STRATEGIES TO TEACH THINKING. Design Thinking: Is South African Education an agent of change and transformation?

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1 STRATEGIES TO TEACH THINKING Design Thinking: Is South African Education an agent of change and transformation? ~ Suné Stassen ~ How do we turn around a country that is failing its youth? We all agree that education should play a pivotal role in socio-economic development. The South African reality is that our societal ecosystem reflects a failing system: low success rates in schools; children lacking core life skills; too many mediocre businesses and unsustainable practices; not enough skilled workers across many sectors; too few change-makers, problem solvers, entrepreneurs, inventors or creative, strategic leaders; and a population that lacks empathy, integrity and an authentic understanding of people. If we continue to serve our youth with an unfertilized learning experience, social cohesion, nation building and a prosperous South Africa will remain a seed in the soil. Through the optimistic eyes of a designer and entrepreneur, there is always a solution! As we recognise the influence that technology is having on changing the way traditional careers play out every day, there is a growing need to develop different skills like big-picture thinking, and the ability to detect patterns to be successful. We need to acknowledge the change that we need to embrace today to ensure a better future for all. This is where our future starts to look exciting. It is time to design a future South Africa characterised by a culture of problem solvers, innovators and entrepreneurs who design sustainable solutions with our own people, who also have the power to make a global impact. But how do we do that when we re starting from such a low base? Looking at the current education system in South Africa, it is evident that schools are still obsessed with routine and sequential orders to secure results. But can we proudly and confidently say that the current system enables children to achieve a high personal and academic success rate? Are we empowering every child with the core life skills and correct toolkit that will equip them for success, regardless of their chosen career path?

2 This is an especially profound question to ask in respect of the thousands of children who will never have the financial means to study further. Successful societies need creative thinkers with core life skills CREATIVITY IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM DISCIPLINED THINKING. IT IS AN ESCAPE WITH DISCIPLINED THINKING. Jerry Hirschberg We do not know what the future holds. What we do know is that we - and future generations will need an efficient, productive workforce that is equipped with all the core life skills that are lacking in our learners today. To be economically, socially and environmentally sustainable and productive, our society needs innovators, problem solvers, entrepreneurs, change-makers and leaders across all sectors. We should be asking: what qualities and life skills does a successful candidate need to have the confidence to deal with future challenges and add value to our socio-economic landscape in a holistic, competent and efficient manner? As parents, what core life skills do we want our children to develop? As an employer, can we list the qualities and characteristics we are looking for in the person we want to employ? And do we understand that this is all related to the quality of education we offer our children, from early childhood development and beyond? Creating a toolkit to secure our collective future Technology has done away with, or fast-tracked, traditional careers. Previously our workforce was preparing to move into a job for life, with vocational training based on a menu of capabilities required to do a job. Today, our future workforce needs more than technical abilities: it needs a bank of core life skills that can be drawn on to meet the demands of a new, more fluid, entrepreneurial career path. With this in mind, it makes sense that one of our first priorities should be to holistically develop these skills at every educational stage. If we could fill a toolbox with the skills we need to build our desired future, I believe it should include the following: problem-solving, holistic and design thinking, strategic and analytical thinking, empathy, people and communication skills, self-motivation and optimism, risk-taking, strong work ethics, innovation, and the ability to play in a team and collaborate. These are just few that come to mind there will be others to add to the list. Designing for life Great designers, innovators and entrepreneurs share a common thread. They always take care of the triple bottom line: people, planet and the economy. It will probably surprise many that the skills I mention above are the characteristics of a great designer.

