Reflective Weekly Blog: Design Thinking Application and Learning

This assignment is a student's reflective weekly blog entry documenting their learning and experiences with Design Thinking principles. The blog focuses on an activity called 'Day at the Beach,' where the student identified the problem of beach litter and garbage management. The student reflects on the Design Thinking process, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the problem before jumping to solutions, and how this helped them to find innovative solutions. The blog highlights the use of Design Thinking tools to analyze the problem, identify the root cause, and explore potential solutions, as well as the student's personal learning and areas for improvement, such as being more patient in analyzing a problem. The assignment demonstrates the application of Design Thinking in real-world scenarios and the development of problem-solving skills.

In assessment 2, we were required to conduct an activity called ‘Day at the Beach’ wherein
we were to focus on one of the problem associated to it. The Design Thinking (DT) tool was
a valuable learning that I gained in the assessment, and it is something which will be
beneficial to me all throughout my life. The DT process compels one to focus on the problem
rather on the solution (Dam & Siang, 2018). Most of the time, I am so concerned about
finding a solution that I forget to pay much attention to the problem. However, investigating
the problem helps to find the solution and the root cause of the problem itself.
After the activity was over, I realised the solution to the problem was hidden in the problem
itself. The clutter lying all over the beach made me realise that we need a robust garbage
management plan for the beach, so that people do not litter the place. The deep dive is a great
strategy in finding an effective solution to a persistent problem.
The Design Thinking is an effective tool in finding effective solution to a persistent problem
(Glen, Suciu, Baughn & Anson, 2015). The process coaxed me to find innovative solutions to
the problem. This was only possible when we viewed the problem from a different
perspective and not the usual way. However, I am an impulsive person, and often jump to
conclusions. I am aware that I need to work on this trait of mine and have patience in
analysing a problem thoroughly. Thus, I need to practice restraint in drawing conclusion, and
observer a problem in depth before selecting a potential solution.
References -
Dam, R., & Siang, T. (2018). Design Thinking: New Innovative Thinking for New Problems.
Retrieved from https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-thinking-
new-innovative-thinking-for-new-problems
Glen, R., Suciu, C., Baughn, C. C. and Anson, R. (2015) ‘Teaching design thinking in
business schools’, The International Journal of Management Education, 13 (2), pp.
182 – 192.