Through DSEL and Consumer Behavior design sprints, I have achieved a basic understanding of the design thinking process:
- Empathize
- Define
- Ideate
- Prototype
- Test
These five steps have been the foundation to several projects throughout this semester. By working through this model repeatedly, I learned several things that I would not have otherwise. First, I learned that there is no "right" way of doing things. When working in groups, I used to get frustrated when others didn't think or tackle problems in the same way that I did. In my mind, "it was my way or the highway." Using this method, I often go stuck pursuing illusory solutions. Because this model encourages students to re-ideate and pivot, it is easy to avoid the "wrong" answers and stumble onto brilliant ones. In a way, the process helps students discover what they don't know that they don't know.
The second piece I learned from using the design thinking process is to build empathy for your user. Having empathy for others is a strength of mine, and it was exciting to apply this quality to a tangible product or service. In our final assignment, it was relatively easy to build empathy for our users because we were so similar in regards to age and lifestyle. Our group pushed the boundaries of the empathy piece by researching students with food insecurity, and also international students. We discovered that 1 in 10 Americans suffering from food insecurity is a college student. From interacting with two group members from outside the US, we gained an understanding of the communication barrier. Imagine having to translate each ingredient of a recipe while cooking!
In conclusion, this course has made me a more flexible and empathetic group member. I am excited to bring these qualities with me into future group work situations. Thank you for an excellent year!
