A short and precise definition of design thinking–learning, 27/03/11, Inspires Learning

March 27, 2011

Learning is a process of finding and resolving confusions, contentions and complexities through the creation of designed innovations (including essays, performances, films etc) within specified non-negotiable bounds.
A designerly approach to this iterates in a reflective and evidence-based manner through three distinct modes of activity (or ‘spaces’):
- inspiration (mixing information from the problem domain and potentially useful patterns and ideas from elsewhere),
- ideation (prototyping, ‘building to think’, making ideas tangible, sharable and subject to testing);
- and implementation (building a good, reliable, quality, innovative end product) with the emphasis shifting over time to implementation.
Designerly thinking is also powerfully reflexive in designing the conditions for its own success (or the conditions for its own ability to learn).

David Davies

I enjoy reading your posts on this topic but I’m confused by this one. In your first point are you referring to a specific type or context of learning? I don’t think I agree that that’s a good definition of learning more generally.

29 Mar 2011, 12:40
Robert O'Toole

David, thanks for you comment. In point 1 “learning” might be interchangeable with “designing” and “thinking”. That’s a conjecture to be unpacked and explored. In general, I bring a conception of “learning” from my studies of artificial intelligence and embodied/situated/dynamic cognition. “Learning” is a horribly vague and generic term. So perhaps I would be better off using the term “designing-thinking-learning”, denoting the kind of cognitive (and embodied/situated) activity considered (by similar thinkers in cognitive science) to be the key activities that make human intelligences special/interesting/successful.

04 Apr 2011, 02:43

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