Youth Explore Trades Skills
Introduction to Design
Design Challenge:
Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience
Description
In this Activity Plan, students will engage in design thinking through a fun and fast-paced design
challenge. The challenge involves participants recollecting the last time they gave a gift to
someone; their partners then “design” a solution to demonstrate how the experience could be
improved in the future.
The activity is an adaptation of the “Virtual Crash Course in Design Thinking” created by
Stanford University’s “d.school” (the Hasslo Plattner Institute of Design). d.school uses the
design thinking methodology, in which designers stress the importance of developing empathy
with users they’re working with, to ensure that useful and meaningful artifacts are created as a
result of their work.
The primary intended outcome of this activity is to demonstrate to students how empathy can
increase an audience’s engagement in the creative process, even during a relatively simple
hour-long exercise such as this one.
By involving the user in the design process from the outset and by creating an emotional
connection with the user by learning more about that person’s interests and passions, designers
can be certain that what they produce is relevant to their users.
For more concrete applications of design to employment, see the Activity Plan “Working as a
Designer.”
Lesson Objectives
The student will be able to:
• Recognize the stages involved in design thinking as outlined by the d.school
• Recognize the role of empathy in design thinking
Assumptions
• Students will not have previously conducted this activity.
Terminology
Artifact: a product of human art and workmanship. Ulrich (2011, p. 2) describes an artifact as
“any product of intentional creation, including physical goods, services, software, graphics,
buildings, landscapes, organizations, and processes.”
Design: the act of developing solutions to problems through the creation of objects, systems, or
environments.
is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License unless otherwise indicated.
This work
Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience Introduction to Design
Empathy: the ability to understand the feelings of another person. This is achieved through
relationship building. Empathy involves listening, creating connections, and caring for others.
Design thinking: a methodology that combines the practice of empathy with creative and
analytical approaches used to foster innovation. Design thinking involves cross-disciplinary
collaboration; it draws inspiration from approaches used in engineering and manufacturing, the
arts and social sciences, and business. Design thinking supports flexible approaches to problem
solving, allowing the model to be personalized and customized to a wide variety of different
settings.
Estimated Time
1–2 hours
Recommended Number of Students
20, based on the BC Technology Educators’ Best Practice Guide
Facilities
Regular classroom space with desks/chairs for all students, a projector with computer and
speakers, and Internet access
Tools
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Staplers
• Utility knives (optional)
Materials
Any combination of the following “scrappy” materials that can be used to create quick
prototypes:
• Aluminum foil • Pipe cleaners
• Bamboo skewers • Popsicle sticks or tongue depressors
• Brass split pins • Sharpie pens
• Cardboard • Straws (jumbo or regular-sized)
• Construction paper (coloured) • Tape: masking tape, duct tape, or
• Felt electrical tape (coloured)
• Hot glue sticks • Toothpicks
• Jute twine or butcher’s string • Velcro (adhesive backing)
• Paperclips • White glue and/or glue sticks
• Paper cups • Zap straps (coloured)
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Introduction to Design Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience
Resources
An Introduction to Design Thinking: Process Guide (Hasslo Plattner Institute of Design
at Stanford)
https://dschool-old.stanford.edu/sandbox/groups/designresources/wiki/36873/attachments/74b3d/
ModeGuideBOOTCAMP2010L.pdf
Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society by Karl T. Ulrich. Freely available in digital format at
http://opim.wharton.upenn.edu/~ulrich/ulrichbook-10Aug12.pdf
Design Processes (University of British Columbia)
http://dstudio.ubc.ca/toolkit/processes/
Maker Day Toolkit (Industry Training Authority)
http://www.itabc.ca/sites/default/files/docs/discover/Final%20MakerDayToolKit.pdf
Technology Education 11 and 12: Drafting and Design Integrated Resource Package, 2001
(BC Ministry of Education)
http://tinyurl.com/z3kzczz
Technology Education 11 and 12: Industrial Design Integrated Resource Package, 1997
(BC Ministry of Education)
http://tinyurl.com/jcmo3n4
Go For a Ride!: Virtual Crash Course Video (the Gift-Giving Project)
https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/virtual-crash-course-video
Assessment
The following scale may be used for the purposes of evaluation, in conjunction with the rubric
found below. The rubric may be used to conduct teacher-led assessment, peer assessment,
and/or individual assessment.
