DESIGN THINKING TOOLBOX

A collection of open source human-centered design resources, skills, and activities for designers of all levels and experiences.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

Our work is rooted in design thinking, a creative problem solving and innovation discovery process developed at Stanford University’s d.school. Using design thinking, we can uncover new ideas that allow us to disrupt for good—improving the status quo for lasting change. Through this, students learn and practice critical 21st Century skills: empathy, collaboration, communication, leadership, innovation, critical thinking, adaptability and creativity. The process is deeply rooted in empathy, guiding the development of the project with the end user in mind.

NOTICE

Cultivating the ability to recognize and investigate the problems and opportunities that are present in our community

ACTIVATE

Creating a call to action and gathering a heterogeneous team

EMPATHIZE

Foregrounding the end user’s perspective as a means to create personalized, relevant solutions

UNDERSTAND

Gather and examine data to enhance our perspective and create a foundation of understanding

DEFINE

Identifying an actionable definition of the problem/opportunity as well as the scope and scale of the solution team

IDEATE

Lean on creativity, elaboration, and risk taking to generate solutions that are miles from the status quo

PROTOTYPE

Use a bias toward action and valuable feedback to iterate toward a meaningful solution

DISRUPT FOR GOOD

Disseminating and amplifying our ideas to create good

EVALUATE AND REFLECT

Analyze what we’ve done with an eye toward what we’ll do next

DESIGN SKILLS

Within each phase of the design process, there are certain skills that designers gain as they become more proficient in that phase. As designers gain more and more of these abilities, they become more advanced design thinkers. You can find each list of skills within each of these phase pages:

Notice

Cultivating the ability to recognize and investigate the problems and opportunities that are present in our community.

Activate

Creating a call to action and gathering a heterogeneous team

Empathize

Foregrounding the end user’s perspective as means to create personalized, relevant solutions

Understand

Gather and examine data to enhance our perspective and create a foundation of knowledge and understanding

Define

Identifying an actionable definition of the problem or opportunity as well as the scope and scale of the solution team

Ideate

Lean on creativity, elaboration, and risk taking to generate solutions that are miles from the status quo

Prototype and Test

Use a bias toward action and valuable feedback to iterate toward a meaningful solution

Disrupt for Good

Disseminating and amplifying our ideas to create good

Evaluate and Reflect

Analyze what we’ve done with an eye toward what we’ll do next

DESIGN TOOLS & METHODS

These tools help designers of any level to dive deeper into each phase as they work through the design process. Each one has brief instructions as well as a plan that shows the time, team, and materials required for each tool. Search by specific phase, or browse our catalog for an activity that interests you.

Featured

Notice

Heartbreak Map

Notice

What in the world makes your heart break?

Notice

Activate

The SWOT Analysis

Activate

Review your potential team’s strengths and weaknesses.

Activate

This I Believe

Activate

Be brave and voice what you believe in!

Activate

Empathize, Activate, Understand

Drawing Without Knowing

Empathize, Activate, Understand

Can you draw the picture without knowing what it is?

Empathize, Activate, Understand

Empathize, Evaluate & Reflect

Empathy Reflection

Empathize, Evaluate & Reflect

Reflect on your empathy experiences.

Empathize, Evaluate & Reflect

Evaluate & Reflect

Yarn Web

Evaluate & Reflect

Create a web of appreciation!

Evaluate & Reflect

Six Word Story

Evaluate & Reflect

Can you tell your story in only six words?

Evaluate & Reflect

High, Low, Thank You

Evaluate & Reflect

What were the best and worst parts of your design experience?

Evaluate & Reflect

One Word Reflection

Evaluate & Reflect

Reflect on your design experience with just one word.

Evaluate & Reflect

Disrupt for Good

Create a Pitch

Disrupt for Good

Use these tips and tricks to make sure your project pitch is top-notch!

Disrupt for Good

Capabilities Quicksheet

Disrupt for Good

Make sure you have everything in order and are capable of having an awesome implementation!

Disrupt for Good

Roadmap for Success

Disrupt for Good

Plan out how you’re going to disrupt for good!

Disrupt for Good

Prototype & Test

Capturing Feedback

Prototype & Test

Make sure to test your ideas and gather lots of feedback!

Prototype & Test

Get Visual

Prototype & Test

Don’t be afraid to draw out your ideas.

Prototype & Test

Rapid Prototyping

Prototype & Test

Prototype and test your ideas quickly and efficiently!

Prototype & Test

See All Tools & Methods

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DESIGN ASSETS

As designers work through the design thinking process using the methods and tools available to them, they create deliverables, or “assets,” that they can put in their final case studies as evidence of their hard work. Browse these assets and see what these designers are producing during their projects. Search by specific phase or browse our entire catalog for an asset that interests you.

Featured

Notice

PITCH: User Problem, Need or Want

Notice

Add your heartbreak map to your case study to show what issues you were initially drawn to.

Notice

Evaluate & Reflect

Impact Infographic

Evaluate & Reflect

Make a visual representation of the huge impact your design project had on the community.

Evaluate & Reflect

Impact Statement

Evaluate & Reflect

Craft a short but powerful impact statement that summarizes your entire project.

Evaluate & Reflect

Personal Reflection

Evaluate & Reflect

Reflect on your entire design experience and capture it in your case study.

Evaluate & Reflect

Empathize, Ideate, Notice

Storyboard

Empathize, Ideate, Notice

Use your storyboard in your final case study to show off your hard work!

Empathize, Ideate, Notice

Empathize

End User Persona

Empathize

Show that you truly empathize with your end users.

Empathize

Activate

Speech Transcript

Activate

Transcribe your speech and capture it in your case study!

Activate

Empathize

Empathy Map

Empathize

Show off your empathy work in your case study with an empathy map!

Empathize

Ideate

Thirty Circles

Ideate

Use the Thirty Circles challenge to demonstrate your ideation abilities!

Ideate

Evaluate & Reflect

Logging Failure

Evaluate & Reflect

Log your failures and reflect on places where you failed forward!

Evaluate & Reflect

Notice

Heartbreak Map

Notice

Add your heartbreak map to your case study to show what issues you were initially drawn to.

Notice

Prototype & Test

Feedback Archive

Prototype & Test

Capture all the valuable feedback you receive for your case study!

Prototype & Test

See All Assets

DESIGN THINKING TOOLBOX

A collection of open source human-centered design resources, skills, and activities for designers of all levels and experiences.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

DESIGN SKILLS

Within each phase of the design process, there are certain skills that designers gain as they become more proficient in that phase. As designers gain more and more of these abilities, they become more advanced design thinkers. You can find each list of skills within each of these phase pages:

DESIGN TOOLS & METHODS

DESIGN ASSETS

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