Supporting your teen: A parents guide to Design Thinking
As parents, we all want our kids to grow up with strong problem-solving skills. Whether they’re solving everyday challenges or thinking about how to tackle future innovations, one method that’s increasingly being used in schools and businesses is Design Thinking. But what is Design Thinking, and how can it help your teen develop creativity and critical thinking skills? Let’s break it down.
What is Design Thinking?
Design Thinking is a problem-solving framework that puts people—especially users—at the heart of the solution. Instead of simply fixing problems with quick fixes or assumptions, Design Thinking encourages deep empathy, creative thinking, and testing. It’s used by top companies around the world, including Apple, Google, and Airbnb, to come up with innovative solutions for everything from products to services.
The Five Steps of Design Thinking
Design Thinking is typically made up of five steps. Let’s look at each one in simple terms:
Empathise
This is about understanding the problem from the perspective of the people who will be affected by it. Teens learn to put themselves in others’ shoes by doing things like interviews, observations, or research. For example, if they were designing a new school app, they would ask other students what they like or don’t like about current apps, to really get to the heart of the problem.Define
Once they’ve gathered enough information, they’ll need to define the problem clearly. This is about pinpointing exactly what the issue is, based on the research. For example, it could be something like, "How might we make learning more engaging for students in school?"Ideate
Now, it’s time for brainstorming! Teens come up with as many ideas as possible, without worrying about whether they’re good or bad. The goal is to think outside the box. For example, they could think about using games, augmented reality, or virtual tours to make learning more fun.Prototype
Once they’ve got some ideas, it’s time to test them! Prototypes can be simple models or sketches of how the solution might look in real life. Teens can create low-cost versions of their ideas to see how they work in action. A prototype of the new school app might just be a basic design or clickable mock-up.Test
After trying out the prototypes, it’s time for feedback. Does it solve the problem? What works well, and what needs improvement? Testing isn’t just about checking if the solution works—it’s about refining it. Teens learn the importance of persistence, making adjustments, and being open to change.
The Power of Design Thinking
Design Thinking teaches resilience and creativity. It helps your teen learn that failure is just a part of the process, and they don’t need to have all the answers right away. The process encourages teens to be curious, empathetic, and adaptable, which are essential skills for their future success.
How Parents Can Support:
Encourage curiosity: Design Thinking thrives on curiosity. Ask open-ended questions and encourage your teen to observe the world around them to spot problems they want to solve.
Support their creativity: Don’t limit their ideas. Whether they’re sketching a new invention or rethinking a class project, encourage their creativity and celebrate even the smallest successes.
Allow for trial and error: Sometimes the best solutions come after a few failed attempts. Make sure your teen knows it’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them.
Why It Matters for the Future of Work
In today’s fast-moving world, the ability to think creatively and solve complex problems is one of the most important skills anyone can have. Design Thinking helps young people develop these skills in a way that is hands-on and deeply engaging.
Whether their interest is in technology, art, business, or anything else, Design Thinking can help them approach problems with a fresh perspective—and maybe even come up with the next big idea.
Encourage your teen to embrace Design Thinking. Who knows? The next breakthrough innovation could come from their creative process.