Design Thinking light

The goal of this phase is to deeply understand the issue from the user's perspective rather than rushing into solving it with personal biases.
Teams receive their challenge (e.g., "How might we make the cafeteria line less stressful during brakes?")
Students practice perspective-shifting. For the first 15 minutes, they either conduct quick, structured interviews on the schoolyard (with peers, cafeteria staff, or teachers) or map out an "Empathy Map" at their desks.
Focus Questions: What does the target person see, hear, think, and feel in this situation? What are their biggest frustrations (Pains) and core desires (Gains)?
Insights are captured on Post-its.

This phase narrows down the problem statement and unleashes collective creativity.
Process (part 1, 10 minutes): The team defines a crisp "How-Might-We" (HMW) question. (How might we make the waiting time in the cafeteria line feel entertaining or productive for students?")
Process (part 2, 20 minutes): Brainstorming begins. Every team member works silently, writing as many ideas as possible on separate Post-its (one idea per note). Only then are they put up on a poster, read aloud, and grouped.
Golden Rules: No criticism allowed!
Quantity over quality.
Build on the ideas of others ("Yes, and..." instead of "Yes, but...").
Finally, the team uses dot-voting to select the one solution they will develop.

The golden rule here is "thinking with your hands." It's not about creating something perfect, but making an abstract idea physically tangible.
The team decides which type of prototype fits their idea best. There are three main options:
Physical Prototype: A 3D model built from cardboard, plastic cups, Lego, or clay (e.g., a new layout/signage system for the cafeteria).
Digital/Visual Prototype: A large comic-style storyboard on a poster, mapping out an app interface or a new process step-by-step.
Interactive Prototype: A quick skit or role-play (max. 2 minutes) that acts out the new solution or procedure live.
Keep it low-fidelity, cheap, and fast. If the feedback is negative, it shouldn't hurt to throw it away or change it completely.

Teams pitch their concepts and gather radically honest feedback to iterate and improve.
Two teams pair up to test each other's concepts.
Team A pitches their prototype in under 3 minutes. Team B acts as the user, interacting with the model or watching the skit.
Then, they switch roles.
Feedback Culture: Team B uses a simple feedback grid on a poster to capture structured input:
* What worked well/what did they love immediately?
* Constructive criticism or areas that need changing?
* Questions that remain unanswered.
* New ideas or inspiration sparked during the test.

The method concludes with a shared meta-reflection with the whole class.
The entire class gathers in a circle. The teacher facilitates a wrap-up discussion.
Reflection Questions:
* How did it feel to build solutions under intense time pressure?
* Did anyone have a moment where a mistake actually made the prototype better?
Finally, discuss which ideas have the genuine potential to be pitched to the school administration or student council for actual real-world implementation. This seals the sense of empowerment.