Beginning Attempted, but criteria not completed to satisfaction
Developing Attempted successfully at the minimum level
Accomplished Completed successfully at a higher than satisfactory level
Exemplary Completed successfully at an exceptional level
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Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience Introduction to Design
The Gift-Giving Experience Assessment Rubric
Stage Beginning Developing Accomplished Exemplary
Empathize Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer
demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates an demonstrates an
limited empathy empathy for accomplished level exemplary ability
for partner partner at a of empathy for to empathize with
satisfactory level partner partner
Define: c
apture Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer
findings demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates
limited ability to satisfactory ability accomplished exemplary ability
capture findings to synthesize ability to to synthesize
from conversation findings from synthesize findings findings from
with partner conversation with from conversation conversation with
partner with partner partner
Define: p
roblem Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer
statement demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates
limited ability to satisfactory ability accomplished exemplary ability
define problem to define problem ability to define to define problem
statement statement problem statement statement
Ideate Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer
demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates
limited ability satisfactory ability accomplished exemplary ability
to sketch out to sketch out ability to sketch out to sketch out
solutions based solutions based on solutions based on solutions based on
on problem problem statement problem statement problem statement
statement
Prototype Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer Interviewer
demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates
limited ability minimally accomplished exemplary ability
to generate satisfactory ability to generate to generate
prototype ability to generate prototype prototype
prototype
Test Student Student Student Student
demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates
limited ability to ability to capture accomplished exemplary
capture feedback feedback at ability to capture ability to capture
a minimally feedback feedback
satisfactory level
4 Youth Explore Trades Skills
Introduction to Design Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience
Student Activity
When you design, you are not designing for yourself but for someone else. In this activity,
you will be redesigning your partner’s experience of giving a gift to someone. The goal is
to empathize with your partner, to the point where you are able to redesign the gift-giving
experience in order that the next time they give a gift, it may prove to be a better experience for
them.
Procedure
Think about the last time you gave someone a gift—the entirety of the gift-giving experience
from start to finish. The experience can include any and all of (but is not limited to) the following:
• Realizing you needed to get a gift or forgot to get a gift for someone
• Thinking about what to get and deciding on what you wanted to create or buy
• Receiving or not receiving thanks for your gift
EMPATHIZE IDEATE
DEFINE PROTOTYPE
TEST
Figure 1—Stages of the design process
Image credit: d.school (Hasslo Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford)
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA-3.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Figure 1 illustrates the stages of “design thinking” as presented by the “d.school,” formally known
as the Hasslo Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. Your activity will be framed
using this model. The steps can be explained as follows:
Youth Explore Trades Skills 5
Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience Introduction to Design
Design Thinking
Learn about the audience for whom you are designing,
EMPATHIZE by observation and interview. Who is my user? What
matters to this person?
Create a point of view that is based on user needs and
DEFINE
insights. What are their needs?
IDEATE Brainstorm and come up with as many creative
solutions as possible. Wild ideas are encouraged!
Build a representation of one or more of your ideas to
PROTOTYPE show to others. How can I show my idea? Remember:
a prototype is just a rough draft!
Share your prototyped idea with your partner for
TEST
feedback. What worked? What didn’t?
6 Youth Explore Trades Skills
Introduction to Design Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience
1. Empathize
To begin, you will learn what’s important to the person you’re designing for by asking him or
her a series of questions about the last time he or she gave a gift to someone.
Interview (8 minutes)
Ask your partner about their last experience of giving a gift. Try to understand as much about
your partner’s experience as you can. Ask probing questions to deepen your understanding
(e.g., Why did you do that? or What made you decide that?).
Each partner has four minutes to interview the other, and then the roles are reversed.
Notes from your first interview
Youth Explore Trades Skills 7
Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience Introduction to Design
Dig deeper (8 minutes)
Now concentrate on the points that you found most interesting from the interview you just
conducted, and try to find out even more about your partner. Try to engage with him or her
about the gift-giving experience on an emotional level. Question your partner’s motivations;
invite him or her to tell stories related to these topics.
Each partner has four minutes to dig deeper, and then the roles are reversed.
