DESIGN 1: Introduction to Design
d.DINNERDATES
Building connection through design by extending the d.school community to 'design-inclined' students with intimate dinners where pairs participate in design thinking workshops.
Project Brief.
Prompted with answering how might we build community on campus to nurture meaningful connection, we focused on bringing in design-inclined students to the d.school.
My Team.
Me (left) and Kosi (right) reflected on how our non-design major friends react when they are introduced to the d.school to find our focus group.
I synthesized insights from interviews and feedback, designed class deliverables like synthesis posters. Kosi conducted interviews, prototyped sessions, and created the illustrations.
We hope to bring this prototype to existing d.school events in 2025.
Process.
Interviews
Our interviews focused on perceptions of design, engagement with the d.school, and how they would feel more included in the d.school.
We found that being flexible in the interview led to more impactful insights.
Below are three people who we interviewed. We created personas to protect privacy.
‘STERN’
‘CASPER’
‘WILBUR’
BioEngineering major who needs a supportive community to refine her design skills.
“The d.school is the most unique space on campus in terms of academic facilities.”
“On the field trip, we just got to be human together...power dynamics were neutralized.”
“Creation is an inherent part of the human condition.”
d.school admin who wants more opportunities to connect with students informally.
Pre-med student who views design as essential to problem-solving.
Ideation
d.DINNERNIGHTS
d.REPRESENTATIVES
...pairs communal meals with design student-led workshops to introduce non-design majors to design thinking in a comfortable setting.
...pairs design-inclined students from various majors with d.school students, equipping with design knowledge to bring back to peers.
↓
We combined our original ideas bringing together the ambience from d.DINNERNIGHTS and peer-to-peer pairs from d.REPRESENTATIVES.
Prototyping
