weeks to complete your empathy work. Here’s a preview of goals, dates, and activities (more information is provided in the pages that follow): January 18 – 29: Identify design challenges and choose a project  The “Design Challenges around Us” deliverable is due Friday, January 22.  The “How Might We…” deliverable is due Friday, January 29.  Optional: “In Their Shoes” inspiration tool, “Get the Picture” achievement activity. Inspiration Tool – In Their Shoes: There’s nothing like taking a walk in someone else’s shoes to develop empathy. A variety of conditions, from aging to diabetes, can impact a person’s vision. If you have time, see for yourself how everyday activities become more difficult with impaired vision. Have one or more members of your team try on the special glasses in your supply kit and attempt a series of tasks like: climbing the stairs or navigating uneven pavement or curbs (with a helper close at hand so you don’t fall), lacing your shoes, reading a set of instructions, signing your name to a document, sending a text message or typing a number into a phone, and anything else you can think of! To document your activity and earn the pliers tool, upload photos and text or video and audio describing your experience under the appropriate heading at www.compete360.org. If you like, tweet something about this activity to @compete360 and we’ll tweet back to you!

Discussion Topic: Seeing Design Challenges around You Design challenges are everywhere. The one you choose for your project is ultimately up to your team, but for the sake of efficiency (time is a design constraint everyone faces!) we recommend that you take a look around your classroom and your school and choose a design challenge that is close at hand.

Here’s a quick exercise to help you recognize design challenges: What do the following photos tell you about how the sidewalks are laid out?

Image posted by George Redgrave at https://www.flickr.com/photos/funfilledgeorgie/ 10157773535 under a Creative Commons Attribution‐No Derivative 2.0 license.

Image posted by felixphs at https://www.flickr.com/photos/felixphs/7164193 775/in/photostream/ under a Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial –ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

The dirt paths—also known as a desire paths—emerged because there was a disconnect between what was provided (the existing walkways) and what people wanted (the shortest path from point A to point B). Gaps or disconnects like this exist all around us. They can be hard to spot at first, because we are very adaptable and we develop ways of working around problems or inefficiencies (taking your own path instead of the sidewalk). One way to find the gaps is to start thinking about the shortcuts you take, or about the frustrations you experience throughout the day. Here’s an example of how everyday inconveniences can become potential design projects: Jada, a 4th grade student, has the following experiences as she goes about her day. She might describe those experiences with a complaint or by expressing a wish that something could be different or better. From each wish or complaint, we can identify a design challenge focus. At this point, you do not want to suggest solutions to solve the problem. Things that are frustrating, annoying, uncomfortable: Trying to find a pencil in a messy desk

The wish or complaint: I wish my desk wasn’t so messy.

What might be a design challenge focus? Improving desk organization

Standing in a long cafeteria line and not having enough time to eat Graffiti on the rec center building Litter at the bus stop

No crosswalk on busy street where lots of students try to cross

I wish I had more time to eat lunch and didn’t have to wait in such a long line.

Changing how we get lunch so we have more time

It makes it seem like nobody cares. It’s gross how much trash is on this corner.

Preventing graffiti Reducing litter

It’s crazy how fast people drive and how often kids almost get hit.

Ways to ensure safe street crossing

Deliverable – Design Challenges around Us As a team, create a table or use the response template in the back of the handbook to identify 3 to 5 problems in your classroom or school, a wish or complaint you have for each problem, and a possible design challenge focus for each problem. Try to list only problems that could be solved by designing a product, a space, a service, or a system or experience. Upload or enter your responses under the appropriate assignment at www.compete360.org. Due Friday, January 22

Achievement Opportunity – Get the Picture: Taking pictures is a great way to document your work. Start getting into the habit by taking and submitting at least three original photos (ones taken by your team) depicting some of the problems you identified above, including text that describes what each photo shows, to earn the Greenwood Badge. See p. 4 to learn what Chester Greenwood liked doing that inspired his invention. Now that you’ve come up with a list of problems and possibilities, it’s time to choose one that will become your design challenge. You will want to interview and observe people who experience this problem, so consider how much access you have to those users (and whether you have sufficient time and resources to complete your project) when making your decision.

Discussion Topic: Writing a Design Problem Statement Briefly discuss and vote on the design challenges you identified. You may wish to list all of the possibilities on chart paper or a whiteboard and have team members put a star or check mark next to the two challenges they are most interested in pursuing. Questions you might consider in selecting your challenge include:

  

Who is this helping and why is it important? (Is this a desirable project to pursue?) How might we approach this—could we solve it by creating a product, system, place, service or experience; is it broad enough to allow for creativity but focused enough to be manageable? (Is this feasible?) Are there any obvious constraints that make this an unrealistic undertaking? (Is this viable?)

You’ll be spending a lot of time on this project, so think about how excited or interested you are in each of the challenges you are considering. Picking a problem is not quite the same thing as defining a design challenge. Problems tend to be very broad and messy (for example, students litter and deface or vandalize school property). Defining your design challenge translates that messy problem into an approachable, understandable, and actionable question (for example, How might we encourage students to take care of our surroundings to make the school nicer for everyone?). Define your design challenge with a question rather than with a statement that suggests an answer to the problem. Starting with a question allows you to explore the problem fully and creatively without leaping to conclusions about solutions. For example, if your problem is a messy school, and you define the design challenge with a statement like “we’re going to create an anti-littering campaign,” you’re not allowing for the possibility that more trash cans, better placement of trash and recycling bins, a rewards program, a school ownership/pride program, or other options could be great solutions or part of a multifaceted solution. It is common to start design problem statements with the words “How might we…” And it can be helpful to think about it as if you’re filling in a MadLib: How might we do what (prevent littering) where (in our school) why (to make the building a more pleasant place to be)? Constructing a good design problem statement can be challenging but it also provides an important compass point to guide your work.

