Workshop Overview
The Design Thinking + Making Workshop is a two-day intensive experience geared for aspiring Maker/Designers who want gain exposure and practice with user-centered design methods. The workshop will take lead participants from insights to ideas to prototypes to final product. The workshop will cover:
- Research of users and observations
- Research analysis and concept synthesis
- Prototyping
- Execution of the design
The workshop will be co-led by Douglas Wills, Adjunct Professor at IIT and Northwestern Segal Design Institute in Chicago, Fritz Park, Seoul based Designer and Alexandria Wills, Shoemaker in New York City. Production assistance is provided by Amanda Wills, a trained architect and installation artist based in Chicago. The team brings a blend of art and design thinking grounded in problem framing, prototyping, design research and strategy.
Design Thinking
Participation in the workshop involves lectures, interviewing, ideation and leatherwork. This will be an intense, experience-rich workshop filled with both theoretical and hands on experience.
Problem definition
- How design thinking can improve design effectiveness
- How to properly frame design problems
- Planning for design projects
Generating insights
- Understand how to transfer problem definition into a research strategy
- How to conduct interviews
- How to generate insights from interviews
Identifying opportunities
- How to transform insights into new products, services, or business models
- How to define new opportunity spaces
- How to run effective idea generation sessions
- How to prioritize ideas and concepts
Rapid prototyping
- How to integrate rapid prototyping into the innovation process
- How to make big ideas tangible
- How to test concepts with potential customers
Design Execution
- Planning the execution
- Sourcing materials
- Hands on execution
+ Making
Leather Craft Techniques will be taught in order to make your prototype...
(bag, suitcase, sack, etc.)
- Lasercutting leather
- Etch/Cut out designs
- Cut holes for hand sewing
- Cutting shapes for weaving/connecting pieces
- Cut holes/connections for tying
- Hand Stitching
- Rivet/Eyelet/Button Setting
- Buckles
- Brass Buttons
- Hole Punch and Braid
- Knot Tying
- Folding
- Straps
- Designing and Pattern Making