Design Thinking

• Unpacking Creative Confidence: Insights from David Kelley

  July 15, 2023

  David Kelley’s talk How to build your creative confidence delves into the psychological blocks we face regarding our creativity, especially as we transition from childhood to adulthood. He recounts a poignant story from his childhood that illustrates how easily one can be discouraged. A third-grader’s innocent clay project demolished by peer judgment made a lasting impact not only on Brian but resonated widely with others who experienced similar shaming from teachers or friends.

• Three Critical Questions for Product Development at Facebook

  April 15, 2023

  Julie Zhuo delivered a thought-provoking talk on her journey from a Stanford student to a leading designer at Facebook. She detailed her career evolution and shared valuable insights into user-centric design. The key takeaway from her presentation centers around three critical questions that serve as a framework for validating product ideas and ensuring they address real user needs. For those interested in a deeper understanding, you can view the full talk here.

• Visualizing Problems Through Toast: Lessons from a Simple Exercise

  April 15, 2023

  The video by Tom Wujec, Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toast, explores a straightforward design exercise that unearths complex problem-solving skills. At first glance, drawing a process as familiar as making toast seems trivial, yet it lays bare profound insights into collaboration and cognitive modeling. The exercise consists of three distinct parts, starting with the order of operations to make toast. Participants draw how to make toast using only illustrations, no words.