Jada and a group of her friends decide that keeping their rec center nice is important to them. They decide to work together to find a way to prevent graffiti at their rec center. When choosing this problem, they considered the following: Who is this helping?  Mr. Jim, the rec center building engineer  The rec center staff  People who use, live near, and/or commute past the rec center Why is this important?  The rec center staff paints over the graffiti every time the building gets tagged.  Students who attend the after‐school program feel like the graffiti on their building sends a message that no one cares about the rec center or the people there.  Graffiti‐free walls make the neighborhood feel nicer. Could anything prevent us from doing this?

 No, we can talk to and observe the people who are affected, and we can observe what goes on. Jada and her friends might then write the following design problem statement: How might we help prevent graffiti at the Willow Street Rec Center to ensure that this public do what where why space is attractive and pleasant for employees, people who use the center, and neighbors? for whom

Before submitting work, check that your team understands:  

what to consider when choosing a good design challenge; and why it’s important to begin with a question and not a solution to the problem.

Deliverable – How Might We… Identify the problem you would like to address, share your design problem statement in “How might we” format, and answer the Quick Check questions—who is this helping, why is it important, do you have the time and resources you need to design a solution? To stay true to the design thinking process and to allow for maximum creativity, make sure you begin with a question and not a solution to your problem. Use and upload the template provided or enter your responses under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org. Due Friday, January 29

Plan Ahead: Prepare for Research In the next stage, your team will work to define your design challenge through extensive research. Research takes time, so as soon as you settle on a project look ahead to research methods and get a jump start on these activities. Really great solutions come from a deep understanding of people and their needs, as well as a deep understanding of the environment in which and conditions under which your solution would work.

Stage 2: Define “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” –Henry David Thoreau

his phase of the design process asks you to gain deep insights into all aspects of your challenge and your users’ needs. You can’t “Google” your way to understanding a problem or a person’s perspective, so make sure your team gets out of the classroom and gets an in-depth and up-close look at the problem you’re addressing, your users (the people you are designing for), and your design environment. Why is this stage important? To achieve a thorough understanding of the problem—as the people you want to help experience it—and to turn your research into actionable insights that will guide your brainstorming. Watch this 110-second video for an overview of this stage of your design work: https://goo.gl/Bg9oWp. You have two weeks to complete your work for this stage. Here’s a preview of goals, dates, and activities (more information is provided in the pages that follow): February 1 – 12: Conduct research and identify insights into your challenge  Your “Brain Dump” deliverable is due Friday, February 5.  The “Empathy Map” deliverable is due Friday, February 12.  Optional: “Look Closely” inspiration tool, “Scavenger Hunt” achievement activity. Inspiration Tool – Look Closely: Be eagle-eyed and have some fun! Good design research requires you to be keen observers of your users and your environment. Prepare to observe your users by watching this two-minute whodunit video: https://goo.gl/Y2O2s7. To document your work and earn the tape measure tool, go to the appropriate assignment at compete360.org and tell us all the things that changed. Play fair…the end of the video reveals the answers. If you pause at 57 seconds you can record your observations before they show you what you might have missed.

Discussion Topic: Planning and Conducting Research Your team may already have some knowledge and ideas about your design challenge, so begin with a quick “brain dump” exercise to figure out what you know, your next steps, and potential pitfalls. Find the zip lock bag in your DT Philly supply kit that contains the cards for the Brain

Dump activity and use them to record what you already know, what you need to find out, and what research strategies you will use to move ahead. Once you’ve figured out what you want to learn and how to go about that, you’re ready to jump into your research. Research takes time, so get started as soon as you can, and consider working in pairs or small groups to divvy up and complete your work. Here are some common research strategies that designers use: Talk to People One of the best ways to learn about your users’ needs is to talk to them. When you do this, it’s important to leave assumptions behind and focus on understanding their perspective—not only what they say and do but also how they feel and what they think. Here are some tips for talking to users: Confirm details. Make sure you and your users know when/where/how you will talk. Confirm phone numbers, meeting times, etc. Try to meet on the user’s home turf. The more comfortable your user is, the more you will learn. Eliminate distractions. You won’t learn much if you’re texting a friend or doing anything other than giving people your full attention. Know your role and record what people say. Before your team starts interviewing, make sure you know your roles. One person should ask the questions while another takes careful notes, and maybe a third member can take photos or record video (with permission). Ask neutral questions. Try not to use words that imply value or judgment…for example, ask “How do you feel about…” rather than “Do you think it’s bad (or good) that…” Encourage storytelling. Ask open-ended questions that lead to conversational answers rather than questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” Embrace the silence. If a user pauses while thinking about how to answer, or struggles to find the right words to share his or her thoughts, don’t try to fill in words or answers for them. Wait, patiently, for them to speak. Ask why. Be truly curious and ask follow-up questions. Look for non-verbal communication. Body language and emotions are helpful forms of communication.

Ask people to show you. Sometimes there are surprising inconsistencies between what people say and what they do. If a person is explaining how they do something, ask if they’d mind showing you. Ask for referrals. If you need to speak with additional users or different types of users, ask the person you’re interviewing for suggestions or introductions. You can also engage with users through group meetings or surveys, but these are not always effective strategies because people can be less open when speaking in a group or might be swayed by others’ statements, and surveys don’t allow you to dig more deeply with follow-up questions. Observe People and Situations (Environmental Observations) Seeing what people do rather than what they say can give you valuable insights into your users and your design problem. How you conduct observations depends on your goal. If, for example, you want to learn how people use an object or perform a task, you might ask your users if you can sit with them and observe, taking notes about the steps they perform as part of the process, actions that are awkward or inefficient, any emotions (positive or negative) they express, etc. This is what Procter and Gamble, the makers of Swiffer, did when they wanted to better understand how people clean their homes so that they could develop new products…they literally watched people mop their floors. If, on the other hand, you want to observe group behavior in a public space, you may simply sit off to the side and take notes about all of the things that happen over a period of time. To research littering at transit stops, for example, you might first observe how many people arrive or depart with something disposable in their hands, like a to-go cup or a receipt from a ticket purchase. You might also observe how many people use the trash cans, how many people litter, and the locations of the trash cans in relation to where littering takes place. Always be respectful of the privacy of others when conducting observations by getting permission to take photographs or use identifying information like a user’s real name. Photos and video can be valuable in your research, but you want to make sure no identifying information is revealed for someone who hasn’t given you permission to use their image or information. Live like the User Living like the user means putting yourself in your user’s position and going through what they experience. Experiencing something firsthand can be a powerful way to gain insight not only into what your users do but also how they think and feel, which is a great way to empathize with your user.

