1 Foundations of Design Thinking Free Online FlashCards

What is design thinking?

Design thinking is an approach to solving problems by learning about people and their contexts, reframing challenges, exploring solutions, and learning from experiments.

What five modes does Stanford’s d.school use to organize design thinking?

Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

What makes a design challenge statement useful?

A focused problem statement identifies whose need matters and the opportunity to address without prescribing a particular solution.

How should a team approach ideation?

Generate multiple possibilities before choosing one, then assess them against user needs, feasibility, and the intended outcome.

What is a prototype for?

A prototype is a simple representation of an idea used as an experiment; it should make a key assumption testable.

How should a prototype be tested?

Invite representative users to try it in a relevant context, and observe whether they achieve their goals, where they hesitate, and what they say.

How can test results change the design process?

Testing may lead a team to revise the prototype, reconsider the idea, or redefine the challenge as new evidence changes its understanding.

What does a user need describe?

A user need describes an outcome a person is trying to achieve, rather than merely a feature they have requested.

What caution should guide interpretation of user research?

Distinguish observed evidence from assumptions, and do not treat a small number of observations as proof about everyone.

Which visual properties can establish hierarchy in an interface?

Size, contrast, spacing, alignment, grouping, and placement can establish visual hierarchy.

Why should visual hierarchy be checked with users?

Visual emphasis alone does not guarantee clarity; hierarchy should support users’ tasks and be checked with them.

What can an interdisciplinary design team contribute?

Different contributors can bring knowledge of user experience, technical constraints, operational realities, and lived experience.