Exercises

Get useful feedback, not just opinions. Structured critique focuses discussion on design goals and user needs. It avoids personal preferences. Unstruc...

Audit accessibility early to avoid costly fixes later. Evaluate against WCAG, user needs, and assistive tech. Finding problems in design is cheaper th...

Run a complete design thinking process, from empathy to prototype, in one intensive session. This challenge compresses the five stages—empathize, de...

Go beyond stated user needs to uncover the real "why." Surface-level requests often hide deeper motivations. For example, "I want it faster" could mea...

Team members vote for their favorite solution using a large dot sticker. This reveals team preferences before the Decider makes the final choice.

Transform scattered ideas into actionable insights. This exercise uses collaborative sorting to reveal patterns in Post-Up sticky notes. Participants ...

User stories capture features from the user's perspective. They follow this format: "As a [type of user], I want [goal] so that [benefit]." This ensur...

Use a screener to find the right research participants. It's a questionnaire or interview that helps you select people based on your study's needs.

Create comic strip-style stories to visualize user scenarios. Each storyboard shows user context, problem, solution interaction, and outcome in 6-8 pa...

Storyboards visually narrate user interactions with a product or service. They use sketches or images in panels to show the user experience over time....

Strategic Design Future Mapping makes possible futures visible, informing today's decisions. Map emerging trends and signals of change onto a canvas. ...

Test prototypes with real users. Learn what works and what doesn't. Focus on learning, not validation. Discover insights, don't prove assumptions.

Observational research involves documenting user behaviors, interactions, and environmental factors. It focuses on what users *do*, providing valuable...

This tool helps you analyze how service experiences affect well-being, society, and the environment. Use it to generate ideas for more sustainable and...

Before building a new design system, map what already exists. Design system landscape mapping inventories all components, patterns, styles, and docume...

A stakeholder map visually represents people who influence your service or project. It reveals relationships, power, and communication needs across ev...

Mind mapping helps you capture and organize information visually. Start with a central concept and branch out with related ideas, words, and images. I...

Start and end sessions with mindful sharing. Check-ins help people arrive mentally and emotionally. Check-outs process learning and close intentionall...