Learn from Experts If you have access to someone who has in-depth knowledge of a subject or technique that is relevant to your design challenge, schedule a time to speak with him or her. You can also learn from experts by reading published works. Remember, anyone can publish information on the Internet, so be sure any “expert” information you use comes from reliable and established sources. Similar Settings The same behaviors or problems that need to be addressed in your design challenge can be present in other places as well, and seeing how things work in a different setting (noting differences and similarities) can spark ideas for your design work. The setting may be parallel to yours (for example, your school and another school), or it may be quite different (for example you may be looking at the need for more effective communication between teachers and students, so you may look to another industry with similar communication needs…like healthcare and how effective communication takes place between doctors and patients). Use your Brain Dump cards to help your team identify who you will talk to or observe, what other research strategies you might use, and what questions need to be answered.

Jada’s group used the Brain Dump cards to write down what they know and what they need to find out. Once they figure out what they need to learn more about, they’ll be able to choose research strategies, like talking to users and experts, observing users, or learning from similar settings.

Deliverable – Brain Dump Use the cards provided (in the labeled zip lock bag in your supply kit) to facilitate your brain dump and determine what research strategies you will use. Upload images of those cards or enter your responses under the appropriate activity on www.compete360.org. Due Friday, February 5

Don’t forget that research takes time, so get started right away…the next thing we ask you to submit will require findings from your research!

Discussion Topic: Organizing and Analyzing Findings Once you’ve conducted your research, review what you learned to create a complete picture of your users’ experiences and your design problem.

Start by reviewing your notes, photographs, video, etc. Have each team member use Post-it Notes to share what they learned, including:     

Brief descriptions of the users you met or spoke with. Direct quotes from the people you spoke with in order to accurately capture their perspectives and voices. How your users act, what they do, and interesting or surprising discoveries or inconsistencies you found. Your best understanding/interpretation of what the users think and feel (for example, the emotions people expressed, and what people cared about). Questions that remain unanswered, or new questions that came up during research.

It’s common for designers in certain professions to tell the story of their users through something called an empathy map. The empathy map helps capture everything you know about the people you’re designing for and helps you turn your research findings into insights about the needs your solution could address. Your empathy map will be a tool your team can refer back to throughout your design work. To create your empathy map, divide a piece of chart paper into four quadrants and label them “Say,” “Do,” “Think,” and “Feel” (or use the template in the back of this handbook). Place an image or description of a typical user in the center to remind you who you are going to help, and place the Post-it Notes with your findings in the appropriate places. Anything that doesn’t fit into one of the existing categories can get placed off to the side of your empathy map and organized by common themes. Once you’ve filled in all of your findings and looked them over, you should start realizing different needs your solution could address in order to solve your design problem. Write these needs down next to your empathy map…you will use them for brainstorming in the next phase of your project.

An empathy map created by members of Jada’s design group might look something like this:

Mr. Jim, Rec Center Staff

Deliverable – Empathy Map Upload your empathy map to document what you’ve learned about your users and design challenge and what needs your solution could address. You can use the template in the back of this handbook or submit images of a map you create. Submit your deliverable under the appropriate heading at www.compete360.org. Due Friday, February 12

Achievement Opportunity – Scavenger Hunt: Practice your exploration skills by completing a website scavenger hunt. The instructions are available on a template in the back of this handbook and at compete360.org under the appropriate heading. Upload or submit your answers to earn the Priestly/Nairne badge. See p. 4 to learn more about Joseph Priestly, Edward Nairne, and how the eraser was invented.

Plan Ahead: Prepare to Brainstorm Now that you’ve identified different needs your solution could address, you’re ready to start brainstorming all the possible ways to meet those needs. You’ll want to rev up your creativity for this stage of your design work and come up with a large number of ideas, from the practical to the wildly impractical. Even ideas that seem crazy at first can inspire new thinking! After you finish brainstorming, you’ll mix and match ideas to generate concepts for potential solutions.

Stage 3: Ideate “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.” –Henry Ford

n the third phase of the design process, your team will use the needs you identified to start generating a wide range of ideas about how to solve different aspects of your design problem. Think as broadly as possible and include crazy, off-the-wall ideas. When you’re finished brainstorming, you’ll sift through your ideas to find the ones you can use or combine to create a great solution to your design challenge. Why is this stage important? To push the envelope and find new and creative solutions to existing problems. Here’s a two and a half minute introduction to ideation and brainstorming that we made for you: https://goo.gl/BKkdRm.

You have one week to complete your ideation work. Here’s a preview of goals, dates, and activities (more information is provided in the pages that follow): February 15 – 19: Identify insights and brainstorm  The “Genius at Work” deliverable is due Friday, February 19.  Optional: “Just for Fun – The Fast Lane” inspiration tool, “Wild Thing” achievement activity.

