Understanding Design Thinking

Overview

This 120-minute lesson introduces Year 8 students in New Zealand to the design thinking process within Technology education. Students will explore how empathetic, user-centred problem solving drives technological innovation. They will collaboratively brainstorm and define real-world problems, laying the groundwork for innovative solution development in future lessons.

This lesson aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for Technology, emphasizing the development of the key competencies of thinking, relating to others, participating and contributing, and managing self through practical and collaborative activities. Students will engage in critical thinking and communication skills as they prepare to undertake design challenges.

Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Technology

Strands:

Technological Practice: Developing Technological Outcomes
Nature of Technology: Characteristics of Technology and Technological Modelling

Achievement Objectives:

Understand and apply the design thinking process to develop innovative technological outcomes.
Identify and understand real-world problems by empathising with users and defining explicit problem statements.
Work collaboratively to explore multiple ideas through constructive brainstorming.

Key Competencies:

Thinking: Students critically evaluate and develop ideas.
Relating to others: Communicate and negotiate ideas effectively.
Participating and contributing: Collaborate confidently towards shared goals.
Managing self: Set goals and monitor progress.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

Understand the stages of the design thinking process (Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) and their relevance to technology projects.
Develop skills in brainstorming and collaboration to identify meaningful, user-centred problems.
Write a clear and precise problem statement to guide innovative solutions.
Demonstrate empathy by considering user needs and perspectives.
Prepare to generate ideas for technological innovations in subsequent lessons.

Resources Required

Whiteboard and markers
Sticky notes in multiple colours
Large chart paper or poster boards for group work
Pens and pencils
Projector or digital display (optional to show design thinking videos or diagrams)
Problem scenario cards (real-world context examples)
Reflection journals or digital devices for note-taking

Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Hook (15 minutes)

Begin with a short, engaging discussion: What is design? Why do we need to think about problems carefully before creating solutions in technology?
Show a simple visual/model of the design thinking process explaining the five stages: Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.
Emphasise that today’s lesson focuses on the first three stages — understanding people’s needs and defining problems clearly.

Teaching Point: Connect this to students’ daily experiences and examples like improving their school environment or apps they use.

2. Empathy Exercise - Understanding Users (20 minutes)

Introduce a scenario card describing a fictional user and a context (e.g., a student with a mobility challenge in school).
In small groups of 5, students discuss the user’s needs and challenges based on the scenario. They write down observations and feelings on sticky notes.
Each group shares one key insight or surprising discovery about their user.
Highlight the importance of empathy in technology – solutions only work if they truly meet user needs.

3. Define the Problem Statement (20 minutes)

Teach students how to convert user insights into a clear problem statement using a simple formula: “[User] needs a way to [user’s need] because [reason].”
Each group drafts a problem statement on poster paper. Provide support with sentence starters if needed.
Groups present their problem statements to the class for feedback and refinement, ensuring clarity, empathy, and feasibility.

4. Brainstorming Solutions (25 minutes)

Explain brainstorming rules: no idea is a bad idea, build on others’ ideas, quantity over quality at this stage.
Groups brainstorm a broad list of potential solutions to their defined problem, recording ideas on different-coloured sticky notes.
Circulate and encourage creative, out-of-the-box thinking.
Groups categorize ideas into themes or types (e.g., digital, physical, process improvements).

5. Reflection and Connection (15 minutes)

Ask students to individually reflect in journals or on digital devices:
What did they learn about design thinking?
How did empathy with users change their thinking about problems?
How can brainstorming help generate innovative ideas?
Invite a few students to share their reflections with the class.
Connect today’s work with next steps: prototyping and testing ideas in future lessons.

6. Wrap-up and Homework (5 minutes)

Summarise the key points of the lesson: the importance of empathy, clear problem statements, and open-minded brainstorming.
Set a small homework task: Students observe a problem at home or in their community and write a problem statement using the formula learned.
Encourage them to bring their problem statement to share in the next lesson.

Assessment

Formative Assessment

Observation of group discussions and empathy exercises for student engagement and understanding.
Review of problem statements for clarity, user-centred focus, and relevance.
Participation in brainstorming sessions and contribution of ideas.
Reflection journals or digital entries assessing students’ comprehension of design thinking concepts.

Success Criteria

Students can explain the stages of design thinking, focusing on empathy and problem definition.
Students collaboratively produce a clear problem statement based on user needs.
Students generate multiple, diverse ideas in brainstorming demonstrating creative thinking.
Students articulate their understanding and personal insights through reflection.

Pedagogical Considerations

Scaffold language support for writing problem statements, especially for English language learners.
Use flexible groupings to encourage peer support and diverse perspectives.
Emphasise a safe, respectful environment for sharing ideas and feedback.
Link learning to the students' own contexts to increase engagement and relevance.
Incorporate digital tools for brainstorming or reflection where suitable to develop digital fluency.

This lesson sets a strong foundation for year 8 students to engage deeply with technological innovation via design thinking, meeting the vision and achievement objectives outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh for Technology.

If you require an additional detailed unit overview or further lesson plans, please let me know!

Teaching Instructions