how to build a fute design challenge Here's a quick guide to formulating a challenge that will help you get familiar with the design thinking process and the FUTE method cards

1. Formulate your own design challenge.
Start by keeping the complexity low. Aim for approximately 1 hour of activity time.

2. Build your design challenge structure with one card from each category: Research – Analyse – Ideate – Create.

3. Write down why you think each card could help solve this design challenge. Perform the method on the card.

4. Reflect: Are you happy with the result of the design process? How did the process go? What would you do different next time? Are there any process cards that could have helped with these difficulties?

DESIGN CHALLENGE 1 Think of a friend, family member or co-worker who is always late in the morning. How can you change this persons morning routine in such a way that the person is not late anymore?

Read through each card and follow the instructions.
Time needed: 1 hour

Information processing

Structure

Complexity

FUTE_MethodCircles_Research-Journalist

Get out of the classroom, talk to people and gain knowledge, insight and inspiration.

Research
23. The Journalist

This step helps you collect data concerning the current morning routine of your friend.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Analysis-DayCycle

Map phenomena, activities and happenings to uncover challenges and patterns.

Analysis
28. Day Cycle

This step helps you process the data from the interview and find out where the problems are.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Ideation-Brainstorm

A classic method to develop multiple ideas with other people 
quickly.

Ideate
36. Brainstorm

This step helps you come up with different solutions for the problem.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Creative-Roleplay

Roleplay
 and act to experience and 
develop ideas and solutions.

Create
42. Role Play

This step helps you create the time line of the morning routine you designed.

Reflection

  1. What do you think about the result of your first design thinking challenge? Would you have been able to find an equally good solution without using the method cards?

  2. Can you think of a problem in your school that could benefit from the design thinking approach?

Download the full set of cards here!

DESIGN CHALLENGE 2 How can we make the canteen experience for our pupils more efficient and relaxing?

Read through each card and follow the instructions.
Time needed: 3 hours

Information processing

Structure

Complexity

FUTE_MethodCircles_Research-Anthropologist

Go out into the world to experience, observe, and find inspiration.

Research
21. The Anthropologist

This step helps you collect data concerning the current refectory experience for the pupils.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Research-Journalist

Get out of the classroom, talk to people and gain knowledge, insight and inspiration.

Research
23. The Journalist

This step helps you collect data concerning the current refectory experience for the pupils. Choose one card or use both research cards.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Process-Expectations

Discover each group member’s goals, ambitions, and expectations.

Process
3. The Expectations

This step ensures that everyone in the group thinks about what they what to achieve. A facilitator should coordinate this step, and a list of expectations should be maintained for reference as the project progresses.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Analysis-Biography

Learn from the past, with relationships, topics and patterns.

Analyse
27. Biography

This step looks for historical patterns –how have things been done in the past and why were they done in this way. Is there a better way which can alleviate the problem under scrutiny?

FUTE_MethodCircles_Ideation-MultiplePerspectives

Use diverse expert ideas and knowledge to generate ideas.

Ideate
34. Multiple Perspectives

This step is about getting the perspectives, ideas and opinions of others. In this scenario, the canteen staff could be asked for their perspective on the lunchtime problem.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Creation-Prototyping

Build a 3D model to develop or showcase an idea.

Create
40. Prototyping

In this step, a proposed solution to the lunchtime problem could be trialed or prototyped. This might mean changing one aspect of the queuing system or staggering the lunch times by class group. A series of small-scale changes may reveal a solution to the larger problem.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Process-SuccessCriteria

Discuss and
 select the most important aspects or criteria
 for a specific project.

Process
11. The Success Criteria Grid

This card can be used with the Expectations card to ensure that findings and subsequent recommendations are in line with the original expectations. The Grid helps to galvanise the most important aspects to ensure that the proposed solution befits the problem.

Reflection

  1. Are you happy with the result of the design process?

  2. How did the process go? What would you do different next time? Are there any process cards that could have helped with these difficulties?

Download the full set of cards here!

DESIGN CHALLENGE 3 How can we make reading more fun for the pupils so they will read more?

Read through each card and follow the instructions.
Time needed: 3 hours

Information processing

Structure

Complexity

FUTE_MethodCircles_Process-FactInspiration

Identify the information and inspiration needed for a challenge.

Process
8. Fact and Inspiration Finding

This step helps you prepare the research step by identifying information that you need to find a solution to the challenge.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Research-Desktop

Do desktop research to access lots of knowledge quickly.

Research
20. Desktop Research

Choose a Research card that can help you collect information on your challenge.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Research-Anthropologist

Go out into the world to experience, observe, and find inspiration.

Research
21. The Anthropologist

This could be either of these three suggested cards…

FUTE_MethodCircles_Research-Journalist

Get out of the classroom, talk to people and gain knowledge, insight and inspiration.

Research
23. The Journalist

…or any other card(s), depending on your needs as defined in the previous step.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Process-DataWall

Display collected project materials to get an overview and understanding.

Process
15. Data Wall

This step helps in communicating the information all team members collected.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Analysis-Personas

Transform research and information into fictional characters.

Analyse
29. Personas

This step lets you create fictional characters that all have different reasons to (not) like reading.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Ideation-BigHunch

An initial brainstorm to explore a “Gut
 Feeling”, “Hunch” or “Intuition.”

Ideate
31. What If?

This step helps you evaluate the different ideas you might already have, based on the different personas you created.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Creation-Relay

Use short bursts of individual work in a team
 to develop ideas.

Create
39. The Relay

In this step, you work together to create a solution for the challenge, based on all previous steps.

FUTE_MethodCircles_Process-PeKu

Generate energetic and short presentation 
sessions.

Process
16. Pecha Kucha

This card helps you communicate the ideas you created to the other members of the school team.

Reflection

  1. Are you happy with the result of the design process?

  2. How did the process go? What would you do different next time? Are there any process cards that could have helped with these difficulties?

Download the full set of cards here!

Go to the previous/next chapter!


All FUTE project materials are
 licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 CC iconby iconnc iconsa icon

5C and 6C Models © Anne Katrine Gøtzsche Gelting and Silje K.A. Friis.