Discussion Topic: Brainstorming Use the Post-it notes identifying the needs you came up with as part of your empathy map activity as the starting point for brainstorming. The goal of your brainstorm is to come up with many possible ways to meet each of those needs. Here are some tips to make brainstorming positive and productive:       

Suspend judgement: during brainstorming, there is no such thing as a bad idea. Think crazy: a far-out idea that doesn’t seem very practical may inspire a better idea. Add on: build on the ideas of others by thinking “yes, and…” instead of “no” or “but….” Be visual: make sketches of ideas as well as writing quick descriptions. Give everyone a chance to be heard: different perspectives contribute to better solutions. Maintain momentum and energy: if you are stuck, take a break, do something to loosen up, and then return to brainstorming. Go big: set a goal to generate a huge number of ideas. Adding constraints can help lead you in new directions and bring up new ideas. (For example, “What if it had to cost less than $____ to build?” or “How would the principal of our school do this?”). 25

Inspiration Tool – Just for Fun: The Fast Lane: Sometimes you have to think outside the box when coming up with ideas to solve your problem. Watch this video about one way to make grocery shopping more fun and be inspired: https://goo.gl/8KCQUA (The Fast Lane - grocery store). Fun is a powerful motivator. To complete this activity and earn your pencil tool, tell us how you could redesign one thing in your lives to be more fun. Submit your answer under the appropriate heading at compete360.org. And if you enjoyed that video, here are two more from the same initiative: https://goo.gl/tmE22c (elevator), https://goo.gl/aB3YMf (slide). To keep your brainstorming focused, try the following approach: 1. Put the Post It Notes that identify your needs up on the wall or whiteboard, leaving space underneath and around each one. These will function as headings for your brainstorming. 2. Give each student 10 Post-It Notes and, starting with the first area of need, ask them to silently jot down all of the possible ways to meet that need (one idea per Post-It Note). Let them write for 3-5 minutes, then ask them to put their notes on the wall under the heading for that area of need. 3. Repeat this process for each need you have. 4. After you’ve finished generating ideas individually, gather around the first group of Postit Notes and discuss. Group together Post-its with similar ideas, ask for details about things that aren’t self explanatory, and add Post-its with any new ideas that come up during discussion. 5. Repeat this for each need.

Jada’s group did some individual brainstorming and then came together as a group to review and build on each other’s ideas. Here are some ideas they generated, organized by the needs they are meant to address.

Last year a DT Philly middle school team came up with seven needs their solution could address, and sixty-six ideas, ranging from the practical to the wild, for meeting those needs! Can you match their brainstorming prowess?

Deliverable – Genius at Work Upload your brainstorming ideas, organized by the need they address, under the Genius at Work heading on www.compete360.org. You can use the response template in the back of this handbook, or submit your own document or clear photos of your work. Due Friday, February 19

Achievement Opportunity – Wild Thing: Show us your wild side by sharing and briefly explaining the three craziest ideas your team came up with during brainstorming. Use the template in the back of the handbook or enter your responses (text or photos from your brainstorm board) under the “Wild Thing” activity at www.compete360.org to earn the McVicker Badge. See p. 4 to learn how Joe McVicker reinvented a cleaning product as the wildly popular toy, Play-Doh.

Plan Ahead: Prepare for Prototyping In the next phase of your project, you’ll generate design concepts (more fully formed solution ideas) based on your brainstorming work and build rapid prototypes of your two favorite concepts. Prototypes are physical versions of your idea. Creating prototypes allows your team to interact with your design concept in a real way. The kind of prototype you will make depends on what you are designing. If you are creating a physical object, then you will want to make a prototype you can touch and handle. If you are designing a service, program, campaign, software or similar item, you may want to create a storyboard, a process map, a mock up, or a role play to help bring your idea to life.

Stage 4: Prototype “My designer friends…just never mind trying something. They just don’t mind being wrong, having a bad idea, as long as that being wrong, that bad idea, helps them get to the next stage of a good idea.”—Roger Martin

he ideas you came up with during brainstorming will become the basis for sketching your design solution ideas (also called design concepts), and you will use those sketches to develop prototypes. A prototype is a model or representation that brings a design idea to life and helps answer important questions like “Will this design element work?” and “Will users know how to use this?” Ideally, your prototypes will be something your users, your design team, and others can touch or experience. Why is this stage important? To create something you can test with users and to see if your proposed solution works the way you think it will. This 90-second video provides a quick introduction to prototyping: https://goo.gl/81dCxh. You have two weeks to complete your work for the prototype stage. Here’s a preview of goals, dates, and activities (more information is provided in the pages that follow): February 22- March 4: Sketch design ideas and make quick models of promising solutions  The “Design Ideas” deliverable is due Friday, February 26.  The “Rapid Prototypes” deliverable is due Friday, March 4.  Optional: “Landfill Harmonic” inspiration tool, “Design Like a Pro” achievement activity. Inspiration Tool – Landfill Harmonic: Prototyping is about getting your ideas out of your head and into the real world using materials you have at your disposal. Think you need fancy materials to create something amazing? Watch this short video clip about the Landfill Harmonic for inspiration and then see if you can create one or more instruments using everyday objects: www.landfillharmonicmovie.com (select “watch trailer”). Submit photos and text, or video and audio, to document your work and earn the saw tool.

Discussion Topic: Sketching Design Ideas It’s time to take the great ideas you came up with during brainstorming and figure out what potential solutions might look like. This phase of the design process calls for you to express your ideas visually. Sketches, diagrams, process maps, and other types of drawings are effective

ways to convey ideas quickly and to share the look and feel of your design concept. Revisit the ideas you generated during brainstorming and combine your favorite ideas from different areas of need to imagine a solution to your design challenge. Here are some tips for producing good drawings:  Make it big enough to be seen easily.  Erase any mistakes or unnecessary marks by moving your eraser gently in one direction.  Use dark lines (ask yourself if your sketch can be seen from 10 steps away).  Use pencil first and then trace over it with fine point black marker, if needed, to improve visibility.  Label where appropriate, writing explanatory notes on lines that point to the feature you are describing.  Title the drawing, and include your name.

