David Jakes Designs

THE DESIGN THINKING CLASSROOM: HEXAGONAL THINKING

I’ve been interested in method cards for a long time.  I’m also interested in hexagonal thinking and how that approach applies critical thinking and the innovative application of a geometric shape to create a system that can lead people in different directions of thought.

So, it made sense to combine the two ideas.

If you are not familiar with method cards, simply imagine a set of playing cards.  The cards can contain information, questions, prompts, images - really anything.  The card deck can then be used as a design tool by using the cards to support a variety of design games.  A method card deck is basically a manipulative that be used in unique ways to accomplish a variety of tasks.

My challenge was to create a design tool for creating instructional sequences/ educational experiences using a design thinking methodology.  To do this, I combined the idea of a method card deck that had cards that were hexagon-shaped.

My idea:  what if hexagons contained ideas, perspectives, and in this case, elements of a part of the design thinking process?  How could I create a tool that used the unique shape of the hexagon (six surfaces for contact with other hexagons) to start building connections if different directions?  How could such a system become a tool for creating design thinking classroom experiences?

For The Design Thinking Classroom, I have created a set of hexagonal method cards that align with chapter 5 in the book (design the experience) as well as Chapter 6 (tools) that act as a design tool for planning educational experiences using design thinking.

Imagine using the cards to lay out an instructional sequence, in this case, a design pathway that supports different elements of a design thinking experience. Imagine hexagons that represent design thinking skills, process skills, and a set of ethnography tools.  Also, imagine hexagons that represent your current lessons that could be added to the sequence.  You have good things that work already, let’s include them!

To get started, add design thinking skill-building hexagons (asking questions, listening, developing ideas) into your traditional lesson plan sequence.

Add design thinking depth to the instructional sequence by adding process hexagons (ideation, prototyping) into your sequence to add more opportunities to experience design thinking and to advance the skills your students possess

Then, use the cards to create a design challenge.  Use design skills and process skills to build an entirely new experience using design thinking.  At this point, your sequence of hexagons is almost entirely design thinking-based hexagons.  There may be some past practice hexagons that represent important instructional moments (for example, an important lecture) that still can add value to the experience.

The intent is to start with your current instructional sequence and add design elements.  Over time, and with growing familiarity, you can add more.  From there, add process elements into your sequence (for example, linking ideation with prototyping) to add depth to the experience.  Over time, it would be my hope that you could create instructional sequences that are design based, and that move your classroom experience from a unit-based instructional approach of discrete lessons to a classroom based on a compilation of design challenges.

The method card deck is an instructional design tool that can all educator-designers can use to start building a new classroom practice based on design thinking.

The deck will be available for purchase sometime in the spring of 2023.