Many libraries are engaging in design thinking. The Interaction Design Foundation defines it as:
Design thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test. Involving five phases—Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test—it is most useful to tackle problems that are ill-defined or unknown.
Design Thinking is not mysterious, in fact, it is likely that you are already doing it (e.g., brainstorming). However, good design thinking requires structure. Here are a few resources to help you understand and use it, as well as links to several blog posts I've written on brainstorming. (BTW good brainstorming follows a few easy rules.)
Resources on design thinking:
- Stanford Univ. (2020) The d.school Starter Kit. This is a three-hour course which carries a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
- IDEO. (2014) The Design Thinking for Libraries You can download three documents CC BY-NC -SA 3.0):
- Design Thinking for Libraries (121 pp)
- Design Thinking in a Day (17 pp)
- Activities Workbook (60 pp).
- IDEO: Shopping Cart Design Process (Nightline), 22 minutes
- Clarke, Rachel. (2020) Design Thinking. ALA Neal-Schuman. [paid link]
- Digitization 101. (2012) #RSQ12: Josh Linkner.
- Digitization 101. (2012) #RSQ12: Tamara Kleinberg (and the Starbucks library).
- Digitization 101. (2012) Brainstorming the library of the future.
- Digitization 101. (2013) #CILDC : Sunrise Session - Enabling Innovation.
- Digitization 101. (2014) #CILDC : Enabling Innovation
- Digitization 101. (2015) LARC: Creating Sparks that Light Our Profession.