After their brainstorming work, Jada’s group generated several design concepts: Neighborhood watch concept

Rotating student artwork concept

Mosaic and mural concept

Sharp plant concept

Vines and planter concept

Deliverable – Design Ideas Decide which brainstorming ideas are the most exciting or have the most potential to solve your design challenge, and create 3 to 5 visual depictions (sketches, process maps, diagrams, storyboards, etc.) of how those ideas could come together in different ways to form potential solutions. Be sure to label any features that require explanation, and to include your name and a title for your drawing. You can use the response template in the back of this handbook, or submit your own documents, scans, or photos. Submit your drawings under the appropriate assignment at www.compete360.org. Due Friday, February 26

As a team, you must decide which concepts to prototype. Put all of the sketches up on a wall and have team members review them and vote for the two concepts they think could best solve your design problem. If it helps you narrow your choices, you may wish to have team members cast votes for two concepts—the idea that seems most innovative, and the idea that seems most likely to succeed. Remember, you can choose to combine elements from different concepts and sketches if that makes sense. Achievement Opportunity – Design Like a Pro: Professional designers get feedback on their work throughout the design process, so make a like a pro and invite Compete 360 out for a design review of your work to date. Share one thing you learned from the design review under the appropriate heading at www.compete360.org and earn the Friedman Badge. See p. 4 to learn more about Joseph Friedman and for whom he created the flex straw.

Discussion Topic: Building Rapid Prototypes Prototyping is not about getting it right the first time, it’s about being able to share your idea with your users so they can experience the design. By putting your concept in physical form, you will get to see what parts of your idea work well and why the parts that don’t work well need improvement. Most prototypes change significantly over time as you advance your understanding of what works. Prototypes can take many forms, including physical objects, mock ups, process or journey maps, role plays, diagrams, storyboards, advertisements, etc. It’s important to keep in mind that most physical prototypes can be built out of basic, everyday materials. Refer to page 6 of this handbook for supplies and resources you may find useful. It’s o.k. to fake some functionality in order to prototype, just like the musical trash can prototype from the prototyping video we shared with you at the start of this section (see p. 28 for the link to the video if you did not watch it already). 31

Jada’s group chose to prototype a few concepts and were able to do so with materials they had at hand. For example, they attached toothpicks to cardboard boxes to simulate thorny bushes, drew a chalk mural that would wash away in the rain, simulated vines with construction paper and string, and created models of planters out of cardboard and duct tape. Sharp bushes and mural prototype (physical prototype) Vines and planter prototype (physical prototype)

Neighborhood watch prototype (advertisement, mock up prototype)

Deliverable – Rapid Prototypes Upload photos (diagrams, video, etc. as appropriate) of two different rapid prototypes your team built. Include text or audio describing your prototype. Submit your files under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org. Due Friday, March 4

You can start evaluating your prototypes even before you take them out to your users for testing. Begin by revisiting your design challenge statement (“how might we…”). Then, have a team member or members present each of your prototypes for consideration, explaining the prototype’s key features, how it meets the needs of users, and any areas you’ve already identified for improvement. Now that you’ve given form to your design ideas, you may begin to see how appealing (or not) the idea might be to your users and how well it closes the gap between what your users have and what they need. Based on your own evaluations, and then your experience testing your ideas with users, you may decide to choose one prototype over another, to combine different elements of your prototypes in one new solution, or even to start over if your ideas have drifted from your original goal or if you missed an important consideration in your design. 33

Plan Ahead: Prepare to Test and Improve Your Prototype Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to see how well your design ideas work to solve the problem you set out to address. When you test your solutions with your users, pay close attention to what they do and how they react when experiencing your prototype. This feedback will help you improve your design solution.

Stage 5: Test “It’s a lot like karaoke, right? You gotta kinda like get out, take a chance.” –David Kelley

haring your prototypes with your users and other people provides valuable information about what works, what is desirable and what may be confusing about your design. During this phase of your project you will get feedback and revise your design solution based on what you learn from user testing. Why is this stage important? To see how well you have succeeded in meeting your users’ needs. When you finish testing, you want to be able to answer this question: How do we know our design works? This 110-second video demonstrates the importance of testing your work: https://goo.gl/et5jpa.

You have one week to test your prototypes. Here’s a preview of goals, dates, and activities (more information is provided in the pages that follow): March 7 – 11: Test your solution  The “Test Everything” deliverable is due Friday, March 11.  Optional: “See for Yourself” inspiration tool, “Round 2” achievement activity. Inspiration Tool – See for Yourself: Lots of unintended (and sometimes unfortunate) things can happen if you don’t test your designs. See for yourself by taking the pencil in the zip lock bag labeled for this activity and slowly sharpening it in stages (take it out of the sharpener frequently to see what’s happening) until it is only 1/3 of its original size (or smaller). Take pictures of the engraved part of the pencil to keep track of how it changes as the pencil gets smaller, and upload the photos under the appropriate heading on the website to earn the square tool.

Discussion Topic: Getting User Feedback Testing your design helps your team know if your prototypes meet the specific needs of your users. Your prototypes don’t have to be complete or perfect before you use them to test your ideas. One benefit of rapid prototypes is that they allow you to “fail fast” and edit your design concept quickly. Consider the best ways to get feedback on your prototypes. Should you invite users into your classroom or take your prototypes out to the places where your design problem occurs? If you’re

prototyping a service, will you create a role-play, or will you mock up a service experience for users to try, or will you show them a process map? Here are a few more tips for user testing:    

Put your prototype out there with as little comment or instruction as possible and see how people respond (don’t “sell” it to the people you’re testing with). Ask users to give you the play-by-play as they experience your prototype, describing what they are doing, thinking, and feeling. Watch what people do without guiding or correcting them. If users seem unsure about what to do or ask questions of you, respond with gentle questions of your own. (“What do you think it might do?” or “Would you like to try it?)

Be sharp observers and good note takers during your user testing so you capture as much feedback as possible. After you test your design with users, discuss with your team what you saw, heard, and observed. The feedback you received should help you understand the following:       

what your users liked, what surprised them, what confused them, what didn’t work the way you intended, what would convince them to use your solution, what questions still need to be answered, and what barriers might prevent people from adopting your solution.

You may not be able to incorporate all of the feedback you received into a single refined prototype, so you will have to evaluate and prioritize what you learned and decide what modifications you will make to your design.

