Reflection, Design Thinking for Innovation:

Challenge & Selection    I have found that a bunch of words doesn’t always convey the full idea or concept I’m  explaining. My mind running 100 mph while the listener hasn’t quite grasped the main idea. But  a picture is truly worth a thousand eloquent and clear words. I found this to be true one day  when I went to speak to a career counselor at my university. I had big ideas about ways I  wanted to get involved, but it was an overwhelming amount to explain to someone. Luckily, I  used the visualization tool to graphically organize my ideas and categorize all that I wanted to  do in my three years on campus.    Application    One afternoon back in November I sought out a career counselor at my university. I was new to  campus, having recently transferred schools, and I was lost in the Olympic sized swimming pool  of options.  There was a club for everything under the sun and I had no idea where to begin. I  had a general idea of some things that had piqued my interest and categorized them into what I  then thought I had coined as my own term, a ‘mind map’. Since going through this class, I have  learned a mind map is a real, and already invented thing, and it is slightly different than what I  did at the time. Yet, what I had created still was a form of visualization. With a bubble filled in  the with word “organizations” at the center, followed by arrows that led to a second layer  which was a bubble with category titles, and a third layer of arrows that broke off into the tittle  of the organization itself. Ironically enough, the student career coach I spoke to on that day was  the very person who introduced me to design thinking. When I opened my iPad to show her my  creation and try to explain what exactly it was, she asked me if I had ever heard of design  thinking because it looked like something I’d naturally like. Two take-aways, first I started to dig  into design thinking at any opportunity I could after that conversation, and second, I felt that  she easily understood my idea because of the way it was visualized on the screen. Even if my  words failed to elaborate the entirety of my thoughts and interests, my visualization met me  more than halfway and did the rest.     Insights & Approach    This retrospective use of visualization allowed me to see just how clear visualizations can make  ideas before I had the opportunity to formally learned about them and their power in a chapter  in this class. I could tell how much easier it was to explain a wide breadth of things to someone  relatively quickly by being able to show them instead of merely trying to explain with words  alone. Design thinking sounded somewhat elusive before I started to learn more about it. When  I first heard of design thinking, I didn’t know it had been around so long, I wasn’t quite sure of  all that it encompassed, nor did I know that it really does have a concrete methodology. Now  learning and using the process, I feel a lot more confident using it. Additionally, sometimes the  entire process isn’t required, which means when I run into trying to explain all the clubs I want  to investigate joining, I can pull one design thinking tool out of my toolbox and use it. Design  thinking is flexible. It’s a mindset that allows you to restructure an entire business or explain

one idea. I like having the option to pick and choose how I use it and to now know all of the  tools that are in my design thinking toolbox. Design thinking is no longer elusive, now it is  something I can implement in my daily life to be a better thinker and explainer.     I have enjoyed looking back at experiences I’ve had and now seeing and realizing there have  been places where I’ve been implementing some of these tools all along. Now that I know more  depth about them, I can hone each tool, like visualization, to make sure that the experience for  the person on the receiving side is crystal clear. The scenario I described was a perfect fit for a  casual visualization. When I’m presenting to a different audience, perhaps something at work, I  would make my visualization larger and obviously more polished looking. It’s all about the  circumstances and what is most appropriate then and there.


Reflection , Design Thinking for Innovation : Challenge & Selection I have found that a bunch of words does n’t always convey the full idea or concept I ’m explaining . My mind running 100 mph while the listener has n’t quite grasped the main idea . But a picture is truly worth a thousand eloquent and clear words . I found this to be true one day when I went to speak to a career counselor at my university . I had big ideas about ways I wanted to get involved , but it was an overwhelming amount to explain to someone . Luckily , I used the visualization tool to graphically organize my ideas and categorize all that I wanted to do in my three years on campus . Application One afternoon back in November I sought out a career counselor at my university . I was new to campus , having recently transferred schools , and I was lost in the Olympic sized swimming pool of options . There was a club for everything under the sun and I had no idea where to begin . I had a general idea of some things that had piqued my interest and categorized them into what I then thought I had coined as my own term , a ‘ mind map ’ . Since going through this class , I have learned a mind map is a real , and already invented thing , and it is slightly different than what I did at the time . Yet , what I had created still was a form of visualization . With a bubble filled in the with word “ organizations ” at the center , followed by arrows that led to a second layer which was a bubble with category titles , and a third layer of arrows that broke off into the tittle of the organization itself . Ironically enough , the student career coach I spoke to on that day was the very person who introduced me to design thinking . When I opened my iPad to show her my creation and try to explain what exactly it was , she asked me if I had ever heard of design thinking because it looked like something I ’d naturally like . Two take - aways , first I started to dig into design thinking at any opportunity I could after that conversation , and second , I felt that she easily understood my idea because of the way it was visualized on the screen . Even if my words failed to elaborate the entirety of my thoughts and interests , my visualization met me more than halfway and did the rest . Insights & Approach This retrospective use of visualization allowed me to see just how clear visualizations can make ideas before I had the opportunity to formally learned about them and their power in a chapter in this class . I could tell how much easier it was to explain a wide breadth of things to someone relatively quickly by being able to show them instead of merely trying to explain with words alone . Design thinking sounded somewhat elusive before I started to learn more about it . When I first heard of design thinking , I did n’t know it had been around so long , I was n’t quite sure of all that it encompassed , nor did I know that it really does have a concrete methodology . Now learning and using the process , I feel a lot more confident using it . Additionally , sometimes the entire process is n’t required , which means when I run into trying to explain all the clubs I want to investigate joining , I can pull one design thinking tool out of my toolbox and use it . Design thinking is flexible . It ’s a mindset that allows you to restructure an entire business or explain one idea . I like having the option to pick and choose how I use it and to now know all of the tools that are in my design thinking toolbox . Design thinking is no longer elusive , now it is something I can implement in my daily life to be a better thinker and explainer . I have enjoyed looking back at experiences I ’ve had and now seeing and realizing there have been places where I ’ve been implementing some of these tools all along . Now that I know more depth about them , I can hone each tool , like visualization , to make sure that the experience for the person on the receiving side is crystal clear . The scenario I described was a perfect fit for a casual visualization . When I ’m presenting to a different audience , perhaps something at work , I would make my visualization larger and obviously more polished looking . It ’s all about the circumstances and what is most appropriate then and there .