Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Human first, design second

15 minutes

Find Out: Solution thinking

30 minutes

Take Action: Ideate and design

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

apply the design thinking process to creating an assistive device.

Success criteria

Students can:

identify a challenge that requires a design solution
generate and iterate design ideas.

Tune In: Human first, design second

Step 1

Remind students about the 5 steps of the design thinking process:

Empathise
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test & iterate

Ask your class, ‘Why is the first step of the design process “empathise”? Why don’t we dive straight into defining the problem?’

Discuss the concept of human-centred design with your students. Students should identify that:

lived experience of an issue provides a perspective that is not available to someone not in that situation
empathising helps us to move past our assumptions about the situation, and often helps us to discover that the problem isn’t what we first thought
the human-centred design process ensures that we are solving problems for real people and addressing their specific needs, not what we think those needs might be.

Find Out: Solution thinking

Step 1

Explain to the students that they will now put this into action. Divide students into small groups (1 group for each user) and provide each group with a User Profile. Direct students to discuss the profile and, as a group, respond to the questions on the Student Worksheet.

Step 2

In their groups, encourage students to brainstorm solutions to the challenge and record them on their Student Worksheet. They could sketch or list their ideas. Encourage each group to come up with at least 5 possible solutions. Remind students that at this stage, there are no wrong ideas. The goal is to think creatively and generate as many potential solutions as possible. Encourage them to consider:

How could the device make the user’s daily life easier?
What materials or features would it need to work effectively?
How could it be comfortable, affordable, and sustainable?

Learning extension: Sometimes, a designed solution is not the best solution. In Jayden's case, the best solution could be a process change. For example, Jayden may benefit from:

a doctor’s note declaring that the sports bag is medical equipment that Jayden is required to carry
,a school petition led by students to change the school policy around acceptable bags.

Once the students have ideated their solutions, ask them to identify which solutions are designed solutions, and which are procedural changes.

Take Action: Ideate and design

Step 1

Have students break into pairs or groups of 3 from their initial user group. Each new group will choose a different design from their list to refine further and continue the ideation process. Inform students that they will actually be making a prototype of their design and that they will need to choose a solution they can feasibly build.

Explain to students that their design must meet the following criteria:

Functionality: Does the design effectively cater to the user’s needs? Does it allow them to perform the task independently?
Usability: Is the device easy to use for the intended user? Does it do what it needs to do?
Accessibility: Does the design suit the environment where it will be used? Does it meet the user’s physical abilities?
Durability and safety: Is the device durable and built to withstand daily use? Does it have any sharp edges or other parts that could cause harm? How could the device fail? What would be the result if the device failed?
Aesthetics and comfort: Does the design look good? Can the user customise it? Is it comfortable for the user to wear or use?

Step 2

Provide students with time to develop their design idea on the Student Worksheet. They should label the parts of their design and note how each feature helps meet the user’s specific needs.

Students may benefit from access to devices to conduct online research on the properties of different objects, components, and materials. For example, they may need to find out just how big a double bass is and how much it weighs.

Step 3

Once groups have finished, invite students to return to their original user groups and share their designs. Ask them to provide constructive feedback to their peers using prompts such as:

What works well for this design?
What does this designed solution do better than your own designed solution?
What issues can you see with how this design is made or used?

Learning opportunity: Students explore what career would use the design skills they demonstrated in this activity and provide a report.

Reflection

Initiate a class discussion using the following questions:

What makes human-centred design different from simply designing something based on our own assumptions?
Why is it important to put ourselves in the user’s shoes when designing solutions?
Who else do you think could benefit from using this assistive device (and how could we share our solutions with those people)?

Dextrous Designs

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions

Success criteria

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills Required

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Information

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson