There are many different and sometimes surprising ways to use design-thinking in your life. After an intensive week of team projects on the Design-thinking for Social Innovation (DSI) program, one participant, Yuki Enomoto, a 5th year medical student from Tokyo Medical University experiments with taking the process improving teamwork in her student club. Maybe you can get some hints from her experiment too!
1. How did you decide to hold this event/activity?
In my student club activity, we always seek how to get better team, but we’ve never reflected about our team. So I suggested to do a reflection about our activities last year. But, I didn't want to do the usual reflection -debate-, where some of us could say our opinions, but some are too quiet to share. I wanted to do in a new way .From the DSI program, I realized that reflection is important in order to know what next steps to take. It is also important for us to share all of our ideas to work better in a team.
In my student club activity, we always seek how to get better team, but we’ve never reflected about our team. So I suggested to do a reflection about our activities last year. But, I didn't want to do the usual reflection -debate-, where some of us could say our opinions, but some are too quiet to share. I wanted to do in a new way .From the DSI program, I realized that reflection is important in order to know what next steps to take. It is also important for us to share all of our ideas to work better in a team.
So when it came to do reflection for my team, I thought of design-thinking. One of the processes of the design-thinking, Empathy, is also good way for us to think about other members and ourselves, and also, Prototype and Test could help us think about the future.
2. It sounds like a really unique way to meet with your club members--how did the actual session go? Could you describe the details?
The session went very well and my team mates really liked that session. First, I prepared 4 colors of post-its: red, blue, yellow and green. At first, on the red one, wrote down what were the good things through the
year. Next on the blue ones, wrote down what we wish to do or what we hope to change this year. Then we got all ideas together to one table. At that time we made a rule “Do not guess which one was written by whom” so we do not need to concern what other members think about one’s ideas. After gathering the red and blue cards, we made some groups with similar cards and categorized into some topics. From red cards, we defined what we are going to continue and keep doing this year. On the other hand, from blue cards, we defined what we should be changed.
Next, on the yellow cards, we wrote the ideas from the red and blue cards; the ideas form the red cards, “How to get better than now.” From the blue cards “How to change the bad things” “What we should do for
that.” After we wrote, we shared ideas like as before. Then we combined ideas into 2-3 groups.
The last part, we talked deeply about these 2-3 ideas and concluded that “What we would have to do for doing yellow cards things from now, today,” wrote on the green cards. Finally, we put the green cards on the yellow cards one-to-one, so that we could visualize what we should do and why we have to do. We are
going to put these Yellow-Green Cards on our club team room wall for our next year's plan.
3. What tips do you have for others who would like to use design-thinking in their life or for their club activities?
“Making some rules and demonstrate them” might make your workshop go more smoothly and help your members understand design thinking more easily.
In my team, we made 3 rules,
I think, especially for Japanese students, it is difficult saying their opinions in front of many people. Therefore writing on the Post-it was good way to represent their ideas.
I was just doing design-thinking process like DSI. This time, it took only 2 hours for the whole process.
“Have a fun time!” is the best way to success the work shop, I think.
We could have a wonderful reflection time with Design Thinking, and also we got a big motivation for this year!
2. It sounds like a really unique way to meet with your club members--how did the actual session go? Could you describe the details?
The session went very well and my team mates really liked that session. First, I prepared 4 colors of post-its: red, blue, yellow and green. At first, on the red one, wrote down what were the good things through the
year. Next on the blue ones, wrote down what we wish to do or what we hope to change this year. Then we got all ideas together to one table. At that time we made a rule “Do not guess which one was written by whom” so we do not need to concern what other members think about one’s ideas. After gathering the red and blue cards, we made some groups with similar cards and categorized into some topics. From red cards, we defined what we are going to continue and keep doing this year. On the other hand, from blue cards, we defined what we should be changed.
Next, on the yellow cards, we wrote the ideas from the red and blue cards; the ideas form the red cards, “How to get better than now.” From the blue cards “How to change the bad things” “What we should do for
that.” After we wrote, we shared ideas like as before. Then we combined ideas into 2-3 groups.
The last part, we talked deeply about these 2-3 ideas and concluded that “What we would have to do for doing yellow cards things from now, today,” wrote on the green cards. Finally, we put the green cards on the yellow cards one-to-one, so that we could visualize what we should do and why we have to do. We are
going to put these Yellow-Green Cards on our club team room wall for our next year's plan.
3. What tips do you have for others who would like to use design-thinking in their life or for their club activities?
“Making some rules and demonstrate them” might make your workshop go more smoothly and help your members understand design thinking more easily.
In my team, we made 3 rules,
- Only say YES.
- Do not guess which one was written by whom.
- Accept all ideas, do not deny or negative things before challenge!
I think, especially for Japanese students, it is difficult saying their opinions in front of many people. Therefore writing on the Post-it was good way to represent their ideas.
I was just doing design-thinking process like DSI. This time, it took only 2 hours for the whole process.
“Have a fun time!” is the best way to success the work shop, I think.
We could have a wonderful reflection time with Design Thinking, and also we got a big motivation for this year!