Notes from your second interview
8 Youth Explore Trades Skills
Introduction to Design Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience
2. Define
During the Define stage, you will synthesize the conversations you had with your partner
to communicate a clear statement that captures his or her practical needs, as well as any
insights you’ve gleaned into what’s important to them when it comes to giving gifts.
Capture findings (3 minutes)
Take some time to reflect on the conversations you’ve been having with your user.
Identify needs
Generate a list of the needs your partner is trying to accomplish by giving gifts (this list will
usually include verbs (e.g., demonstrate gratitude, earn respect, show appreciation).
Clarify insights
Insights reveal personal information that relates to your partner’s personality. For example,
maybe your partner only purchases gifts that support a local charity, which shows that they
are socially engaged. Insights can tell you a lot about the person giving the gift, and not just
the recipient. Insights may be inferences that you have derived from conversation with your
partner, though your partner doesn’t have to have said any exact words that end up being
recorded as insights—this may involve a creative leap or risk on your part.
Capture Findings
Needs: things they are trying to do*
*use verbs
Insights: new learning about your partner’s feelings/worldview to leverage in your design*
*make inferences from what you heard
Youth Explore Trades Skills 9
Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience Introduction to Design
Define a problem statement (3 minutes)
Review the needs and insights that you’ve just recorded in the previous step. Take the one
need and one insight you’ve just recorded that you think are most relevant, unexpected, or
meaningful about your partner, and jot them down in the “Define problem statement” section.
Consider the title of this activity: “Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience.” Based on what
you’ve learned through empathizing with your partner, how does this activity translate to his
or her personal experience?
Keep your problem statement short and specific.
Define problem statement
needs a way to
Partner name/description partner’s need
Partner's need (continued)
partner’s need
Surprisingly // because // but...
(circle one)
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Introduction to Design Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience
3. Ideate
Ideation involves brainstorming as many solutions as possible.
Sketch four radical ways to meet your user’s needs (4 minutes)
Both partners: sketch a minimum of four solutions based on your problem statement; avoid
using words. No one will be judging you on the quality of your artwork. If you come up with
four sketches and there’s still time remaining, continue creating more sketches.
Sketch at least four radical ways to meet your user’s needs. (4 minutes)
Youth Explore Trades Skills 11
Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience Introduction to Design
4. Prototype
Build Your Solution (10 minutes)
Using the available materials, create an object that somehow represents the solution that
you’ve previously identified in Step 3.
You have 10 minutes to create your prototype.
5. Test
On the basis of feedback from the prototype, how effective was this design challenge?
Share Your Solution and Get Feedback (8 minutes)
Now that you’ve created your prototype, fill in the feedback grid. The goal is not to try and
convince your partner that the prototype you’ve come up with is necessarily the best or only
solution to the problem you’re trying to solve—instead, think of the prototype as one more
point of entry into deepening the conversation around your partner’s needs. By thinking
about what worked and what could be improved, and by asking questions and sharing ideas,
you will learn even more about how to meet those needs.
Be sure to put your prototype in your partner’s hands and have them provide you with
feedback.
After four minutes, be sure to switch roles with your partner.
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Introduction to Design Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience
Feedback Grid (8 minutes)
What worked? What could be improved?
List any questions you have. List any ideas you have.
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Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience Introduction to Design
Reflection
Even in only one hour, and even with limited instructions and materials, this activity may very
well have demonstrated how invested you can become in a concept (gift-giving) in a short period
of time, simply by having been invited to participate. In the process, this exercise has helped
walk you through the five stages of design thinking.
The following questions are a chance for you to reflect on your participation in Redefining the
Gift-Giving Experience, as well as the effectiveness of the activity itself in achieving its desired
outcome.
1. How did engaging with a real person and testing your prototype with a real person change
your perspective about the prototype you created, based on your partner’s feedback?
2. What was it like showing unfinished work to another person?
3. How did the pace feel, relative to how you normally work?
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Introduction to Design Design Challenge: Redefining the Gift-Giving Experience
4. Based on where you are now with your partner and the prototype that you developed, if you
went through this exercise again, would you try to gain more empathy for your partner?
5. If you were to go through this activity again, what would you do differently? Would you
redefine the problem statement? Would you ideate more solutions? Would you craft a new
prototype?
6. Are there ways you could apply the approach used in this activity to your own life? Explain.
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