Tag Archives: Stanford University

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What I discovered at Stanford’s d.school’s unusual workshop

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Stanford’s d.school workshop, Unleash Creativity, offers a unique hands-on approach to learning. During my visit, I could feel the creative energy, from the open second-floor view to the iconic d.school truck inside the building to the this year’s course schedule packed with hands-on activities.

Plate says: The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford was established in 2005 to recognize an extraordinary gift from the Hasso Plattner Foundation to inspire teaching and research in design thinking and the creation of a home for the Institute. The Institute is dedicated to the spread of design thinking and the application of its principles to real-world problems. The design and renovations of this facility along with Hasso Plattner’s continued role in championing design thinking around the world were celebrated on May 7, 2010.

In Unleash Creativity, participants jumped straight into exercises without explanation. For instance, instead of talking about ideas, they started by drawing, connecting, and coloring dots. The interesting part is that they only learned why they did each activity afterward, as the instructor, Dustin Liu, explained the purpose and effect. This approach—learning by doing—really made them feel the power of creative expression.

One memorable activity had them listen to others share about someone they admire and then draw that person without talking. This helped them see deeper into one another’s perspectives. Through the carefully designed powerful exercises of listening, sharing, and drawing, they experienced the true power of empathy.

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Reference

Auernhammer, J., & Roth, B. (2021). The origin and evolution of Stanford University’s design thinking: From product design to design thinking in innovation management. Journal of Product Innovation, 38(July), 623–644.

This article outlines the origin and evolution of one of the most influential design thinking perspectives in the Innovation Management discourse. This study addresses two significant criticisms of design thinking, namely, theoretical grounding and construct clarity. It also illustrates how this humanistic and creative design practice transcended into a comprehensive Innovation Management approach, facilitating entrepreneurship and innovation. Our research analyzes the evolution of the design philosophy and practices developed at Stanford University from 1957 to 2005 through document analysis. We identified design qualities that have been consistent over the decades, providing further construct clarity and insights on managing Design- driven Innovation. These design qualities elucidate design thinking as a cognitive process, creative practice, organizational routine, and design culture. They emphasize finding profound needs and problems and translate them into tangible designs, creating value for people. This design philosophy is deeply rooted in humanistic psychology theories, particularly on creativity and human values. Collaborations between psychologists, industrial researchers, and designers created this creative and human- centered design approach, known today as design thinking. This value- driven innovation offers a humanistic perspective on innovation theory and practice. It also offers an Innovation Management schema of design qualities essential for developing Design- driven Innovation capabilities in organizations and educational institutions. We emphasize that developing a creative design culture in which people have the human values, abilities, and confidence to collaboratively identify continuous emerging problems and needs and contribute through tangible designs generates an era of innovation and is essentially innovation management.

Practitioner Points
  • Design thinking as a step-by-step process with tools prevents fluency in thinking and flexibility in approach, which are essential in Design-driven Innovation.
  • An essential innovation management task is to develop a design culture and capabilities by freeing teams from emerging blocks imposed by the environment.
  • In organizations, Design-driven Innovation requires the development of micro-foundation, such as abilities and attitudes & values, and capabilities, such as creative routines and environments of support and psychological safety and freedom.
  • Innovation managers and educators need to consider essential design qualities when enabling people to design tangible solution for open and complex problems.
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When a classroom feels like a movie theater

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Walking into the empty classroom in Stanford’s Gates Building, I was struck by its resemblance to a boutique movie theater. The whole green chairs are arranged in the semi-circular way and all face a central screen. The muted colors and soft lighting added to this ambiance, making the space feel more like a private screening room.

This theater-like design can influence both teaching and learning positively. For instructors, the semi-circular seating fosters more and better interaction with students. For students, such layouts can help them follow presentations and participate in discussions actively.

Research shows that classroom designs resembling theaters, with tiered seating and central focal points, can increase student engagement and satisfaction. Indeed, classroom environments that mimic theater designs can enhance learning experiences by promoting interaction and focus.

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Reference

Cheryan, S., Ziegler, S. A., Plaut, V. C., & Meltzoff, A. N. (2014). Designing classrooms to maximize student achievement. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1(1), 4-12.

