Ontario College of Art and Design University

Purpose

OCAD U offers IRAP Design Thinking-based design critique and user interface evaluation services in support of IRAP’s mission. Design Thinking is a multi-disciplinary problem-solving approach that cultivates creative ideation, iterative prototyping, and concurrent business analysis using structured methods that promote deep understanding of real needs and the attainment of significant business outcomes. Design Thinking has been identified as a key approach for developing innovative solutions that are desirable, effective and viable. Participants engage in authentic studio environments where art and design thinking promotes problem-focused solutions for workshopping ideas, product, service, and policy development. Our model is based on engaging participants in all three learning domains: cognitive (Head), affective (Heart), and psychomotor (Hand). Outcomes focus on the acquisition of knowledge, the development of affective investment in this knowledge and the change management of organizations, and the application via workplace project through prototype development. Our unique studio approach enables participants to accelerate learning and application into their workplace. We not only apply the principles of Design Thinking to business contexts, we foster the application of these ideas into individual workplaces to ensure acquisition and generation of “sticky knowledge” to ensure that participants are able to translate the results of these reviews into practical outcomes for their organization.