Design Genius allows 4th or 5th graders to embark on an amazing adventure, filled with opportunities
for intellectual growth, creative confidence boosts, and real-life successes!
During the course of the project, each participant evolves from a mere student to an empathetic, successful,
problem-conquering Design Thinker.
Students will design a print or pattern for a fictional Design Target, ideating several rounds of ideas before combining them into one unique, amazing design solution. They will collaborate with a textile printing studio to turn their designs into fabrics and then into products. Then they will discuss retail math, understanding the potential selling price for their product, and they will work as marketers to brand their design solution. While the in-class portion will conclude with group presentations of their design solutions, the entire project will not finish until two weeks later, when the students are shown how their concepts have turned into reality. They will be able to see the real, tangible products that they designed, and they will be able to view their branded items in a mock online retail venue. The students learn that they have to power to turn problem-solving concepts into real-life products.
Students will design a print or pattern for a fictional Design Target, ideating several rounds of ideas before combining them into one unique, amazing design solution. They will collaborate with a textile printing studio to turn their designs into fabrics and then into products. Then they will discuss retail math, understanding the potential selling price for their product, and they will work as marketers to brand their design solution. While the in-class portion will conclude with group presentations of their design solutions, the entire project will not finish until two weeks later, when the students are shown how their concepts have turned into reality. They will be able to see the real, tangible products that they designed, and they will be able to view their branded items in a mock online retail venue. The students learn that they have to power to turn problem-solving concepts into real-life products.
The design process begins with empathetic listening. Each small group of students receives one of four Design Targets; fictional peers for whom the students will develop products.
In order to develop their empathetic listening skills, the students work through two worksheets.
After taking time to understand the problem that their Design Target is having and his/her resulting emotions, the students work to develop a Problem Statement.
With their Problem Statements clearly defined, the students come together to share information about their Design Targets with each other.
Next, the class shifts focus to a discussion of prints and patterns. They view examples of printed shirts, ranging from silly to sophisticated, and talk about how viewing these prints can alter their emotions. This lays the foundation for the students to develop prints and patterns that can turn their Design Target's negative emotions into positive ones.
Stay tuned! There is so much more Design Genius to come!
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