Design thinking as a tool to address inequities at a higher education institution

This proposed intrinsic case study explored how a diversity committee addressing issues of equity at Southern California State University (SCSU) used design-thinking elements as a tool. The study conducted interviews of program members working around equity, observed the campus Design Thinking Lab in action, and performed a document analysis on several artifacts. Design thinking is an analytic creative process that provides opportunities to create prototype models gather feedback and redesign (Razzouk & Shute, 2012). The thesis will use segmentation to analyze observation field notes and interview results. The study used a thematic analysis of documents to explore the purpose and outcomes of the process, purpose, and outcomes of the Design Thinking Lab’s process. The results focused on how empathy, disagreement, and external feedback are key parts of the design thinking process that can be applied to solutions for equity.