Jada’s group tested their prototypes to see if they would help prevent graffiti. From testing, they learned important things about their designs, including some things that surprised them. Sharp bushes and mural test To prototype the sharp bushes, Jada’s group took large boxes and stuck toothpicks through the sides so a sharp end was sticking out. For the mural prototype, Jada drew fun shapes on the wall with chalk that would wash away later in the rain. The group placed the prototype bushes in front of the wall and asked some of their friends to try to write graffiti on the wall. They gave them some more chalk to try to write, but the friends had a really hard time getting past the bush prototypes without getting poked by the sharp toothpicks. Jada’s group also asked Mr. Jim what he thought of this idea. He agreed that using bushes with thorns would keep people away from the wall and pointed out that if they planted blackberry bushes, neighbors might be more interested in walking down the alley to pick some berries.

Vines and planter test Since Jada’s group didn’t have time to grow their own vines, they taped some thick string with cut out paper leaves attached to a small section on the wall. They set up the cardboard planter box prototype and asked some kids at the rec center to try to write on the wall. They stumbled trying to get over the fake raised planter boxes. Once they got to the wall they weren’t sure what to do because the vines were in the way. The group asked Mr. Jim what he thought. He said this was a really good idea, but told them that when vines grow on a brick wall, they can damage the wall. The rec center doesn’t want that! Neighborhood watch test With one of the rec center teachers, Jada’s group went around the neighborhood to ask people to sign up for the neighborhood watch. Only one person said they would think about signing up. Everyone else they asked said they didn’t have time or wouldn’t be comfortable going down the alley at night. Even the people who said they didn’t like having the graffiti on the wall weren’t interested in signing up. This was really discouraging, but this helped Jada’s team realize they’d have to go with a design that didn’t require people to be around to prevent the graffiti.

Deliverable – Test Everything Tell us how you tested your design and got user feedback, including one or two things you learned from testing. Use the response template in the back of this handbook, or submit your own documents under the appropriate heading at www.compete360.org. Due Friday, March 11

Testing is an iterative process (you can do it again and again), and designers often use what they learned in their first round of testing to improve their design solution and then retest the new prototype to confirm that it does what they expect it to do. Achievement Opportunity – Round 2: Use what you learned from your first round of testing to revise your design idea and test your refined prototype with your users to see if you’ve made additional progress in solving your design problem. Submit photos and text or video and audio to document your activity at www.compete360.org and earn the Van Kannel Badge. See p. 5 to learn more about Philadelphia inventor Theophilus Van Kannel and what supposedly motivated him to design the revolving door.

Plan Ahead: Get Ready for the DT Philly Design Showcase Congratulations! You’ve done a lot of great design work over the last few months, and it’s time to share your project with the DT Philly community. Communicating ideas is an important part of the design process, and we can’t wait to hear the story behind your design project! 37

The DT Philly Design Showcase

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”—Steve Jobs

eams will use the guidelines provided in this section to tell the story of their design project. Compete 360 will compile all of the submissions into a presentation that will be shared with and reviewed by a panel of design professionals. Each team will receive feedback on their project, and final projects will be displayed on the website. Why is presenting your work important? To hone your communication skills and to receive recognition for the work you have done! You have one week to prepare your Design Showcase submission. Here’s a preview of goals, dates, and activities (more information is provided in the pages that follow): March 14 - 18: Present your project work  The “Ta Da” deliverable is due Friday, March 18.  Optional: “The DT Phillys” inspiration tool, “Spread the Word” achievement activity. Inspiration Tool – The DT Phillys: Design is a collaborative process, and inspiration and learning are everywhere. Check out the work of your fellow design teams in the 3rd – 5th grade division and recognize someone else’s good work by creating and awarding your own badge to them. Submit your badge under the appropriate heading at compete360.org to earn the paintbrush tool. Be sure to include a picture and the title of your award, and tell us what inspired you to award your “DT Philly” to the team you chose.

Discussion Topic: Presenting Your Work Use the slides we provide under the “Design Showcase” heading at compete360.org (you can edit these slides or create your own format) to tell the story of your project. If you use your own format, be sure you use pictures and text to provide all of the information requested. Like all good stories, yours will have a beginning, a middle, and a conclusion. It will also have:    

characters—your design team and your users, a conflict—the problem you are addressing, a journey—the things you learned and did through research, brainstorming, and prototyping, and a resolution—your amazing design solution.

As part of your presentation, be sure to give the product, service, place, or experience you designed a catchy and descriptive name or title. Images are a compelling way to bring your project to life, so be sure to include pictures as well as text in your presentation. You will also want to make sure your story conveys the following:    

empathy for your user (let us know how well you understood the people you were designing for); the creativity you brought to the problem (let us know what is unique or special about your design work); your understanding of the design process (let us know that you used all steps of the process to create a desirable, innovative, and effective solution); why your solution works (let us know why people will want to use it, how well it solves the problem, and how realistic it is).

Deliverable – Ta Da! Using the template provided or your own format (just be sure to provide all of the information requested in our template) upload your project presentation under the appropriate heading at www.compete360.org or email it to info@compete360.org. Due Friday, March 18

Achievement Opportunity – Spread the Word: Go one step further in sharing the story of your design project by making a presentation to people from your school (visit a neighboring classroom, make it part of a school assembly, or invite the principal and some staff to hear about your project). If you like, you can invite Compete 360 to attend, too! Submit photos and text, or video and audio, to document your in-school presentation at www.compete360.org and earn the Tsai Badge. See p. 5 to learn more about engineer Gino Tsai and the original purpose of the Razor Scooter.

Discussion Topic: Feedback Feedback is an important part of the design process. Your presentation will be reviewed by a panel of professional designers and you will receive comments from them when you return from spring break. Our review panel will be looking at your project for evidence that you developed a thorough understanding of the people you were designing for, that you researched your design problem, that you were creative in exploring possible solutions, that you created and tested models of promising ideas, that your solution works, and that your solution is desirable and viable.

We also need feedback from you to learn about your experience and see how we can improve DT Philly, so we’ve included a feedback exercise we’d like each member of your team to complete for your final deliverable.

