Design Thinking Course: Blog and Reflective Report Analysis

This report is a comprehensive reflection on a design thinking course, detailing the student's learning journey and experiences across twelve weeks. The report covers the fundamental concepts of design thinking, including its application in problem-solving and innovation, and the importance of empathy, ideation, and prototyping. Each week's content is summarized, highlighting key activities, psychological traits affecting the thought process, and the practical application of design thinking principles in real-world scenarios. The student discusses the course's impact on their critical thinking abilities, self-organizational skills, and ability to analyze problems, providing a valuable perspective on the design thinking process and its relevance to business development and professional growth. The report emphasizes the importance of direct market exposure, information synthesis, and the iterative nature of design thinking, ultimately showcasing the student's enhanced capacity to approach and solve complex problems effectively. The student also references the course's emphasis on practical learning through real-life examples and its impact on their ability to think critically and solve problems in both academic and personal contexts.

Running head: BLOG AND REFLECTIVE REPORT
Blog and Reflective report
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1BLOG AND REFLECTIVE REPORT
Week 1
On the first week of the session, the general requirements and processes were undertaken
in order to assess the understanding level of the candidates and general concept was explained.
The basics of design thinking were introduced and the reasons behind its popularity in the
modernized world were explained. Certain videos and slideshows were projected in the class in
order to undertake the better understanding of the concepts of the design thinking, and how it
works in solving the problems of the clients subsequently. The ideology and the theories were
made a note of, thereby the main sources of the information were highlighted, and thereby the
first week provided with the bird’s eye view of the total scenario of the session.
Week 2
On the second week, the instructor took a lesson on the obstacles that the students might
face in the later years of the problem solving process. the innovation that the process requires
and the use of the intellect in the right place is an important consideration that all candidates are
required to follow. The candidates are made to develop a framework for designing and
inculcating the thinking process. The task that was given was not complex, but it required time to
get on with it. The instructor gave a brief of the wicked problems that the candidates might face
in the later years and the solutions along with the problems. The barriers to the effective solving
of the problems are also being discussed in the class.
Week 3
In the third week of the session the candidates can understand the device of the design
thinking as a process, as it was supposed to be. The students were briefed about the different
processes that are included in the design thinking thus enhancing the capability of the candidates

2BLOG AND REFLECTIVE REPORT
to understand and interpret the problems depending on their own insight and perceptions. A brief
overview of the different processes that is involved in the design thinking is being explained to
the candidates with the help of relevant videos. It helps in the better understanding of the whole
process of design thinking and thereby develops an insight of the students in this connection.
Week 4
The fourth week has brought about a change in the plans of the teaching schedule. The
psychological trait that affects the thought process is being introduced ion this week and was
briefed. The psychological trait not only affects the psychology of an individual, but makes it a
point to control the body of the individual as well. The empathy, which is regarded as one of the
processes of the design thinking, helps the candidates in maintaining the social life effectively,
brings in the stability of the relationships, and thereby practices the effectiveness of the process.
The business point of view that is required to understand the profile more closely is being
incorporated in the candidates in this week’s session.
Week 5
The week taught the candidates to gather the experience of handling the situations in
solving the problems of the clients. Empathy that plays a major role in solving the problems is
mastered in this week with a series of activities that help in understanding the psychology of the
people surrounding the candidates. A problem can be solved only when the practitioner will look
into the matter from the perspective of the client and not the assumptions that he holds in his
heart. Empathetic view of solving the problems is thus an important step in understanding and
solving the problems of the clients. The candidates were made to inculcate the habit of looking
into the problems from the perspective of the client and provide a solution to the problem that

