Design Thinking: A User-Centered Approach to Addressing Parks and Recreation Problems

This interactive design thinking workshop offers participants a user-centered method to tackle problems and generate innovative solutions. In this workshop, participants will learn and work through a 5-step process designed to foster creativity and novel thinking. 

The workshop will begin with an overview of design thinking and its history, purpose, and strengths compared to other planning processes. Then, we will define, explain, and give examples of the 5 steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Participants will be divided into small groups, and we will practice each of the 5 stages to address a real recreation management or program design problem experienced by their group.  

During the workshop, we will guide participants to use various tools and techniques to better understand their end-user. We will practice interview techniques, ideation(brainstorm) practices, ways to prototype with simple supplies, and have fun testing various solutions to end user problems. The workshop will be enjoyable and productive.  

By the end, parks and recreation practitioners will have a deeper understanding of design thinking, and a set of actionable tools to use to tackle real world challenges. This hands-on workshop will equip them with a new skill set, and a new mindset of working with your end-user to solve future problems.