#UWinDig 2020

Technologist Module Design Thinking Process

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used to create them” – Albert Einstein

My final response is a reflection on  The Design Thinking Process. I chose to go with a mind map as it is short and straight to the point, and serves the broadest range of students with diverse needs.  A mind map is both interacting and engaging and provides multiple means of representation. I thought of the target audience and saw it best to use a simple and straightforward approach that makes the entire idea easy to understand and relate to. 

Mindmiester

I first thought of this idea as I was walking through campus a while back. It is true that a majority of students at any university are average at best, only a few of the students are ever actually brilliant and get all the top grades. The video entitled “The End of Average?! Disrupting the green of education.”   gives an idea of the skewness of the educational system and why so many students are deemed poor and below average. Everyone is different and each of us has a unique learning style. This implies that the learning process should be  personalized to suit individual needs. 

Design thinking is the form of design methodology that is centered on finding solutions to everyday problems. It is specifically useful in solutions to complex and undefined problems that may not have an orthodox solution. This method works by incorporating numerous group brainstorming sessions in an all out, hands on approach geared toward prototype perfection. Understanding the core principles of design thinking could help in complex problem solving in a wide variety of problems and issues. In addition, this process is beneficial to all types of learners.

Empathize is the first step and always entails empathizing with the problem at hand in order to gain a better understanding of the problem. This could be through consulting experts, observation, and engagement to gain a feel of intent and motivation. 

Define stage involves compiling the data from the previous stage. The observations recorded are used to develop a problem statement that defines the core of the problem. 

The brainstorming and ideation stage is vital in the entire process. Here ideas are generated by the collective. At this point, the problem is well defined and the problem statement provides a guideline for idea formulation. These ideas are geared towards solving the problems identified at the earlier stages. This stage is followed by prototyping.  Here, inexpensive and scaled down models of solutions may be developed to test the effectiveness of specific modules. This stage aims at finding the best solution to the problem at hand. 

 The testing phase puts probable solutions in testing and generates working solutions.

I believe that the design thinking process has endless positive gains. It simplifies the learning process making it easier for almost any student to internalize concepts easier and retain them for longer. Instructors using this concept could make their lessons more effective in the long run. 

For this assignment, I decided to explore Hincks article called ‘‘Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom’’. Hinck, (2018) explored a topic regarding the preparedness and skillfulness of digital media leaners. The statements and observations cited by the author are of good quality. One thing remains true is that in the practical sense and in a work environment, the kind of training offered will not help, as the client product requirement is hardly linear and straightforward with standard steps to achieve the desired output. Neither is there a guarantee of a working product as increasingly there is the risk of failure due to the dynamics of the industry.
The tools that learners are using hardly prepare them for these realities. Reflecting on the topic, I have completed an Infographic using “Piktochart”. “Piktochart” is web based software offering straightforward themed templates that are useful in the creation of standard infographics and
other visuals. One of the remarkable features of the application is that as a creator, one is able to come up with web-publisher ready, and individual multimedia content. Overall, the application is simple to use. I prepared the infographic embedded in this document within a reasonable period. Hinck (2018) also notes that by following the simple to understand instructions that the application requires I was able to come up with the infographic attached. Some of the features and resources offered by “Piktochart” were rather intriguing to use.

For instance, the templates available are modifiable, easy to manipulate text aspects such as font, size, and most importantly, I could use my own images together with those offered by the software. Additionally, the software allows the users to easily organize their information by use of drag and drop. Remarkably, the drag and drop feature is amazingly flexible and straightforward to make modifications and additions of text. The HTML publisher is also straightforward to manipulate for users who intend to have their visuals available online or embedded on websites. The information presentation tools are also practical ranging from animated icons, charts, videos, and map visualizations further making the software’s output product more appealing and adaptable to multiple scenarios. I cannot help but disagree with Hinck (2018) since despite not having technical knowledge on the development of such features using HTML or other suitable coding languages, an individual is able to come up with incredible creations within a short time. I would like to think of it as the difference between accountants who keep their books manually using traditional ledger books and files whereas there are available accounting software such as SAP and others by Microsoft, Oracle or Sage. In addition, despite having a ready to use software, Hinck (2018) fails to acknowledge the fact that the most critical skill of a creative presentation is the ability to visualize the desired outcome in one’s mind. The availability of applications that make it more accurate and faster to deliver is reasonable and having learners use them is in fact useful and prepares the digital media learner for the real world. Supporting the accounting profession analogy, an accountant who understands how a transaction should be recorded does not depend on the tools available to them. Reflecting on the experience of developing the above infographic, I support the use of such platforms. Rather than focus on the mundane tasks of keeping the images, charts, and text in the right organization, digital media presenters can now focus on what actually matters; the ideas, message, and the means of appealing to the target audience. In comparison, the essence of digital media is primarily to appeal to a specific audience and as such, creativity and a human feel of the multimedia messages cannot be overlooked. There is a possibility that the final products will be similar on multiple instances due to the over reliance on software templates, a scenario that is unlikely when each creative and digital media professional is able to develop their content from the beginning. For example, “Piktochart” has only six hundred templates in its database. Considering the billions of multimedia content generated annually, six hundred templates will probably lead to uniform structures and feel of such creations. Therefore, there is a place for the software applications available on the internet but still a lot of work is required to be done in order to inspire uniqueness and creativity in the digital space.