Improving student achievement is vital for our nation’s competitiveness. Scientific research shows how the physical classroom environment influences student achievement. Two findings are key: First, the building’s structural facilities profoundly influence learning. Inadequate lighting, noise, low air quality, and deficient heating in the classroom are significantly related to worse student achievement. Over half of U.S. schools have inadequate structural facilities, and students of color and lower income students are more likely to attend schools with inadequate structural facilities. Second, scientific studies reveal the unexpected importance of a classroom’s symbolic features, such as objects and wall décor, in influencing student learning and achievement in that environment. Symbols inform students whether they are valued learners and belong within the classroom, with far-reaching consequences for students’ educational choices and achievement. We outline policy implications of the scientific findings—noting relevant policy audiences—and specify critical features of classroom design that can improve student achievement, especially for the most vulnerable students.

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Interdisciplinary Design Workshop by NSF “Instruction” @ Stanford University

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20090828_NSF workshop 007

I was invited to attend the NSF Design Series Workshop called “Interdisciplinary Graduate Design Workshop: Instruction”, on August 28 – 29 at Stanford University. Participants have different backgrounds across mechanical engineering and engineering education to architecture and psychology. I am one of few participants from the business field. Information below might be of help to those who want to take a glimpse what this workshop looks like.

List of participants

Biographical sketches of participants

Participants submitted their courses in advance and made a list of the graduate-level, interdisciplinary design courses available now. I am personally amazed by the width of this area. Here are some examples (see the full list: The collected design courses).

[*=course taught by others]

Leadership By Design – Design By Collaboration Processes for Illuminating and Expanding the Box (submitted by Bruce Corson, Studio for Pre-Expert Creativity)

Designing Day One Securing a Space for Creative Collaboration (submitted by Bruce Corson, Studio for Pre-Expert Creativity)

Rube Goldbergineering (submitted by Shawn Jordan, Purdue University)

ARCH 497c DigiFAB (submitted by David Celento, Pennsylvania State University)

ARCH 497D X-Disciplinary Creativity: Smart Products for Tomorrow (submitted by David Celento, Pennsylvania State
University)

ARTGR 672 Graphic Design & Human Interaction (submitted by Sun Kang, Iowa State University)

ARTGR 672 (HCI595X) Human Interaction Design: Design for Behavioral Change (submitted by Debra Satterfield, Iowa State University)

BUS Design and Systems Thinking for MBAs (submitted by Sara Beckman, University of California, Berkeley)

BUS Design as a Strategic Business Issue (submitted by Sara Beckman, University of California, Berkeley*)

BUS Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (submitted by Sara Beckman, University of California, Berkeley*)

BUS Design Practicum, New Product and Services Lab (submitted by Jaewoo Joo, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto*)

BUS Innovation, Foresight, and Business Design (submitted by Jaewoo Joo, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto*)

BUS Strategic Product Design for MBA students (submitted by Mark Henderson, Arizona State University)

CEE222A: Computer Integrated Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) Global Teamwork (submitted by Renate Fructer, Stanford University)

20090828_NSF workshop 047DESCI 501 Analytical Product Design (submitted by Panos Papalambros, University of Michigan)

(Design) Exhibition (submitted by Wendy Ju, California College of Arts)

(Design) Interaction Design Studio (submitted by Wendy Ju, California College of Arts)

(Design) Pulse. Topic studio (submitted by Wendy Ju, California College of Arts)

DSC 520 Contemporary Design Issues (submitted by Jacques Giard, Arizona State University)

DSC 580 Practicum: Methods of Teaching Design (submitted by Jacques Giard, Arizona State University)

DSGN 401-1 Human-Centered Design Studio 1 (submitted by Ed Colgate, Northwestern University)

DSGN 401-3: The design of services and products (submitted by Don Norman, Northwestern University)

DSGN 401-3 Human Centered Service Design (submitted by Liz Gerber, Northwestern University)

DSGN 495-20 Design Research (submitted by Ed Colgate, Northwestern University*)

DSGN 495-05 Differentiation by Design (submitted by Ed Colgate, Northwestern University*)

DSGN 495-21 Sustainable Manufacturing (submitted by Ed Colgate, Northwestern University*)

