Browsing by Subject "Design Thinking"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Aesthetics at Work: Using Principles of Art and Beauty to Improve Work Engagement
    (2014-06-06) French, Jennifer
    Organizations today need employees who are creative and innovative, yet most OD and HRD initiatives focus only on technical learning. This project challenges the effectiveness of narrow, skills-based, and transactional design and implementation of employee training programs. The integration of aesthetics into HRD is proposed to improve training and development practices through the integration of imagination and creativity. The implications of aesthetics in HRD are outlined, including more holistic learning programs, improved work engagement, and a legitimate need for artful and art-inspired HRD.
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    Designing a Volunteer Experience: Waders, Pipe Cleaners, and Glitter
    (2014-02-17) Gray, Jena
    In order to face current and future environmental challenges, we need to have more people engaging with the environment in a positive way. This thesis explores the motivations and satisfactions of volunteers of an environmentally-focused volunteer program. Design thinking is examined as a tool to improve volunteer satisfaction by allowing the volunteers to develop their own innovative solutions.
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    Increasing Health System Resilience During Times of Crisis: Application of Systems Thinking & Creative Problem-Solving Methodologies
    (2020-12) Durski, Kara
    Disease outbreaks and health emergencies cause substantial human suffering, death and economic loss and often test the responsiveness and resilience of health systems. It is therefore necessary to shift the current paradigm of managing outbreaks to include health system strengthening as a critical component of the response. Yet, this is not systematically being done as there is limited evidence on how to do so effectively. Using methodologies that allow for the acute challenges in outbreak response to be addressed while identifying and supporting the strengthening of components of health systems and enabling optimization of resources (both human and financial) is critical. My research aims to lay the foundation for future work in this area through the piloting of systems thinking (process mapping) and creative problem-solving methodologies (design thinking). Process mapping and design thinking are particularly useful methodologies as they can be applied to any country that has an outbreak during any timepoint. These approaches were chosen as they have proven success in other industries, have documented use-cases in healthcare and public health, have a low-cost of implementation, have a low barrier to entry requiring minimal training, and are collaborative methodologies. By using these methods in three settings with three different emerging pathogen outbreaks I was able to show that despite the chaos and complexities associated with them, process mapping can address immediate response priorities while simultaneously strengthening components of a health system. Further, the design thinking principles were used to develop a data collection and reporting system which contains all laboratory data from one of the most complicated multi-country outbreaks to date demonstrating both short and long-term benefits to the response and information management systems Process mapping and design thinking are effective methods to strengthen components of a health system while responding to disease outbreaks. Testing and piloting additional systems thinking and critical problem-solving methodologies is recommended. It is through trying novel approaches, working together and remaining in a growth mind-set that we will be able to address acute and long-term challenges that impact the health of our populations.
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    Multimodality, Makerspaces, and the Making of a Maker Pedagogy for Technical Communication and Rhetoric
    (2019-05) Tham, Jason
    This dissertation investigates how students create multimodal solutions to address complex problems via technology-enhanced maker practices informed by design thinking. It contributes to the ongoing scholarly conversations around multimodality and multimodal composition by understanding the new material affordances of rapid prototyping technology and dedicated spaces for collaborative invention, fondly known as makerspaces. By investigating how students compose and create multimodal artifacts through making and design thinking, this project identifies useful pedagogical intersections between the Maker Movement proper and technical and professional communication (TPC). To do so, I studied the use and operation of three academic makerspaces in the U.S. at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Minnesota. I then conducted a case study of a maker framework based on the findings from the makerspace ethnography. The deployment of the framework––tentatively known as maker pedagogy––occurred in a TPC course. Combining the results from my makerspace ethnography and the pedagogical case study, I discuss the implications of a maker pedagogy for TPC, including the cultivation of a maker mindset, disruption to conventional ideologies, and an exploration of the material dimension of writing. I also discuss ways in which making and design thinking can be assessed in the context of TPC pedagogy.
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    Sustainable Career Management for the Visual Artist: An Innovative Prototype
    (2013-10-01) Hendricks, Jo Ann
    In order for visual art students to be successful as professionals post-graduation there needs to be a career plan initiated early in the arts curriculum of the post secondary visual arts education system. Directed by the student and supported by the institution, career management is critical for the sustainability of a visual arts career. Using the design thinking process, this study collected and analyzed data from surveys and interviews with students, arts administrators, professional artists, and subject experts in the Twin Cities area. Focusing on current career development coursework, topics, timing, and definitions of success for the visual artist, this study examines what is being provided now, what needs to be provided, and offers an innovative prototype for the sustainable career management for the visual artist. Reflecting on the changes in the visual arts profession, this study concludes that visual artists must not only be committed and disciplined in their arts practices, but also entrepreneurial in addressing social and cultural issues in a global world.