PI: Prof. Bernard Roth

Abstract

Building off the results from 2010-2011 we will use our new Understanding of how d.school students apply design thinking to further develop the Evaluation System.

There are three primary goals for the next year of research. The first is to continue to map out how d.school students apply what they learned by investigating how they differ from their industry peers. The second is to use what we know about Alumni outcomes to design, test, and validate measures of design thinking growth. Finally, we plan to extend this work to new populations, namely students and Alumni of HPI and participants of the d.school's executive education programs.

Understanding what elements of design thinking d.school Alumni are regularly applying (empathy, brainstorming, and prototyping) and how they are using them (in isolation or in teams) has already influenced the planning of 2011-2012 d.school courses. By expanding this research to new populations, we will develop an even deeper understanding of the d.school's impact. This in turn will lead to a great ability to adapt the way design thinking is taught.