Design Thinking: Day 7: Extraordinaires Design Lab & WonderWalk Unpack

Hey folks,

On Day 6, we attended a presentation about growing up black in Maine with an exceptional speaker from UMaine.  She discussed race and gender identity in Maine and the challenges with growing up without being able to identify with those around you — and those folks being unable to identify with you.  It was powerful and we didn’t get a chance to talk about it on Day 7.  So Day 8?  Day 8 you will participate in another collaborative conversation — your second opportunity to demonstrate your speaking and listening skills.  One of your goals running throughout the class is building up evidence of understanding — every activity, every experience can be evidence of your ability to meet or exceed the standard, if you choose to take advantage of those opportunities.

DAY 7 Here’s what we did!  

We played Extraordinaires!  It’s a design game intended to help people understand the design process while having a fantastic go of it.  We co-opted the rules a little bit for our purposes and to tighten up the time frame, but you got the gist.

Here’s a video that explains a little more.

https://youtu.be/xH-xu5agaJI

From there we unpacked our WonderWalks.  Now, at this moment I realize I left my list of notes from the wonderwalk back in the SIC and right now I cannot get them.  So here’s what I recall.

Doorbell.  Front office staff dealing with folks who aren’t ringing the doorbell to let them know they are there.  Also just trying the door without ringing the door bell at all.  

Foot mats.  The carpets in the entryway are not absorbent enough to deal with the volume of water and sand and salt from outside, creating slippery hallways.

Blank walls.  The walls around the music rooms and Main office are blank and uninspiring. 

Food court.  3rd lunch.  There isn’t any food left. That’s a problem for kids in third lunch and a problem that admin thinks has been resolved.

2nd Floor Landing B-Wing.  People are misusing the space making it impossible for people who are actually allowed to be there to use it well.

Stairwells.  See through stairwells are creating an unsafe environment for people wearing skirts as well as people in general whose privacy may be violated.

Social behavior.  At least one of the students in special education on campus is in need of videos that help him better understand how to behave appropriately.

I feel like I’m definitely forgetting one or more of the ideas on the table, but those are what I can recall at the moment.

On Thursday, during Class 8, you will need to identify the challenge you want to tackle and the design team with whom you most want to work.  You can work in a group of 1, 2 or 3 designers for this challenge.  These numbers maximize the likelihood of a successful design SINCE you will only have three days to complete the challenge!   The Monday, Wednesday and Friday after break.  Yup.  That will be our time for the design sprint. By that Friday you will have come up with a feedback worthy prototype.

 Also during Class 8 you will do a little more empathy analysis work by examining two poems, one by Shane Koyczan and one by Lucille Clifton.  My internet is acting up so I’ll have to send those along to you at a later time.

Make sure you TURN IN YOUR EMPATHY STORY!   It was due Tuesday after being pushed back because of weather and such.  Stay on pace. To turn it in, place it in your Design Thinking Google Drive INBOX folder.