3 Great designers are also innovators and entrepreneurs. This reality emphasises the relevance of these skills even more. Designers and innovators communicate ideas effectively. They have good people skills and a high level of sensory awareness and empathy towards environments, communities and cultures different from their own. They are strategic and analytical thinkers who are faced with and who can solve a variety of problems with dedicated focus every day. Holistic thinking is second nature to them. And their understanding of the bigger picture offers insights into individual components that make up their overall vision. The time is ripe to redesign a systemic and holistic focus on a new and far more effective approach towards cognitive development. Doing so will catalyse a different way of doing, learning and teaching. A new approach will drive the development of more entrepreneurs, successful businesses, fulfilling careers and greater socio-economic development. But what does it all mean? Right-brain thinking is as important as left-brain In business and education, we have long believed that the left side of the brain is the most important for cognitive development. Left brain thinking will assure future success. After all, left hemisphere learns Maths, Science, Languages, logic, routine, control and reason. These are some of the ingredients and subjects we always believed were needed for success in careers like accounting, law and medicine. The right brain got short shrift in the process. Technology and new thinking has changed this over recent years, leading to a renewed focus on the prominence of right-brain thinking. This is not to say that left-brain skills and abilities are rendered useless. Rather, there is a growing realisation that it is no longer sufficient to rely solely on left-brain thinking. We are seeing a much-needed and more collaborative balance between the left and the right brain. It is a more balanced approach to filling the toolbox for real success. Why is that? Routine is a commodity. Creativity is the differentiator Most skills and abilities we develop on the left side of the brain are process- and routine based, which leads us to achieve the correct answer. In the information age, anything that is routinebased has become a commodity. With technology, many of these tasks can be and are being outsourced and automated. Cheap software has made the work of specialised accountants more accessible to business owners and home-makers. Today, balancing the books and submitting tax returns are managed at the touch of a button. We are even seeing this trend in the medical field where software is being used more frequently for diagnosis. Evidence shows this is only the beginning. By contrast, right-brain tasks are much harder to outsource and automate. The right-brain abilities and multi-faceted skills have regained prominence and demand for these skills is increasing. These skills are common characteristics in teachers, inventors, entrepreneurs, artists and designers.

4 In the new age of abundance, the economic value created by business is driven by nuance. Novelty adds meaning and significance to their brands, products, services, systems and environments. It is seen as a key differentiator in oversaturated markets. In the face of this, the characteristics of rightbrain thinking - empathy, passion, risk-taking, observational skills and sensory awareness, flexibility, creative and big picture thinking - are in greater demand as catalysts for successful businesses and careers. Technology has created an always-on pipeline of free information in every household. It is available to people of all ages and qualification, regardless of their socio economic status or geographical positions. When so much information is already freely available, businesses must work even harder to vindicate the real value of their product or service. To do so successfully and to beat the competition - it has become crucial for businesses to employ creative thinkers who have the skills and knowledge to effectively add nuance, novelty, significance and meaning to the business offering. Creative thinkers can unlock business success SUCCESS IN OUR BUSINESS, PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIVES IS LESS A MATTER OF WHAT WE KNOW THAN OF HOW WE THINK. Tim Hurson Creative thinkers can see the bigger picture and detect different patterns. They have a more empathetic and authentic approach and can apply information more effectively, especially within the context of solving problems or improving lives, or making an emotional and more effective impact on the business s target audience. The schools that are already offering art and design as subject choices should nurture these subjects for the reasons I have laid out above. There are so many misconceptions about the values and impact of design. For centuries, it was perceived as the driver of consumer products and luxury items: extravagant jewellery, clothes and expensive cars. In the same way that art is about self-expression, the core value of design is its ability to improve the life standards of people. It is also about knowing how to use creative skills to add value to a business, a product, an environment, a system or even a service in sectors like education, banking, transport and healthcare. No matter what we design or invent, we all have the power and the responsibility to change the way people think, behave, socialise, travel and communicate. It s important to remember, though, that everything we do is about people. It s important to have empathy and an authentic, in-depth understanding of their needs, likes, dislikes and even aspirations as well as their environmental conditions. Understanding this is the most valuable asset any inventor, entrepreneur, designer or business can have. The right brain is the core for the development of these skills. Infusing education with right-brain thinking Now that the right brain has become first among equals, I call you all to action.