Deliverable – I Like/I Wish/What If Now it’s your turn to be a reviewer. To earn the final piece of your DT Philly puzzle, share feedback about your DT Philly experience by having each team member (students and teacher) complete an I Like/I Wish/What If form. Use the template in the back of the handbook or available under the appropriate heading at www.compete360.org. Please upload or enter your responses through the website, or email them to info@compete360.org. Due Friday, March 18

Congratulations on completing DT Philly, and thanks for joining us this year!

Appendix Schedule and Deliverables Unless otherwise noted, please submit work by 6:00 p.m. on the due date. Progress toward project completion will be documented on the Compete 360 website. All of the deliverables described below will be in the form of text or uploaded documents (video, photo, sketch, word processing, spreadsheets, pdf, scan, etc.) and will be submitted through your user account at www.compete360.org. Date Deliverables & Activities Saturday, January 9 Teacher training Project Start Up (January 11 – January 15) Inspiration Tool The Wonderful World of Design Friday, January 15  Design Team Profile  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Achievement Activity Let’s Start Talking about Design Stage 1: Empathize (January 18 – January 29) Inspiration Tool In Their Shoes Friday, January 22  Design Challenges around Us Friday, January 29  How Might We… Achievement Activity Get the Picture Stage 2: Define (February 1 – February 12) Inspiration Tool Look Closely Friday, February 5  Brain Dump Friday, February 12  Empathy Map Achievement Activity Scavenger Hunt Stage 3: Ideate (February 15 – February 19) Inspiration Tool Just for Fun – The Fast Lane Friday, February 19  Genius at Work Achievement Activity Wild Thing Stage 4: Prototype (February 22 – March 4) Inspiration Tool Landfill Harmonic Friday, February 26  Design Ideas Friday, March 4  Rapid Prototypes Achievement Activity Landfill Harmonic Stage 5: Test (March 7 – March 11) Inspiration Tool See for Yourself Friday, March 11  Test Everything Achievement Activity Round 2

Design Showcase (March 14 – March 18) Inspiration Tool The DT Phillys Friday, March 18  Ta Da!  I Like/I Wish/What If Achievement Activity Spread the Word

Definitions Achievement: An optional activity that challenges you to go one step further in your project work. Completing and submitting these activities earns your team virtual badges to be displayed on your team page. Constraint: A restriction or limitation. Define: The second phase of the design thinking process where you collect and analyze information to advance your understanding of your design challenge. Deliverable: A document or file you submit to demonstrate progress on your project. You will earn one piece of a 12-piece puzzle for each deliverable you submit. Turn in all of your deliverables and you will have a complete puzzle as a memento of your DT Philly experience. Design challenge: The specific problem you are addressing. Design thinking: A structured problem-solving methodology that embraces collaboration, creativity, optimism, action, experimentation, and iteration. Desire path: A path—usually made by walking—that typically represents the shortest or easiest way to get from one point to another. DT: An abbreviation we use for design thinking. DT Philly: A design thinking initiative developed by Compete 360 for Philadelphia public schools. Empathize: The first phase of the design thinking process where you select and frame a design challenge. Empathy map: A tool to help you paint a picture of your user and develop insights into their needs. Gap in user experience: The disparity between what a person needs and what exists to address that need. HMW: “How might we.” Statements that begin with this phrase are the conventional way to describe a design challenge. Ideate: The third stage of the design thinking process. In this phase, you brainstorm possible solutions to aspects of your design challenge in order to generate concepts to prototype. Inspiration tool: Optional activities intended to inspire and prepare you for your upcoming design work. Completing and submitting these activities will earn your team virtual “tools” to be displayed on your team page. Iteration: The act of repeating a process in order to get closer to a goal. Iteration helps you refine your ideas and generate better solutions.

Latent need: A need that a person might not be able to articulate or see clearly. Prototype: A representation or model of a design idea that allows you to test the feasibility and desirability of the idea. Also the fourth phase of the design thinking process. Test: The fifth and final phase of the design thinking process. In this stage, you take your design solution to your users, get their feedback, and then refine your solution. Users: The people who experience the problem your design team is addressing. User need: A requirement or desire you seek to satisfy with your design solution. Visual expression: Representing an idea or object through sketches or other visual constructs. Workaround: A method for overcoming a problem.

Templates for Deliverables and Activities The pages that follow contain templates for various deliverables and activities. Please note: 

These templates can be used to guide and structure your work. If you wish to use them, you can scan or photograph and upload them under the appropriate deliverable and activity headings. Alternately, you can use your own documents or enter the information for a deliverable or activity directly in the text and attachments boxes provided for that activity at compete360.org



Not all deliverables and activities have templates. Follow along in the handbook and check the schedule for a complete list of deliverables and activities.

Project Start‐Up  Professional Profile – no template  The Wonderful World of Design (inspiration tool) ‐ no template  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – see activity cards in zip lock bag  Let’s Start Talking about Design (achievement)

Empathize  In Their Shoes (inspiration tool) ‐ no template  Design Challenges around Us  How Might We…  Get the Picture (achievement) ‐ no template

Define  Look Closely (inspiration tool) – no template  Brain Dump – see cards in zip lock bag  Empathy Map  Scavenger Hunt (achievement)

Ideate  Just for Fun – The Fast Lane (inspiration tool) – no template

 Genius at Work  Wild Thing (achievement)

Prototype  Landfill Harmonic (inspiration tool) – no template  Design Ideas  Rapid Prototypes – no template  Design like a Pro (achievement) – no template

Test  See for Yourself (inspiration tool) – no template  Test Everything  Round 2 (achievement) – no template

DT Philly Design Showcase  The DT Phillys (inspiration tool) – no template  Ta Da!  I Like/I Wish/What If  Spread the Word (achievement) – no template

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Achievement Activity: Let’s Start Talking about Design DT Phase:

Project Start-Up  Fry/Silver Badge

Take your new understanding of good and bad design out of your classroom and to a larger audience. Talk to three adults in your school (not your team teacher), share with them what you know about the elements of good and bad design, and ask them to identify one thing in their classroom, school, community, or life that is an example of good design and one thing that is an example of bad design.

