The 2015-2016 program year started with 3 Bay Area schools and 2 goals--1). to coach creative catalysts currently spearheading the design thinking practice within their school, and 2). support these creative catalysts to lead the practice and implementation of designing thinking authentic to their school's culture. What emerged were 16 tools to break school rule and 5 major insights.

3 schools

Each school and its creative catalyst were on their own journey with design thinking. Our Learning Experience Designers went deep into the schools as anthropologists and designers to support the design and implementation of a creative practice authentic to that school. We worked with Urban Montessori Charter School, Design Tech High School and Laurel Elementary.

16 tools designed

In collaboration with our d.home schools, we were able to design, prototype and test over 16 tools to break rules (habits). 

  1. The Design Sprint
  2. Student design thinking Self Assessment
  3. Fear Flow Food
  4. Audience Empathy Tool
  5. Design Thinking Mission Statement
  6. 2 minute Know Me
  7. Composite User Mapping
  8. Design Thinking Journey Map
  9. Storymold

3 major insights

  1. Creativity is not magic. It's a discipline.
  2. We design tools to break old school rules.
  3. To teach design, you must practice design.