DESIGN THINKING AND STORY TELLING

Design Thinking is that method wherein the problems are solved by focusing on asking

questions and listening with empathy to the needy individuals or groups. Story telling is a

very essential and influential human activity in which experiences are shared, values are

explained and solutions are decided through vivid verbal and visual accounts.

1. Challenge

The Challenge I recently came across was to convey to my students that drugs and

suicide are not a solution to the problems that we face in our lives. It was kind of a

situation were many of the students were highly depressed due to the lockdown and

exam stress that has been round the corner at that particular time.

2. Selection

The tool which I selected was story telling. The reason behind the choice of this tool

is that people of any age group can be attracted and drawn the attention to if a

problem is introduced and presented in the form of a story.

3. Application

The application of tool was very simple. I chose to perform a monologue and

combined it with a theatre performance of my friends who did a campaign against

suicide and the mental health issues. I asked my students to open up to their parents

and asked them to go talk out to people freely. I opened up a peer chat platform let’s

chat meet and even launched quarantine fun activities for my students such as online

music, dance cover, art and creative, literary events.

I asked my students to come up with a theatre performance which use the same

medium of story telling so that we can reach out to other students in case they suffer

with the same.

4. Insight

The insight I got was very informative. I learnt that peers are the best stress busters as

well as the pressure creators. Presence or guidance of adults can bring about a lot of

changes too. Students require methodological and sequential story telling mode to

reach their minds effectively and bring out changes from them. I decided to involve

more student centric activities as a result of gained insight from the act of storytelling.

5. Approach

I might use the same tool next time. But in a different way of reaching out to the

public and especially the elderly who require most help with regard to mental health

and support.

