Tag: Innovation and Design Thinking (page 8)

Continuing the View from the Inside series, we reflect on the first two weeks of the Design Thinking Experience Program, in which we discussed the Innovation Hub’s focus on empathy- and equity-based design.

In this post, we hear from Sharon Lam, Data Analysis Assistant. Sharon worked in education after completing Bachelor’s degrees in English, History, and Education, then started a Master of Information degree in User Experience Design and Information Systems and Design. This is her first year with the Innovation Hub.

During the first two weeks at the Innovation Hub, we spent a lot of time on reflection. This may seem counter-intuitive since we are just starting our projects, but it actually makes a lot of sense. By beginning with reflection, we recognize that we each bring a lot to any starting point and that there is a lot of context to every situation. There is no truly blank slate. This is both encouraging and humbling. On the one hand, we bring value based on the unique perspective formed from our past experiences; on the other hand, how we see and interpret our research is limited by the degree to which we can understand what is outside of our realm of experience—in short, our ability to empathize. 

In the View from the Inside series, we take you into the work of the Innovation Hub as seen by its members. Our students share their experience with our team and what they’ve learned so far.

This week, we hear from Eric Hanson, Design Research Assistant. Eric recently graduated with a Bachelor of Design from OCAD University and came to the University of Toronto, where he started a Master of Information and joined the Innovation Hub.

Whether we’re engineers, doctors, professors, or students, design influences how we do our jobs, how we communicate with others, and how the world communicates with us. As a designer coming from a Bachelor of Design degree at OCAD University and starting a Master of Information degree at the University of Toronto, I understand the importance of human-centred design and design thinking in redefining our experience in today’s disruptive and innovative society. Empathy and social innovation were cornerstones of my undergraduate work, and coming to the University of Toronto is an exciting opportunity to see how a larger institution can use design thinking to improve the university experience and the way it serves its students.

At the Innovation Hub, we are what we do. We commit ourselves to community growth through prototyping and iteration, not only in the design projects we take on, but also in designing our own work processes. By being responsive to the changing needs of the community—both internally, within our own team, and externally, with our project partners—we continually improve our practices.

By James Conlin, Crescent Leadership Student

This past fall, I participated in Crescent School’s Grade 11 Leadership course and I had the chance to work with University of Toronto’s Innovation Hub. The course tasked students with applying design thinking processes to solve a problem for a community partner. Of all the potential community partners, the Innovation Hub spoke to me the most, as I am a strong advocate in improving the lives of students. Luckily, I was gifted my first choice, along with three other students.

By Mia Sanders, Training Facilitator

Hello! My name is Mia Sanders and I’m a training facilitator for the Innovation Hub this year, along with my co-facilitator, Margaryta Ignatenko. Both Margaryta and I have been with the Hub for almost two years, during which we’ve had the privilege of engaging with hundreds of students and staff who are invested in improving the student experience at UofT. From our vantage point, what sets the Innovation Hub apart is the array of methodologies that team members are exposed to throughout their time here, including Design Thinking, Ethnography, Integrative Thinking, and Anti-Oppressive Practices.

By Paul Giurgeu and Chanz Valmonte, Communications Team

Chanz’s Perspective

Entering into my first year of university, I knew I wanted to make the most of my experience. I was determined to figure out a way to balance my studies with extracurricular activities (as well as sleep, and social life, and sanity). At least, I would try my best! That’s when I found out about the Innovation Hub, a student-led initiative launched to improve student experience through research. The I-Hub would allow me to get involved on campus, cater to my personal interests, and positively impact a diverse group of people—no matter the size! For these reasons, I jumped right in! I completed the application (there’s CCR-credit, so win-win!). Now I’m here, writing a piece about my experience at September’s weekend-long training.

By Charis Lam, Chemistry PhD Student & Past Innovation Hub Storytelling Team Member

Interviewer, interview thyself.

At the Innovation Hub, students and staff use empathy-based interviewing to capture a snapshot of the university experience through the eyes of students. Their subjects are varied: international students, commuters, students with accessibility needs, TAs, and others.

Missing from the picture are the photographers themselves—the students capturing these stories.

What has the Innovation Hub meant to the team itself? How has it changed the university experiences of its students and volunteers?

To find answers, I pivoted the lens.

By Danielle Lum, Project Assistant &  Liza Brechbill, Integrative and Design Thinking Specialist

In late June, the Innovation Hub partnered with U of T’s Trademark and Licensing office and external consultants from Sovereign State to facilitate a student feedback session. The topic of the day? Exploring the thoughts, feelings, and stories that students associate with their time at the university, with the goal of better understanding the student experience and informing the development of school branding.

By Michael Clark, Manager, UX at EASI and Innovation Hub Big Ideas Team Member – Student-Faculty Exploration Cafe

I initially heard about the Innovation Hub during a conversation with Julia Smeed. Through our conversation, I learned that the purpose of the Innovation Hub was to bring students, staff and faculty together in an effort to improve the “U of T Experience”.  And, that’s where my involvement came in.

By Monique Gill, Innovation Hub Big Ideas Team Member – Neighbourhood Communities 

Diversity is a quality that is celebrated widely across the University of Toronto campuses. Our Neighbourhood Communities team is looking at ways in which we can harness the diversification of our student population, and more specifically student neighbourhoods, to better cultivate student connection and U of T spirit. By collecting data on our student’s geographical areas, we are looking at the feasibility developing a platform that would allow U of T students to meet up in their very own neighbourhoods to facilitate student self-organization like social events, study groups, and ride sharing.