5 Education plays a pivotal role in socio-economic development, building human capital and building a better, prosperous world that is more inclusive and people-friendly. What status or change are we as educators - prepared to embrace to bring about the necessary transformation in education? We know that design, art, creative tools and activities, play and storytelling are some of the core building blocks for optimal learning in children and adults of all ages. What do we need to do to introduce those blocks into our teaching practices? Taking the curriculum into the future, educators should focus on teaching insight, empathy, storytelling and meaning, perseverance, optimism and the confidence to take calculated risks. Our education system should focus on a holistic approach that integrates and values creative tools, activities and design thinking as key building blocks for every child s personal and academic development. Ultimately it will be this holistic ecosystem that will develop and nurture their passion, attitude and mind-set towards life and work itself. These are the tools that will empower them to climb to new heights and add value to our local and global socio-economic ecosystem. Let s drive a new holistic focus in education to design a life-changing way of teaching so that every child s personal and academic performance can be optimised. Let s aspire to design learning as a lifechanging experience. Let s design playful learning environments of meaning and significance that enhance the performance and the development of core life skills in all children. Let s design a future workforce and develop human capital that will add socio-economic value to South Africa and the global community. Harnessing the power of design thinking DESIGN THINKING IS A HUMAN-CENTERED APPROACH TO INNOVATION THAT DRAWS FROM THE DESIGNER'S TOOLKIT TO INTEGRATE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE, THE POSSIBILITIES OF TECHNOLOGY, AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS. LEADERS NOW LOOK TO INNOVATION AS A PRINCIPAL SOURCE OF DIFFERENTIATION AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE; THEY WOULD DO WELL TO INCORPORATE DESIGN THINKING INTO ALL PHASES OF THE PROCESS - Tim Brown, president and CEO of IDEO If we are serious about developing future change-makers that have the ability to see the world through the eyes of other people, then Design Thinking presents us with a new landscape of opportunities. The process is far more engaging than ever before. It is people focused. It is a powerful change-maker. It is collaborative and has a far greater, sustainable and successful impact than the traditional business model, which will also ensure the production of more relevant, marketable and user-friendly products or services. Putting our left and right brain abilities and skills to work, Design Thinking will challenge you to use logic, intuition, imagination and analytical and systematic reasoning to solve complex problems with simplicity and solutions that are far more desirable. It develops an optimistic mind-set that is not focussed on the problem but rather on the solution and the human experience. The focus of Design Thinking is on serving the needs of people with authentic insight and empathy and executing this power with integrity to develop more effective strategies even in educational institutions to optimise the learning experience and skills development of all children. With this in mind, it is vital to integrate design thinking across all subjects at school. The magic happens when everyone can learn how to think like a designer. A powerful skill that will drive the development of leadership and the application of innovative

6 thought across all subjects and one day in their place of work no matter their career path. This is the key to enhancing the performance and development of every child and educator. It is time to teach the children of South Africa how to generate their own power, to use it wisely, and always apply and execute it with the utmost integrity and authenticity. It is up to our generation to instil in the new generation an understanding of how to take the responsibility to bring about change, and to strive to design a more inclusive world that is accessible to more than an elite few. In turn, it is our responsibility to empower them to become South Africa s future leaders, entrepreneurs, trendsetters and innovators. This is the collective responsibility of every individual, every education system, every educator and parent who sincerely care about the future of South Africa. SOME MEN SEE THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE AND ASK, WHY? I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE, AND ASK, WHY NOT? George Bernard Shaw Founder and Creative Director of Rock City Foundation and RC Events, Suné Stassen is a designer and entrepreneur at heart and a creative consultant, project and events manager, design education specialist, curriculum advisor and content developer by choice. Suné taught design for more than 15 years and contributed to the development of the current national design curriculum in an advisory capacity. She has published extensively and was also the contributing editor of the three nationally approved design textbooks, produced for design at secondary school/level. She was also the project manager of the Loeries Creative Future Scholarship since its inception in 2008 and a former board member of DEFSA (Design Education Forum South Africa). Suné was the original concept and content developer of the Woolworths Making the Difference Through Design (MTDTD) programme which was acknowledged as a finalist in the 2009 INDEX: Design to Improve Life, the world s biggest design award. She is the former editor of the biannual online publication Design>Ed; was an assistant researcher for the WDC2014 bid and served on the advisory committee for the development of the Western Cape Provincial Innovation policy. She has also contributed to the initial development phase of the Western Cape Design Strategy. Suné is currently involved with a number of initiatives such as serving on the SABS Design Institute s Panel of Design Experts; a project partner of MoDILA s ACE Programme; she is the founder and principal investigator of LIVE DESIGN TOURS and Design Transform Life Edu Bus, both approved WDC2014 projects. She is also the Festival and Programme Director of the Open Design Cape Town Festival