Design thinking, side by side

What is design thinking?

A way of solving problems for real people. Schools and studios each draw it their own way. Lined up, they tell the same story.

Line them up ↓six frameworksFree · no login

Design thinking in four moves

  1. Start with the problemFind out who it is for and what they need.
  2. Many ideas, then oneGo wide before you choose.
  3. Make it to learnA rough model beats a perfect drawing.
  4. Go round againTesting sends you back. That is the point.

Line them up

Every framework, laid along the same six stages. Tap any piece to see what the others call it.

d.school design thinkingStanford d.school

Double DiamondDesign Council, UK

MYP design cycleInternational Baccalaureate

GCSE Design and TechnologyDepartment for Education, England

Australian CurriculumACARA, Australia

Collaborating and managing, all the way through

Engineering design processNASA

Same story, cut in different places.

All six make one cut in the same place: where the problem ends and the ideas begin. Tap any piece, or a stage, to see what the others call it.

The stage names are each framework’s own. Where they sit on this board is our reading, and it is approximate: every one of them loops, and none is a straight line.

The six, one by one

Each framework’s stages in its own words, with what happens in each in ours.

d.school design thinking

Stanford d.school · Anyone starting a design project

  1. EmpathizeWatch, ask and listen to the people you are designing for.
  2. DefineTurn what you found into one clear problem.
  3. IdeateCome up with lots of ideas before judging any.
  4. PrototypeBuild a rough version someone can pick up.
  5. TestTry it with real people and learn what to change.
Design Thinking Bootleg, Stanford d.school ↗

Double Diamond

Design Council, UK · Design and innovation teams

  1. DiscoverFind out what the problem really is. Don't assume.
  2. DefineUse what you found to frame the challenge.
  3. DevelopWork up different answers, with other people.
  4. DeliverTry solutions small, drop what fails, improve what works.
The Double Diamond, Design Council ↗

The Double Diamond by the Design Council is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.

MYP design cycle

International Baccalaureate · MYP Design, ages 11 to 16

  1. Inquiring and analysingExplain the need, research it, and write a design brief.
  2. Developing ideasSet the specification, draw a range of ideas, choose one.
  3. Creating the solutionPlan the making, make it, and note what changed.
  4. EvaluatingTest it against the specification and say what to improve.
Design in the MYP, International Baccalaureate ↗

GCSE Design and Technology

Department for Education, England · GCSE D&T, ages 14 to 16

  1. ExploreInvestigate a context and the people in it, and outline what could be designed.
  2. CreateGenerate ideas, develop them, and make a working prototype.
  3. EvaluateAnalyse and test what you made, and weigh your decisions.
GCSE design and technology subject content, GOV.UK ↗

Australian Curriculum

ACARA, Australia · Design and Technologies, Foundation to Year 10

  1. Investigating and definingLook into needs and opportunities, and set what the solution must do.
  2. Generating and designingGenerate ideas and show them in drawings and models.
  3. Producing and implementingMake the solution safely, with the right tools and materials.
  4. EvaluatingJudge the ideas and the finished solution against criteria.
  5. Collaborating and managingPlan the project and work with others, all the way through.
Technologies, Australian Curriculum ↗

Engineering design process

NASA · Classroom engineering challenges

  1. AskPin down the problem, what it must do and what limits it.
  2. ImagineBrainstorm solutions and look at what others have done.
  3. PlanChoose a design and sketch it.
  4. CreateBuild a model or a prototype.
  5. TestTest it and collect the data.
  6. ImproveChange the design from what the test showed.
  7. ShareExplain the solution and how you got there.
Engineering Design Process, NASA ↗

Quick answers

Is the MYP design cycle the same as design thinking?

Close. In d.school's words, Inquiring and analysing covers Empathize and Define, Developing ideas is Ideate, Creating the solution is Prototype and Evaluating is Test. Same project, cut in four pieces where d.school cuts five.

How is the Double Diamond different from design thinking?

The Double Diamond names four stages and d.school names five. Both give their first two to the problem. After that the Double Diamond has two, Develop and Deliver, where d.school has three: Ideate, Prototype and Test.

Which one should my class use?

The one your course is assessed in. The stages translate, so a tool made for one works in the others.

Is design thinking a straight line?

No. Every framework here is a loop: what you learn from testing sends you back to an earlier stage. See them drawn as a cycle →

A free tool for every stage

Whichever framework you teach, the stage tells you which tools fit.

DiscoverFind out what's really going on.11 tools →DefineSay exactly what you're solving.9 tools →IdeateLots of ideas first. Pick one after.8 tools →PrototypeMake it real, roughly, then properly.7 tools →TestTry it. Find what breaks. Fix it.9 tools →ShareShow what changed, and why.2 tools →
Open the free toolkitSee example units
StudioLoom

Free tools for every design classroom.