The time has come. As of June 1, 2025, David Jakes Designs LLC will officially close its doors. As you might imagine, stepping away from something you’ve built is not easy—something that’s become such a meaningful part of your life and identity. But after 38 years in and around education, and at 66, it's time to move on and enjoy the remainder of my life. It was a bittersweet decision.
I am very proud of the work that David Jakes Designs did for so many schools. It was my pleasure to work with so many schools across the US, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Singapore, China, and the list goes on. And while I most likely will not be doing any more client work, I will be engaged with education through some pro bono efforts, writing and producing content, and doing things that I think are important to the future of education. I’ll also be taking time for myself and enjoying the rest of my life. Thanks for being such an important part of my career and life…
The Design Thinking Classroom, my book about using design to craft a new classroom experience for teachers and students.
The Design Thinking Classroom is based on my 37-year career as a teacher, school administrator, technologist, and designer. The book presents a case for the design of a new classroom experience led by a new vision for the classroom teacher, the educator-designer. The book provides an overview of the design thinking process, paints a picture of a design thinking-based classroom experience, and provides strategies for using design thinking as a part of contemporary pedagogy. I’ve also included my perspectives on creating physical and virtual learning environments that can support a new classroom experience. Most importantly, the book provides a complete guide for rethinking what can happen in classrooms, how design and inquiry can drive those shifts, and how every teacher, regardless of experience and assignment, can create learning experiences that help students develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that will help launch their lives. Selected Reviews | Chapter Lineup
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Featured Resource: DJD Design Gallery
Visit the gallery to see proven solutions developed by David Jakes Designs LLC
David Jakes Designs LLC has worked with education clients to provide concept designs for their spaces. This work ranges from classrooms and libraries to makerspace, entrepreneurial spaces, and innovation centers. The portfolio presents nine projects with visual representations of the space designs. This work has been completed in association with Jason Meyering Architecture of Chicago, Illinois.
BELOW: Our redesign of the Administration/Library Building at Anzar High School, Aromas-San Juan School District (CA). The building was redesigned to be the new heart of the campus, with four distinct common areas (Administration, Campus, Collaboration, and Academic). The design also features a provocative design for the library that distributed library resources across the entire building rather than in a defined library section.
MY DESIGN PARTNERS
““This past year, I’ve traveled the globe, presented to thousands of educational leaders, and hosted over 57 schools/organizations to our school, and one topic of discussion always comes up, “David Jakes!” There are an abundance of educational consultants that claim to enhance school organizations, and then there is David Jakes, who actually does. If you’re ready to create an experience unlike any other for your students, staff, and school community, then David Jakes is your champion to make that experience a reality.””
“David Jakes fully engaged the Racine Public Library staff and board of trustees in a robust planning process that probed into the heart of what our library is all about. Library staff reported that his workshops with them were the best they’d ever attended. He pushed back when he heard something that was discordant, getting us to think hard about what we do and why we do it. He followed up on threads that were similar and pulled things together to form a beautiful mosaic for our strategic plan. The manifesto he created is a true representation of what he heard from the board and staff, and what the community wants to see. His process is creative and engaging. I feel very fortunate to have worked with David and recommend him highly.”
There are accepted ways of doing things. Until there is a new way of doing things.