Design Thinking: A Framework for Innovative Student Program Development

Ensuring innovation in higher education programming is crucial. I have applied Design Thinking (DT) in designing, developing, and executing student programs. I have seen that the adoption of DT in higher education often brings about a cultural change. It encourages a mindset shift towards collaboration, experimentation, and a willingness to embrace change for continuous improvement.

The DT framework, along with designer mindsets, guides my approach:

?? Customized Programs:

Design Thinking allows me to create programs tailored to each student's unique needs. By understanding their challenges, my solutions are crafted to seamlessly align with their individual journeys.

?? Innovative Programs:

By embracing Design Thinking, I am not just solving problems, but fostering a culture of innovation within my team/s. The DT encourages thinking creatively and being ready to generate unique ways to engage with students.

?? Scalable Programs:???????????

Radical Collaboration is crucial for achieving scalability. I sought help when needed, receiving significant support from my team, alumni, and professional connections to create scalable programs. My focus remained on high levels of student engagement without losing personalization.

? Sustainable Programs:

Design Thinking is an ongoing, iterative journey, not a one-time process. By continuously testing and refining my approach, I was ensuring excellence in execution and outcomes.

?? Impactful Programs:

Design Thinking encourages me to continuously redesign and enhance relevant offerings, fostering a culture of ongoing improvement. Similar to my experience, testing and tweaking as I go ensures my programs lead to tangible career outcomes.

Here is how Design Thinking translates into real impact with three innovative program examples:

1. Data-Driven Careers:

Our team tailored a program for students interested in data-driven careers. By understanding their unique needs, we crafted workshops, networking/mentoring opportunities, and a recruitment event, ensuring they step confidently into the evolving world of data.

• The Inaugural Data-Driven Careers-Spring 2023, initiated as a series of Alumni Panels covering career paths, including Business/Data Analytics, Program/Project/Product Management, Consulting, and Quant/Finance.
• The Second Annual Data-Driven Careers-Fall 2023, designed as a week-long event series, consisted of a Keynote Address, Alumni Panels (with the new addition of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning), and concluded with a Career Fair.

We addressed all the program components mentioned above with a significant focus on scalability and sustainability through innovation. In the second iteration, we not only introduced a keynote speaker but also incorporated a career fair.

The Data-Driven Careers engaged approximately 750 students across all 9 schools at Johns Hopkins University. We look forward to bringing even more innovation into the third iteration in Fall 2024.

2. Designed to Serve-Military-Affiliated Students Program

We initiated and piloted the first iteration in Fall 2023. Recognizing military affiliated students’ unique challenges, we developed a three-day program that included a keynote address, an Alumni panel, resume development and LinkedIn workshops, and mock interviews with employer representatives. Although we faced some challenges in attracting a large number of students to this program, we received significantly positive feedback from participating students.

There is more work that needs to be done as we are entering the re-iteration planning phase to find ways to make this program as scalable as possible. I am confident that we will be able to use our designer mindsets (radical collaboration is critical here) to make the second iteration a bigger and better program with exceptional satisfaction and engagement outcomes.

3. International Career Summit:

• ?Amplifying Global Employability: International Student Edition-Pilot in Fall 2022, by empathizing with the diverse aspirations of our global student body, we organized a three-hour event consisted of cultural insights, networking, and personalized career advice. We had the privilege of hosting 6 subject matter experts in the field of international student career development, and we attracted about 80 students to join us and dive deep into each enriching session.
• The Inaugural International Career Summit-Spring 2023, the feedback we received after the pilot made it clear that there was an immediate need for an expanded program. I passionately dedicated to bridging the gap between US-based students and international students in terms of skills development, navigating the job market with confidence, fostering resourcefulness, and ultimately equipping them to be competitive candidates in the job market. Therefore, the planning, designing, and execution looked significantly different for the second iteration as we aimed to make it scalable, sustainable, impactful, customizable, and innovative.

A whopping 1000 tickets sold, turning it into a SOLD-OUT event! With 32 speakers (28 of whom were former international students representing 15 countries), the program spanned five days, with 20 hours and 20 sessions. It was a testament to the incredible success and impact of the initiative.

Curious to know more about the background story of how the Inaugural International Career Summit became a reality? You may want to read this short LinkedIn article .

• The Second Annual International Career Summit-Fall 2023, the exceptional outcomes of the first iteration sparked an idea to elevate the Summit to the next level. I adopted radical collaboration as my ultimate mindset to strategically form a collective with colleagues passionate about serving international students and working at institutions with high international student enrollments.

As a result, I spearheaded the International Career Collective (ICC), comprising higher education professionals dedicated to empowering international students and shaping their future career development journeys. I am thrilled to share that within only a few months, 16 esteemed higher education institutions joined Johns Hopkins University as ICC partners.

Here is a snapshot of the highlights of the ICC’s first summit:

• All 3,000 tickets were SOLD-OUT!
• 28 experts contributed their insights, making it a knowledge-packed event.
• The event spanned over 5 days, delivering 20 hours of content across 21 sessions.

?The second event of the ICC is the Employer Expos:

International Career Collective (ICC) Employer Expo Undergrads: Feb 9 from 2-5pm EST hosted virtually in collaboration with 17 other universities bit.ly/ICCundergrad

International Career Collective (ICC) Employer Expo Advanced Degrees: Feb 16 from 2-5pm EST hosted virtually in collaboration with 17 other universities bit.ly/ICCadvdegree

I cannot wait to see the impact the International Career Collective team will create on their campuses and beyond as we explore more about future events and programs.

Real change is seen when Design Thinking is not just a methodology but becomes a part of the institutional culture. It fosters an environment where innovation is encouraged, and solutions are co-created with the stakeholders involved. The iterative nature of DT ensures that solutions evolve and adapt, leading to meaningful and sustainable change in higher education practices.

It is important to note that due to the fail-fast and fail-forward nature of the Design Thinking framework, there is always a need for significant support from leadership and the team. I am fortunate to have such support; otherwise, none of the programs that I discussed here would be a reality.

I have shared my own approach to using Design Thinking in my work, and I am curious to learn about your perspective and how you practice it

Please share with me:

What are your thoughts on the role of Design Thinking in higher education?

How do you apply Design Thinking in your work?

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