Session 1 · DESIGN: Discover
Symptom or root cause?
- 10 minHook: the slow-lift mystery. People complained a lift was too slow. Was the fix a faster motor? Share the real answer (mirrors, because people were bored waiting). Define symptom, root cause and reframing.
- 10 minPractise five whys on a school problem, e.g. 'The garden shed is always a mess.' Keep asking why until you reach something you could actually change.
- 15 minPlan your empathy interview: five open questions starting 'Tell me about the last time…' or 'Show me how you…'. No questions that suggest a solution.
- 15 minInterview your user (in person or a video call with an adult present). Ask 'why?' at least twice. Watch them do the task if you can.
Session 2 · DESIGN: Explore
Needs, existing solutions and a brief
- 15 minTurn your notes into three to five 'needs to…' statements. Circle the one that seems to cause the others.
- 15 minLook at what already exists: shop products, home-made fixes, what other people do. Note who each one works for and who it leaves out.
- 15 minWrite a brief with your user: who, the need, where it will be used, and three constraints (size, materials, time, cost).
- 5 minExit: one sentence starting 'The real problem is…'
Getting started
Use the interview question card and the 'needs to…' sentence starter.
Stretch
Interview a second user with the same problem and compare their needs. Which need do they share?
Checkpoint
A brief your user agrees with: a real need (not a solution) and three constraints.
Activities for this week
- Five whys detective: What is the real cause behind the problem?
- Empathy interview: What does my user really need?
Useful this week
- The Double Diamond ↗ A simple picture of how designers discover the real problem before they design.
- Design Kit: the human-centred design toolkit ↗ Methods for interviews, observation and idea generation.
- Introducing innovation ↗ How New Zealand innovators find needs and turn ideas into products.