Today we officially began the process of Design Thinking through a “Flash Lab,” which is a quick round through the DEEPdt flow.
We started the procedure by identifying the DEEPdt acronym, which stands for Discover, Empathize, Experiment, and Produce. We watched various videos that explained each step of the process, and then we presented with our first design challenge: how might we improve the Dining Hall experience for the MFS community?
We discussed issues within the Dining Hall that we would like to address (in a Quakerly and peaceful manner). With these different issues in mind, we developed a range of ideas to make the Dining Hall more efficient, inclusive, and enjoyable. We investigated different parts of the DHC, by recording measurements and interactions within the cafeteria. Afterwards, we designed 3D prototypes with the materials at our disposal (ex. clay, string, paper, Popsicle sticks, and bubbles). We got feedback from our classmates to make improvements. Then we had lunch from Akira at the Field House. 🙂
After lunch, we started to form our own design challenges for which we will begin to investigate and design solutions the next week. We wanted to tackle problems such as:
-water pollution
-lack of programs in urban communities
-care for patients with Dementia
– the use of arts to raise money
– art for people with disabilities
– and vacant buildings on Main Street
– finding a training partner for athletics
Some of us decided to form individual groups (or chose to work alone) to research an effective way to address these issues. We are looking forward to developing our ideas and are enthusiastic to keep you informed! 🙂