Stanford d.school

« We believe everyone has the capacity to be creative. The Stanford d.school is a place where people use design to develop their own creative potential. »

The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, commonly known as the d.school, is a place for explorers and experimenters at Stanford University. The Institute was founded by Stanford mechanical engineering professor David M. Kelley, six other professors and George Kembel in 2004.

What they do

Stanford d.school build on methods from across the field of design to create learning experiences that help people unlock their creative potential and apply it to the world.

How they do it

To inspire design thinking, they bring together students, faculty, and practitioners from all disciplines and backgrounds. They think that different points of view are key in pushing students to advance their own design practice. Their classes challenge students to tackle problems that are happening, not fictitious scenarios. During our visit, I was impressed with the means and tools available to students.

But what does «design thinking » mean ?

« Design thinking is a modern non-linear approach to problem solving. It is about observing people’s behavior, immersing into the way they live and finding what aspects of their lives could be improved. Based on those observations, designers come up with ideas which are quickly turned into prototypes. Designers test, draw conclusions, make adjustments and iterate this process until the end-users’ needs are fulfilled. »