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has been raised.
Week 6
The sixth week exposes the student to the direct market scenario from where the student
can understand the situation more closely. It is more like a practical task that cannot be
undertaken effectively in a classroom. Classification of information and the gradual synthesis of
the information or the problem question in order to get hold of a reasonable solution are taught in
the week. Activities were undertaken in order to enhance the understanding of the situation of the
student. The use of affinity diagrams in the curriculum helped the students in understanding the
ways in which the ideas and thoughts can be clustered to a singular source. The week taught the
students the ways in which the information can be processed and thereby presented in a way,
which is systematic and comprehensive at the same time.
Week 7
The seventh week brought about a change in the standard curriculum as it included the
candidate’s active participation in the problem solving procedure. The candidate is required to
maintain a frequency of the events and the problems that arises out of barriers affecting the
effective means of problem solving procedure. The candidate is required to undertake the tests in
order to understand and work professionally in the work place. It helps in enhancing the
candidate’s capabilities and skills in this regards.
Week 8
The week taught the candidates the importance of the ideate process of the design
thinking in order to make the candidates aware of the total constraints that they might face in the
working schedule. The week also taught the students to understand the importance of the

4BLOG AND REFLECTIVE REPORT
consistency that the students might gain out of the tests. The ideas that are generated by the
candidates in order to solve the problem of the clients are classified under the process of
ideation. It helps the candidate in the better understanding of the problems and the generation of
relevant ideas in order to solve the problem effectively.
Week 9
The ninth week enables the student to develop the prototypes and thereby understand the
requirements of the problems and the issues, which might arise out of the process while
undertaking it. It enables the student to undertake experiments that might account to the
experience that the particular person gathers from the discrepancies. The solutions that the
candidate suggests to the client are based on the frequent experimentation and the generation of
the innovative ideas, that helps the client in overcoming the obstacles with the help of the
solution that has been provided. The clarity of the solution is an important criterion that is being
taught to the student, as vague solutions might result to misunderstandings.
Week 10
The tenth week makes the student to compile the topics that has been covered in the
previous weeks. It is efficient in its own way, as the procedures helps the student in
reconstructing the conceptions and make oneself familiar with the process. It is more like a recap
session that the instructor takes in order to make the students remember the early lessons that has
been taught. The basics of the design thinking are briefed once again which fits in the minds of
the students effectively as they have already completed and undertaken the practical of the
situations that might arise out when they are at their respective workplace. The week is like a
concluding week, which tests on the memory of the students and the feedback that the students

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provide to their instructor.
Week 11
The eleventh week makes the students realize of their improvement in the power of
criticizing effectively on a given matter. They can now penetrate into the depths of a problem
and inculcate the solution out of the problem. The student can also make use of the components
in the problems and link them to their solutions. It is like finding the solutions within the
question itself.
Week 12
In the very last week of the session, the students are made aware of the systematic design
thinking procedure apart from the methodology that they are into. The way in which proper
designing of the thoughts, opinions and ideas are undertaken in order to solve the problems is
being taught to the students. It makes the solving process more simple and brief. The completion
of the session will bring about a change in the life of the candidates. They can focus more on the
self-organizational skills that helps them in making the most out of their problem solving profile.

6BLOG AND REFLECTIVE REPORT
Reflective report
The design thinking is one of the most creative strategy that can be used to design the
procedure by the designers. This can also be regarded as the approach that has been used to
utilize in resolving the different problems with a complete meaning to resolve them. This can be
considered broadly as the case for the professional design making process and approach (Koh et
al., 2015). Hence, it can be stated that the application that can be found within the spheres of the
social problems has been within the business problem as well. When, I was about to learn about
the different business thinking processes, I am not really sure about what exactly needs to be
done in case of this course work. I was not even sure that what are the things that I am going to
learn in the weeks and how will I apply my learning in the different spheres of my life. While I
understood at the initial stage that the design thinking is the solution that is primarily centered
around the thinking process that is to some extent different from the scientific method. It is
considered to be a more creative and practical solution to the issues featured that will generate a
constructive result for the future. The more I started learning about this course work, it made me
realize that it will make me offer things that are unique and none of the other courses will make
me understand this. The things that have been expected in this course of work is the unique
learning process and the different new approaches that needs to be resolved (Johansson‐
Sköldberg, Woodilla & Çetinkaya, 2013). Along with that I have also realized that this special
course work in the design thinking is all about the different design process that includes the meta
cognition, cognition and the designing patterns. The concepts that can be offered to the students
includes the various aspects of the learning and the thinking process. The cognition and thee
meta cognition is all about the two interrelated concepts that needs the help on the mutual
grounds so that it becomes the synergistically productive way. The meta cognition is considered

