GLOBAL INNOVATIONAND DESIGN LABWHAT IS THE GID LAB?The Global Innovation and Design Lab is

A HUB for innovation through the principles of design thinking.

A CATALYST for transformative education, with empathy at the heart of

innovation solutions.

Our vision is a world of ethical and creative problem solvers. Our mission is to create the

conditions for inclusive innovation, by providing design thinking training and resources for

human centered solutions.

WHAT IS DESIGN THINKING?An interdisciplinary process for creative and human-centered problem solving...

Design thinking is a generative and creative problem solving approach that places the human

experience at the heart of its process. It is widely used across industry, non profits, government

and academic institutions to ask better questions, redefine problems, increase agility in finding

solutions, deepen collaborations and expand opportunities. The design life cycle begins with

empathy and moves iteratively through phases of problem definition, ideation, prototyping,

and testing.

INTRODUCTIONWith the pending development of a new UW Tacoma state-of-the-art academic building integrating business, engineering and innovation, the campus is positioned to be a regional leader in design-thinking education and the impact of design-thinking on economic success and sustainability. A hub focused on innovation, design and global engagement would prove a highly valuable asset as UW Tacoma continues to fuel the South Puget Sound region’s competitive edge. To this end, UW Tacoma and community leaders are convening for a trip to the Stanford d.school to gain a solid understanding of the creative activities and sustainable community and industry outcomes generated by the d.school. With the Port of Tacoma in UW Tacoma’s backyard and the I-5 corridor framing its continued growth across a 46-acre footprint, such understanding should provide the perfect launch point for planning and developing a similar signature program for UW Tacoma and the global port city and region it serves.

WHY DESIGN-THINKING? Innovation and design-thinking have become pivotal underpinnings of effective planning, performance and problem-solving for all community and industry sectors. The skills of problem-solving and innovation, rather than any one academic major, are what over 95% of employers seek in prospective employees, reports the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in a 2013 survey of over 300 executive-level employers across the country1. Design thinking as an iterative problem-solving process that includes discovery, ideation, and experimentation, is fast becoming a critical component in college curricula. Design thinking recognizes the intersectionality between business, technology and human values, as in the IDEO variation graphic below.2

This variation emphasizes human centered design3 which is mindful of context, demands and empathy through a three step process of inspiration, ideation, and implementation. Such a process ultimately produces innovative solutions best suited to the population receiving them. This approach is beyond value-add to the individual. It is an ethical imperative in our interdependent world and critical to global engagement—a priority highlighted in a 2015 AAC&U Employer Survey.4

UW Tacoma is an energy and job source for the region, ever innovative with its urban-serving mission and rich array of community-engaged programs and activities. It currently stands on a unique opportunity to undergird academic pathways with design thinking, seeding the innovation and problem-solving mindset across all majors. The development of such a mindset has far-reaching implications for our region’s future. Beyond what is obvious for career success, this mindset and approach is exactly what is needed for the future of economic and community development in Tacoma and the South Puget Sound.

UW TACOMA INNOVATION // DESIGN // GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

DRAFT 6 / 0 7/ 1 8

TECHNOLOGY(feasibility)

BUSINESS(viability)

HUMAN VALUES(usability, desirability)

DESIGNINNOVATION

tacoma.uw.edu/innovation

EMPATHIZE

DEFINE

IDEATE

PROTOTYPE

TEST

WE OFFER

Accredited courses

Certifi cate programs

Executive education

Community workshops

Faculty and staff support

RESOURCES

Design Lab TPS 016

Ideation and prototyping supplies

Access to FabLab Makerspace

THE GID LAB WILL

Host curriculum and activities to enhance students’

analytical reasoning and problem-solving skills

Provide workshops on design thinking

for the community

Provide workshops on need fi nding and

problem reframing

Engage community partners in joint learning

and collaborative innovation

Host renowned speakers and practitioners of

innovation and design thinking

WE WELCOME

Ideas

Questions

Collaborations

CONTACT

Dr. Divya McMillin, Executive Director

divya@uw.edu | 253.692.5651

Alexis Wheeler, Program Coordinator

wheela@uw.edu | 253.692.4785

tacoma.uw.edu/innovation

GLOBAL INNOVATIONANDDESIGN LAB

8/19

BE BOUNDLESS globalid@uw.edu