DESIGN THINKING
Human-Centered Creative Problem-Solving
Design Thinking as a human-centered, empathy-driven approach that empowers students to understand real needs, generate creative ideas, prototype solutions, and iterate toward meaningful impact. In your book, you emphasize that design thinking is not just a process, but a way of seeing the world — one that builds creative confidence, nurtures curiosity, encourages risk-taking, and helps learners become compassionate problem solvers who design for real people and real contexts.
What is Design Thinking?
Design thinking thrives on a set of core mindsets—empathy, curiosity, creative confidence, bias toward action, radical collaboration, and a willingness to iterate—which together create an innovation-friendly culture where learners feel safe to take risks and explore the unknown. These mindsets shape every phase of the process: empathy drives deep understanding of real people during the Empathize and Define stages; curiosity and creative confidence fuel expansive thinking in Ideate; a bias toward action propels quick, tangible Prototypes; and an iterative spirit guides constant refinement during Test. Throughout the journey, radical collaboration ensures diverse perspectives are honored, while storytelling helps communicate insights and solutions in human-centered, emotionally resonant ways. Together, these mindsets transform the process from a rigid sequence into a dynamic way of thinking, making meaningful innovation possible.
Start with empathy. Design with purpose.
Design Thinking in education
This toolkit of design thinking mindsets—empathy, curiosity, creative confidence, collaboration, and iterative problem-solving—is a natural fit within PBL and STEM education because it gives students the habits of mind needed to engage deeply with real-world challenges. In both PBL and STEM, learners must investigate authentic problems, generate and test ideas, work collaboratively, and iterate toward meaningful solutions, all of which mirror the phases of design thinking. By grounding learning in human needs and encouraging rapid prototyping, reflection, and storytelling, design thinking transforms STEM and PBL experiences into more purposeful, student-centered journeys where creativity, agency, and innovation become essential parts of the learning process rather than add-ons.
I design PBL and STEM learning experiences that immerse students in real-world challenges where their ideas, questions, and decisions drive the learning. By equipping them with the full design thinking toolkit—empathy, ideation, prototyping, iteration, and storytelling—I help students navigate ambiguity and creatively problem-solve with purpose. Through this process, students develop solutions that not only demonstrate deep understanding but also create meaningful, positive impact in their communities.
Book:
Design thinking
in the classroom
Design Thinking in the Classroom is a practical guide that helps educators transform students from passive learners into creatively confident, empathetic innovators.
DESIGN THINKING STANDARDS
The Design Thinking Standards (DTS) provide educators a foundation of what students are expected to learn and do when using the design thinking method. These learning goals are guidelines that educators can use, adjust and modify to meet the needs of their students. The following standards were developed based on the work and teachings of the d.school (Institute of Design at Stanford University), a leader in design thinking education, and its K12 Lab Network, a program that brings design thinking into schools.
The DTS are composed of design practices (skills that students will be able to do), core design ideas (knowledge that students will understand), and design mindsets (set of attitudes essential for effective application of design thinking).
There are two sets of DTS's. The first set of standards incorporates the K12 Lab's design thinking principles (or mindsets) and is recommended for educators who teach design thinking to grade K-5 students. These principles or mindsets are straightforward and easier to understand by elementary students. The second set of DTS incorporates the liberatory design process and its set of mindsets. The liberatory design mindsets are slightly more complex and would be suitable for educators who teach design thinking to grade 6-12 students.
