Design Thinking and 3D Printing

Problem finding, designing and solving using technology of the day 

Last term at Make Club we learnt about design thinking and 3D printing using the City X framework. What is great about City X is that all the resources are there for you and it is a great way to get started with design thinking and 3D printing.

The first session was all about setting the stage. A message from the Mayor of City X explains to us that they need our help. Their trip to the new planet went well, but there a number of issues they need help overcoming, like how to get clean water and growing food.

Using the design thinking framework, we each chose a problem to solve, came up with ideas and started designing our solutions.

It was really interesting seeing the diverse range in approaches and thinking that was going into the processes. We had to really think about what it was like for the people of City X and use our imagination to create solutions.

Once we had drawn our solutions up, we had a lesson in TinkerCad from two of our Make Club students who had used the software before. It was great for them to take the lead and shows that it doesn't need to be an adult always leading the sessions.

Some of the things our students designed and built:

• Jewellery that translated all galactic languages to promote effective communication.

• An all terrain rover to get people across the planet and spacecraft that allowed food shuttle runs to and from other planets.

• A water purifying system for the city.

• Playgrounds

• Schools

• Teleportation systems

Even though these students have an age range is between 5 and 10, they are really capable of designing amazing things.

Skills developed:

The design thinking process encourages people to be problem finders using an empathetic lens. They really had to think outside the box and tap into the human element to imagine what the people of City X might need.

3D printing: Using Tinkercad develops spatial awareness, understanding of measurement and maths. Printing their designs helped develop an understanding of prototyping and the design process.

Community: Parents and students working together to help solve hypothetical problems for another community helps develop an awareness that life exists beyond our own walls.

Collaboration: We had to collaborate with each other when working on similar designs, but also to ensure we had enough diversity in our designs to meet the needs of the people on City X.