Slide deck to presentation given at the Innovation & Entrerpreneurship Teaching Symposium, 24 Feb 2018 at the Petroleum Institute at Abu Dhabi. It explores the evolution of the concept of design, contrasts facilitating a design thinking workshop with teaching design thinking, identifies best teaching practices and suggests a focus on growth mindset, creative confidence and integrative thinking training exercises within the design thinking process to develop new patterns of behaviours.

1. CULTIVATING
MINDSETS THROUGH
DESIGN THINKING
Dr Kai Bruns
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Teaching
Symposium
Abu Dhabi, 24 February 2018

2. Skywalker
Someday, I will be the most powerful Jedi ever…or DesignThinking facilitator
1. What is Design Thinking?
2. What is the difference between facilitating a
workshop and teaching design thinking?
3. How can we pick up our students where they are,
help them develop their mental models and
mindsets?
4. How might we help students develop behaviours
that stick forever?... at least for another week.
5. How might we incorporate mindsets training in the
Design Thinking module?

3. What is Design Thinking?
“a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from
the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the
possibilities of technology, and the requirements for
business success.” — Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO.

4. … and what I tell my students Design
Thinking is…
• Not Design = Thinking like a designer
• Process is a loop of continued understanding
• Process of thinking, hard work, yelling that goes into the
decision that makes the artifact.
SalvatorMundi

5. Evolution of Design
ADesignThinkingTimeline
Source: Jo Szczepanska

6. Facilitating a workshop vs teaching
design thinking
Workshop Facilitation
• Ask questions, write
stuff down, and mind
the clock
“The facilitator is there to
make sure the sprint
happens, and to provide
the framework so everyone
else can succeed.”
Jake Knapp
Teaching Design Thinking
• Think about learning
outcomes
• Make sure students learn
new skills & abilities
• Prepare students to face
challenges of today‘s
world

7. 8 Design Thinking Abilities
Tangibles
Source: Carissa Carter with Scott Doorley

8. 8 Design Abilities
Intangibles
Source: Carissa Carter with Scott Doorley

9. Developing 3 Master Mindsets

10. Growth Mindset
Key Features Behaviours
# Embrace challenges
# Persist in the face of
setbacks
# Learn from criticism

11. Creative Confidence
Key Features Behaviours
# Practice intentionality
# Reframe the problem
# Bias towards action

12. Integrative Thinking
Key Features Behaviours
# Embrace complexity
# Look for
multidirectional, non-
linear causality
# Search for creative
solutions of tensions
(no trade offs)

13. How might we help students develop
behaviours that stick longer?
Lara Boyd on how neuroplasticity
gives you the power to shape the
brain you want
1)Chemicals
2)Structual
change
(neurons)
3)Functional
change

14. How might we incorporate mindsets in
teaching?
1. Remember how the brain works
2. Identify the bahaviours that reflect the mindsets
you want to train
3. Match it with the Design Thinking process
4. Repeat exercises as often as possible

15. How might we incorporate mindsets in
teaching?

16. Conclusion
1. Design Thinking is a process of thinking, hard work,
yelling that goes into the decision that makes the
artifact.
2. It‘s not only about facilitating a process but to cultivate
abilities and mindsets
3. Focus on growth mindset, creative confidence and
integrative thinking
4. Provide learning events for continous practice
5. Identify behaviours, fit them into design thinking
process in form of stokes, appetizers and exercises