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as the awareness learning process that needs to be improved through the entire process of it in a
dramatically influencial way. The knowledge that the students receive through the e meta
cognitive way is the development of the strategies that will be eventually improved through the
process of the learning. Apart from this it can be stated that the course of the design thinking will
always me with the several other theories that is required for supplementing the entire process of
learning. In this course of work, there is also an expectation that the practical learning theories
will have several real life examples so that it becomes easier for me at least to comprehend the
entire syllabus in a very quick and easy way (Leifer & Steinert, 2014). In reality, it can be stated
that I got more work from this course of work that is quite expected. I have eventually learnt a
complete new approach of the thinking process and at the same time it will help me in resolving
the problems. These problems are not at all included in the academic spheres but are somewhat
related to the spheres of our personal life. The problems included are sometimes not from the
academic spheres but are somewhat related to our personal and practical life as suggested by
Levick-Parkin & Hanson, 2015. Besides that from the design pattern and the learning designs, I
have learnt what is empathy and immersion. This can be regarded as the very first stage of the
learning design process that eventually teaches the students to empathize with the problem and
then to find a solution to it. The process of the design thinking is also to make myself more
aware of the different solutions towards the problems that has learned the prototyping and the
testings of the coursework. Apart from the theoretical practices, the process of design thinking
has eventually offered me the practical way of thinking that they may be accustomed with
(Nicholls & Walker, 2015). I have also got the chance to work with the real life examples like
from where the real life examples were set and that also made me do a lot of creative and
practical work.

8BLOG AND REFLECTIVE REPORT
I have eventually joined this course just because I had no experience in the professional
field of designing. This was the first step that made my career look a little limited. The designs
that were made by me on the first place was amateurish and hence, I had no experience on the
designing grounds for a very long time and was under some of the good professionals as well.
This course could add feathers to my learning, process I belief. I have never taken creating and
designing as my hobby though it was my habit from my very childhood days. From a certain
time I took up this course very seriously and it is at that certain point of time that made me
realise I could actually excel in it. However, through the course of work it has made me realize
that some of the lessons did change my view and ideology towards my way of life.
Later my learning process, it did make me identify the three most primary lessons that I
have eventually learnt. The first most important thing that I have learnt in the process of the
design thinking is that the course work that has to do something in the process of the thinking
and I have got used to it. My journey started from where ever and whatever I thought it so, that
also include the things I have done. This is the only way that any creative person or a designer
needs to have their thought about the past. Like for example, when there was the blinking of the
VCRs, that actually had no idea about how to set the time on it, almost everyone knew about the
complicated character of the technology that needs to be encroached in our life (Nobeoka &
Kimura, 2016). In this situation,a drastic change occurred and almost all of us has mastered in
this game of technology. But we have actually never thought as to who designed it and made
them avail all those products? This must be given a thought as to who bought these products and
after a certain span of time they have themselves made these products using the different
technology. The most important lesson that I have learnt is that empathy is primarily a state of
mind. We are often constantly in our empathetic state of mind that eventually help us to achieve

