We will teach the design thinking process, encompassing initial research through concept development, through the lens of making products and services that people want and will use. This workshop will help our attendees make better, more appropriate decisions in creating the goods and services they want to put out into the world. We will teach attendees that understanding the people they are creating products and services for, as well as the context in which it is used, will drastically change the outcomes of their work and ensure that the products and services they put out will be ones that people want to use, find useful, and actually benefit from.
We will teach attendees how to identify pain points, identify opportunities for adding joy and/or more human experiences and interactions, address important considerations like context, and choose appropriate technology for their solutions based on their users (and user information like role, motivations, background, familiarity with various types of tech, etc.). The workshop will be interactive and give attendees opportunities to practice these skills as they learn them and create a project map. Participants will leave the workshop with a new skillset, outlook, and motivation to create.