1. Who did you talk to? _____________________________________________________________ What is their example of good design? ______________________________________________ What is their example of bad design? ________________________________________________

2. Who did you talk to? _____________________________________________________________ What is their example of good design? ______________________________________________ What is their example of bad design? ________________________________________________

3. Who did you talk to? _____________________________________________________________ What is their example of good design? ______________________________________________ What is their example of bad design? ________________________________________________

Upload or enter your responses under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Deliverable: Design Challenges around Us DT Philly Stage: Empathize

Due: Friday, January 22

Start thinking about design challenges in the world around you. Identify three to five problems that could become your design challenge. Try to list only problems that could be solved by designing a product, a service or experience, a system, or a space.

Things that are frustrating, annoying, or uncomfortable:

The wish or the complaint:

What might be a design challenge focus?

Upload or enter your responses under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Deliverable: How Might We… DT Stage: Empathize

Due: Friday, January 29

Identify the design challenge your team has chosen to tackle, confirm that it is desirable and achievable, and write your design problem statement in a HMW (“how might we”) format. Our Complaint or Problem _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________

Our Team’s Design Challenge Statement How might we _________________________________________________________________________ do what

at/in ___________________________________ in order to ____________________________________ where

why

for ____________________________________________________________________________ ? who

Quick Check: Is this desirable? Is it feasible? Who are you helping? Why is this important? Do you have enough time to do this? Do you have/can you get what you need to design a solution?

Upload or enter your responses under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Deliverable: Empathy Map DT Stage: Define

Due: Friday, February 12

Create an empathy map that captures what you learned about your users and your design challenge during your research. As you review your findings, you will start to identify needs that might be addressed by your solution…make note of these needs on the side of your empathy map.

SAY

Draw a picture of the user.

THINK

FEEL

Upload clear photos of your empathy map at www.compete360.org.

Needs

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Achievement Activity: Scavenger Hunt DT Stage: Define  Priestly/Nairne Badge Practice your exploration skills by completing this web-based DT Philly scavenger hunt! 1. The DT Philly “Define Stage” video for 3rd – 5th grade introduces you to the second phase of the design process. Who did the students in the video talk to in order to learn more about their design challenge? 2. In the “Ideate” section of your DT Philly handbook (your teacher has a handbook, and it is also available online at www.compete360.org), we tell you how many ideas a very creative DT Philly team brainstormed last year. How many ideas did they generate, and on what page did you find this information (and will you be able to match their amazing brainstorming performance)? 3. You’ve probably been checking out the work of some of your fellow design teams. Tell us one example of good design and one example of bad design posted by another team and identify which team posted it. You cannot choose your own team or a team from your school. 4. We post comments on most of the work you submit when we give you your badges, tools, or puzzle pieces. Tell us one of the comments, questions, or suggestions we made on an activity you submitted, and identify which activity it was. 5. Look at another team’s work and figure out how to leave them a positive or encouraging comment on (or a question about) what they did. Let us know what team and what activity you commented on.

Upload or enter your responses under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Deliverable: Genius at Work DT Stage: Ideate

Due: Friday, February 19

Brainstorming is about generating as many ideas as possible for how to solve different aspects of your problem. Share with us 20 or more ideas you had, and include doodles or sketches if you like! What need are you brainstorming around now?

What need are you brainstorming around now?

_______________________________________

What are ways to meet that need?

What need are you brainstorming around now?

_______________________________________

What are ways to meet that need?

Upload or enter your responses (or clear photos of your Post-it Note groupings or whiteboard/chart paper list) under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Achievement Activity: Wild Thing DT Stage: Ideate  McVicker Badge Share and explain the three craziest ideas your team came up with during brainstorming (description and sketch).

Wild and crazy idea #1:

Draw your idea here.

Tell us about your idea here.

Wild and crazy idea #2:

Draw your idea here.

Tell us about your idea here.

Wild and crazy idea #3: Draw your idea here.

Tell us about your idea here.

Upload or enter your responses under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Deliverable: Design Ideas DT Stage: Prototype

Due: Friday, February 26

As a team, decide which brainstorming ideas have the most potential to solve your design challenge and create 3 to 5 visual depictions (sketches, diagrams, etc.) of how those ideas could come together in different ways to form potential solutions. Your sketches can depict one idea from brainstorming or combine different ideas into one solution. Be sure to label your drawings as needed, and include your name and a title for your drawing. Use the space below (make multiple copies of this template) or use your own paper and upload your files. What is your design idea called? ___________________________________________________________

Draw your design idea here.

Don’t forget to label the parts of your drawing. Upload your drawings under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Deliverable: Test Everything DT Stage: Test

Due: Friday, March 11

Testing is an important part of the design process as it allows you to improve your design based on how people use or react to it. Share how your team tested your prototypes and what you learned. How did you test prototype 1? ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ How did you test prototype 2? ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Share some things that you learned through testing…for example: What did users like? ____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ What did they not understand? ___________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ What surprising discovery did you make through testing? ______________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

Upload or enter your responses under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Deliverable: Ta Da! DT Stage: Design Showcase

Due: Monday, March 21

Using the slides provided (hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a preview of what they look like) or your own format, tell us about the design challenge you tackled and the solution you designed. If you use your own slides or format, be sure to use pictures and text to provide all of the information requested. You can access the file for these slides through the link under this activity on the website

Upload or enter your responses under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

DT Philly 2016

Team Name: School:

Deliverable: I Like/I Wish/What If DT Stage: Design Showcase

Due: Monday, March 21

Make one copy of this form for each member of your team (teacher and students), and take a moment to complete these sentences about your experience with DT Philly. Email your responses to info@compete360.org or upload them through the website.

I like ___________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ I wish __________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ What if ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

Upload or enter your responses under the appropriate activity at www.compete360.org.

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