Create Something Amazing With Design Thinking

Summary

Sara's younger sister Maura receives her used bike, needing a new seat due to puppy damage. Maura's friends, part of an after-school program, apply Design Thinking to create a comfortable seat. They empathize with Maura's needs, define the problem, ideate with wild ideas, and prototype various materials. After several iterations, they develop a functional, yellow seat cover that Maura loves. Inspired by their success, the team starts a community program to help other kids, making a positive impact.

Takeaways

• 🚴‍♀️ Sara gives her used bike to her younger sister Maura, which needs a new seat due to damage from a puppy.
• 🤝 A group of Mars' friends from an after-school program aim to help by applying Design Thinking principles.
• 🧐 The team starts with empathy by interviewing Maura to understand her needs and preferences for a new bicycle seat.
• 🔍 They define the problem by observing Maura's interactions with the bike and researching other seat designs and materials.
• 🤔 Ideation involves brainstorming various seat design ideas, considering constraints like budget and skills.
• 🛠️ Prototyping includes testing different seat padding materials and creating model seat shapes to fit on the bike's frame.
• 📏 They iterate through several prototypes, refining the design based on feedback and additional considerations like durability and aesthetics.
• 💛 The final product is a functional and aesthetically pleasing yellow seat that Maura loves.
• 🌟 The project's success inspires the team to start a community program to create bike seats for other kids, making a broader positive impact.
• 💡 The story highlights the importance of teamwork, open-mindedness, and the willingness to fail as part of the creative process in Design Thinking.

Q & A

What is the main problem that Sara and her friends are trying to solve for Maura's bike?

The main problem is that Maura's bike seat is uncomfortable due to being chewed on by their new puppy, and they want to make a more comfortable seat for her.

What method are Sara and her friends using to address the issue with the bike seat?

They are using Design Thinking, which involves empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing to create a new seat.

How do the friends empathize with Maura's needs for a new bicycle seat?

They interview Maura about her preferences and priorities for a new seat, and observe her getting on and off the old and new bicycles.

What kind of research do the friends conduct to better understand the requirements for the new seat?

They look at other seat designs of bikes at school, study different materials for padding and the seat frame cover, and take photos for reference.

What are the two approaches the team initially discusses for the new seat?

The two approaches are building a new seat frame or recovering the old one.

What factors do the team consider as opportunities and constraints in their brainstorming session?

They consider factors such as available money, skills, and sources of materials as opportunities and constraints.

How does the team ensure a successful brainstorming session?

They listen to all ideas, stay focused on their topic, and do not judge or shoot down any ideas, allowing for a playful and collaborative exploration of the problem.

What materials do the friends use for prototyping different seat padding combinations?

They use layers of wool, foam, sponges, and a mix of materials for the seat padding prototypes.

How do the friends test the prototypes to ensure they meet Maura's needs?

They create model seat shapes of varying sizes and attach them to seat frames, asking Maura to sit on them and providing feedback.

What additional considerations did the team take into account after several prototype iterations?

They considered factors such as durability, aesthetics, and personal preferences like Maura's favorite color for the seat cover.

What impact did the team's successful project have on their community?

Inspired by their success with Maura's seat, they started a community program to create bike seats for other kids, making a positive impact and bringing happiness to many.