THINK

Design WorkshopIowa State University School of Education

February 14, 2011

John Nash, Iowa State University :: jnash@iastate.eduDan Gilbert, Learning Innovations, Inc. :: dan@learninginnovationsinc.com

Agenda

▪ Welcome▪ Introduction to the morning▪ Look over this document▪ How can a pen evoke delight?▪ Interview one▪ Interview two▪ Break▪ Synthesis and brainstorming▪ Feedback round one▪ Character composites and brainstorm sorting▪ Gallery walk▪ Need matching▪ + ∆▪ Close

DESIGN TEAMS

Your Mission: Understand someone's point of view so you can design something USEFUL & MEANINGFUL for them. Start by GAINING EMPATHY.1. Interview One: Empathetic Interview

TIP 1Assign the following roles within your team so that each person has a clear purpose visible to the participant:

• One person to lead the interview

• One to two note takers (note page follows)

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

A. OPEN SPECIFIC• How long have you been affiliated with ISU?• How long have you been a [JOB TITLE]?• What kinds of things do you think you [JOB TITLE] do

differently from others who are not [JOB TITLE]?

B. GO BROAD• What are your aspirations for the future?• Why did you choose those?• What barriers do you see to achieving your goals?

(Could be anything -- not necessarily ISU-related)

C. PROBE DEEP• Our challenge at hand is to design a new school of education that

amazes our community of stakeholders, internally and externally. • Have you heard of new ways of doing things at universities? Or in

schools? Or in any organization?• What should we do?• Why do you say that?

Listen and be attentive.

Allow long pauses.

Ask naive questions even if you are an expert.

Don't correct people.

REMEMBER: The participant is the expert

TIP 2

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Interview One Notes

NOTES/SKETCHES

Interview One HighlightsTHINGS THE PARTICIPANTS SAID OR DID THAT SURPRISED YOU OR MOST MEMORABLE QUOTES

MAIN THEMES OR LEARNINGS THAT STOOD OUT FROM THIS INTERVIEW

THINGS THAT MATTER MOST TO THE PARTICIPANTS

NEW TOPICS OR QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE IN FUTURE INTERVIEWS

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Find out more about the person you are interviewing. Forget about the School of Education -- go for specific stories.

Interview Two: Factors

STEP 1:

SHOW: The diagram on the next page. Tear it out of your packet.

SAY: "We want to understand all the factors that affect your professional success."

SAY: "The innermost circle is you and your family.The second circle is your connection to Iowa State. The third circle is the community, state, nation."

STEP 2:

ASK: "What factors in the family, in ISU, and in the community/state/nation BRING you success? Start with your household and talk to us as you work outward to the nation."

STEP 3:

ASK: "What factors in the nation, at ISU, and in the household hinder your success?"

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Take notes in the appropriate circles

Interview Two Notes

NOTES/SKETCHES

Interview Two Highlights:NEW THINGS THE PARTICIPANT SAID OR DID THAT SURPRISED YOU OR MOST MEMORABLE QUOTES

MAIN THEMES OR LEARNINGS THAT STOOD OUT FROM THIS INTERVIEW

THINGS THAT MATTER MOST TO THE PARTICIPANT

NEW TOPICS OR QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE IN FUTURE INTERVIEWS

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Synthesis: Unpack your observations and SATURATE your team's space (wall or table). Generate several USER CHARACTERISTICS.

Use sticky notes on the wall or table -- then sort them by heading

Create at at least 3 USER CHARACTERISTICS for EACH category below:• Demographic information -- as much as you can think of• Proclivities or habits• Sources of motivation• Things they need to be able to do to succeed• Things they can't stand• Things they don't want• How they want to feel

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Demographics Feelings Habits

SHARE your thoughts + CAPTURE feedback.Walk your participants through your sticky notes. Explain what you heard them say, ask them if you're right, what should be added, what needs to be taken out. Ask them if they buy into the characteristics you've developed.

New things I've learned about my participants and their NEEDS:

TIPIf a participants asks:

"Will the composite character have you have THIS or THAT characteristic?"

You say:

"Should it have THIS or THAT?"

REMEMBER: The participant is the expert

Not sure if you uncovered enough characteristics?

Ask the participants to help!

TIP

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Composite Character ProfileUse poster paper to generate a COMPOSITE CHARACTER PROFILE

Francesca

FacultyDemographics

• Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, • consectetur adipiscing elit. • Etiam venenatis, quam eu • hendrerit porta, ipsum massa ut,

Needs• Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, • consectetur adipiscing elit. • Etiam venenatis, quam eu • hendrerit porta, ipsum massa ut,

Dimension• Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, • consectetur adipiscing elit.

Dimension• Etiam venenatis, quam eu • hendrerit porta, ipsum massa ut,

The composite character profile is a technique for compiling interesting observations into one specific, recognizable character.

The composite character profile is a synthesis method whereby the team creates a (semi)-fictional character who embodies the human characteristics the team has uncovered in its interviews.

Give your character a name, and make sure every member of the team and your participants buy into the identity and corresponding characteristics that the you have created.

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PARTICIPANTS

8 years old today

She will be a student here in 2025.

What do we know about her?

What questions should we be asking?

Brainstorm Rules

One conversation at a time.

Go for quantity

Headline!

Build on the ideas of others

Encourage wild ideas

Be visual

Stay on topic

Defer judgement - NO blocking

Stanford d.School Bootleg, 2010

Brainstorm

Generate as many RADICAL ideas as you can to the following:

Use sticky notes on the wall.Follow the rules for brainstorming.

"In the new School of

Education I would like

___________"

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FeedbackSHARING of composites + CAPTURING feedback

+ What works... What could be improved...

? Questions... ! New ideas...