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a better set of solutions to our problems. Often many of us do not want to think of being in an
empathetic state that will make them achieve better solutions to the provided problems. However
in the process of the design thinking it can stated that it taught me how to be in an empathetic
state of mind, that will teach them to bring them close to the better solutions provided in every
difficult situation in our life (Huq, Huq Gilbert & Gilbert, 2017). It can be visible that in our
contemporary life, we have lost how to become empathetic, mostly the reason behind this is that
we live in a corporate world and empathy should be in us. Often we bypass almost every
situation we come across and hence, we need to materialize our needs that is based on our daily
environment. Hence, becoming empathetic will make us offer different kinds of angles that can
be seen from the entire situation. Hence this lesson ca be stated as the one that changed my life to
a great extent. I started considering the small incidents , that previously I used to neglect due to
several reasons or sometimes of my choice. I have understood and realized something that later
in my career even if I become successful I should retain my empathy towards the people who are
not that much successful on the first place of their career. This also changed my views on the
possession of the leadership quality. It is quite evident that I should be feeling empathetic too.
Hence, this will ultimately change their treatment towards the employees. Another major thing
that I have eventually learnt is that the course work in the process of the design thinking in the
initial stage we all can fail. Failure is a very normal thing and we need not brood over this and
rather we should learn from our mistakes and ensure not to repeat the same in our lifetime. Truly,
this learning has actually changed my attitude towards life in a great extent. Before this I always
use to cry a lot about my failure and that used to make me more depress. The thoughts that have
made me more depressed re those that made me lose control over my life. Altogether, when
prototyping and ideating all my thoughts into my designs reflects that, I should always realize

10BLOG AND REFLECTIVE REPORT
that the initial stage one can always go wrong but this should not stop us and we should try our
best not to make the same over again. This is all needed to keep our faith in our potentiality and
also in ourselves. That will turn our destiny in a rapid way no matter what the situation may be.
It can be understood that the process of the design thinking is quite elaborative. These
consists of the five simple stages and sometimes we need to find a redo of all the stages so that a
better version of the work can be achieved or gained. The five stages include ideating, designing,
testing,empathizing and prototyping (Glen, Suciu & Baughn, 2014). If at any stage, suppose the
process does not go well, we always need to go back to our previous self. At the end of the
designing or at the last stage, we can easily conclude that the design is not really good enough as
we have to go back to our initial stage that includes empathizing other than the productizing.
However, it cannot be denied that the process of the design thinking has impacted both on my
work and family life to a great extent. However, in a professional way, it may be said that the
influences needs to be by whatever I have learnt from the different courses. The design thinking
and the prototyping is something that has eventually made our life very easy. It has saved a lot of
time as my course of the design thinking could be done by me by easily eliminating the wrong
assumptions that will be used by me previously. It will be very easy for me to match with the
expectations of the clients (Behm, Culvenor & Dixon, 2014). Hence, this could be saved that the
time from the early stages that I could easily align with the choices of the customers. Hence my
work will become much easier as that have made a much easy progress to my career for
completing my curse. With addition to this it needs to be said that even I made this with a little
contribution from the policies of the human resources from my office. Previously the policy of
the human resources that is within the organisation is unidirectional. This organisation has
changed its policy after every now and then that has created an unrest amongst the employees in

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a basic way (Yeager et al., 2016). With the introduction of thee design learning period course
work, I have made an identification that the departments of the human resources can easily
eliminate the policy that is disadvantageous into the operations. Hence, if applied in this specific
way the workers may not get confused as well within the policy of the organisation.
Considering myself and my surrounding it can bee said that my family and my siblings
are complaining about some of my irregular habits.before joining the process of the design
thinking it can be said that I never paid a heed to them. After every alternate day when my
relatives and my friends used to ask me about it I used to say that I am trying my best to change
my habits but that usually never happened. The changes in me was never something very good.
Thus through the course of the process of the design thinking it may be said that it has changed
my thoughts entirely. As now I see myself as a changed person in my daily routines and my
habits. More amount of importance that is on what they think is primarily to make a positive
change in their life. This was my complete decision to work harder untill the that made the
solution work. Hence, that a promise that I will make a drastic change in every possible way.
It can be said that through my clusters in my personal life I have not been able to treat
them with the problems in compassionate way. Hence that is what leaves the task in an
incomplete way. The challenges that is bought in the fields of the design is quite innovative.
Apart from these I also had my books unread, another major problem was accomodating the
space in my room but those got sorted. Hence the issues that is with scheduling my daily routine.
Has been set quickly. Thus the process or rather the idea o the design thinking is all about
viewing new things and making them complete with all the possible perspectives and also fixing
the problems. I have applied my learning from deign thinking course work that through the
different sectors of my life, that made me realize that it has a long lasting impact on both my