DSGN 495 Innovation Frontiers (submitted by Ed Colgate, Northwestern University*)

DSGN 490: Introduction to Product and Service Design (submitted by Don Norman, Northwestern University)

DSGN 495: Advanced Reading in Design (submitted by Don Norman, Northwestern University)

ENE Design Cognition and Learning (submitted by Robin Adams, Purdue University)

ENE History and Philosophy of Engineering Education (submitted by Robin Adams, Purdue University)

ENE Content, Assessment, and Pedagogy (submitted by Shanna Daly (Michigan), Purdue University)

ENME 600 Engineering Design Methods (submitted by Linda Schmidt, University of Maryland)

ENME608 Engineering Decision Making (submitted by Linda Schmidt, University of Maryland*)

GE598 Optimal Product Design and Development (submitted by Harrison Kim, UIUC)

HER—V 511 People-Centered Design Research (submitted by Youngbok Hong, Indiana University)

HER—V 521 Method for Design Analysis (submitted by Youngbok Hong, Indiana Univer)

INFO I541: Interaction Design Practice (submitted by Marty Siegel, Indiana University)

INFO I694: Capstone I & II (submitted by Marty Siegel, Indiana University)

ME 310A: Project-Based Engineering Design, Innovation, and Development (submitted by Micah Lande, Stanford University*)

ME 341 Computational Methods for Engineering Design (submitted by Wei Chen, Northwestern University)

ME 441 Engineering Optimization for Product Design and Manufacturing (submitted by Wei Chen, Northwestern University)

ME 461 Integrated Product Development: Design (submitted by Duke Perreira, Lehigh University)

ME 462 Integrated Product Development: Manufacturing (submitted by Duke Perreira, Lehigh University)

ME 495– Advanced Computational & Statistical Methods for Engineering Design (submitted by Wei Chen, Northwestern University)

PSED510 Predictive Science and Engineering Design Interdisciplinary Cluster Seminar (submitted by Wei Chen, Northwestern University)

ME 518: Concurrent Design of Product (submitted by Ping Ge, Oregon State University)

ME 290 Managing the New Product Development Process: Design Theory and Methods (submitted by Sara Beckman)

ME 555 / MFG 555 – Design Optimization (submitted by Panos Papalambros, University of Michigan)

ME 5353 Fundamentals of Transdisciplinary Design and Process (submitted by Derrick Tate, Texas Tech University)

ME 5355 Complexity Theory for Transdisciplinary Engineering and Science (submitted by Derrick Tate, Texas Tech University)

ME 53XX Transdisciplinary Discovery and Innovation for Engineers (submitted by Derrick Tate, Texas Tech University)

ME 520 Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) (submitted by April Bryan, Rose-Hulman Institute of
Technology*)

MG 590 Integrated Project (submitted by April Bryan, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology*)

MG 461 Multidisciplinary, Entrepreneurial Design I: Capture the Vision (submitted by April Bryan, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology*)

MG 462 Multidisciplinary, Entrepreneurial Design II: Expand the Concept (submitted by April Bryan, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology*)

MG 463 Multidisciplinary, Entrepreneurial Design III: Deliver the Product (submitted by April Bryan, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology*)

MG 537 Organizational Theory and Management (submitted by April Bryan, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology*)

MS&E 273 – 273. Technology Venture Formation (submitted by Lauren Acquino Shulzas, Stanford University, Teaching Assistant)

PDES Design Research (submitted by Alison McKay , University of Leeds)

(Music) Physical Interaction Design for Music (submitted by Wendy Ju, Stanford)

PDES Multidisciplinary team design projects (submitted by Alison McKay , University of Leeds)

PDES Design Policy & Integration (submitted by Alison McKay , University of Leeds*)

PDES Product data engineering (submitted by Alison McKay , University of Leeds*)

STS 6961: Design Seminar (submitted by Dean Nieusma, Rensselaer Polytechnic University)

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This was the fourth workshop of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Design Workshop Series. The first one was about “the Design Discipline“ (@ University of Michigan, November 2008), the second one was about “Spanning Design Boundaries” (@ Northwestern University, April 2009), and the third one was about “Research Challenges” (@ Honolulu, June 2009).