Design Thinking for Social Good
Assessment
Our assessment approach is designed to holistically represent the student’s development as a “designerlyactivist”. We therefore need to consider all assessment components together. We usually find that most students find one type of assessment to be closer to their interests and capabilities, so having this spread allows them to be confident in one approach to start with and then to develop greater confidence in the other approaches. In each of these assessments the students should use a diverse range of methods carefully selected to fit the needs of the challenge. The formats are:
a) The design study: the student’s response to an existing or a proposed design – descriptive, analytic, critical, and creative. The complexity of studies varies greatly, depending on the complexity of the design in question and the methods applied by the student. Studies may be presented linearly, or notebook style, with multimedia and diagrams.
b) Team project: a more advanced design study, considering a more complex system, in which the students identify and creatively address design challenges identified from the perspectives of people impacted by the design, or reframed to apply key values and goals (such as the Sustainable Development Goals). Ideally the students design with a community, rather than for imagined end users. The postgraduate module includes the additional requirement for the students to create a team video pitching their project to potential funders.
c) Reflective essay: a personal account of the student’s transformative journey through the module, including reflecting on their background, values, goals, and how they plan to apply their newly developed capabilities in the future. Third year undergraduates are also required to relate these methods to their home disciplines. Students should include a critical assessment of the approaches and specific methods used.
Designing the future: Is human-centred design thinking the best for developing Artificial intelligence (AI) tools?
by Lolade Olokun
2023