Elon by Design’s student catalysts harness design thinking to propel more than 100 Design Thinking workshops for students, faculty, staff and the community.
Thanks to student Design Think Catalysts, the Center for Design Thinking at Elon University has emerged as a hub for creative problem solving. Opening in the Fall of 2016, the center has transformed into a bustling space for exploration, facilitating over one hundred design thinking workshops and supporting the Elon community through one-on-one consultations, daily center open hours, as well as design thinking research and newsletters.
Student catalysts support the Center for Design Thinking and the Elon By Design Initiative through a variety of leadership projects.
The catalysts’ main goal is upholding the mission of the Center for Design Thinking: creating opportunities for Elon students, faculty and staff to apply the design thinking process, method, and mindset to challenges. This comes in the form of many different roles, such as developing new partnerships on campus and design thinking experiences.
But one of their roles is more impactful than others: facilitating workshops.
Elon by Design offers many different workshops, including Design Thinking 101, Experience Mapping, Project Planning, Designing Your Life and more.
Design Thinking catalyst and senior International Studies and Political Science double major Mackenzie Hahn describes hosting workshops to be a life changing experience for her.
“I am always surprised by the ideas or realizations that people get to in our short workshops,” Hahn described “I don’t think there will ever be some single outcome from our workshops because everyone is coming in with their own frames, so I like that it’s always different.”
Hahn said that her favorite workshop to host is Experience Mapping.
Mikayla Ford, another student catalyst and communications design major, said “design thinking focuses on solving problems that matter in a way that can truly make a difference. It encourages creativity and failure or rather ‘intentional iterations.’ People who use design thinking methods walk away with a new way of finding, understanding and solving problems.”
Working as a design thinking catalyst has proved valuable to Hahn and Ford, as they have exciting opportunities after the 2019-20 academic year. Hahn will be taking a job as an associate recruiter at Charles Aris. As for Ford, she will be a Digital Designer during the summer of 2020 for P&G in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“My experience with the Elon Center for Design Thinking has taught me to never settle,” Hahn said. “I know the importance of always looking for new ways to innovate.”
Both catalysts emphasized how their work at the center has supported their ability to engage in non-linear, relational thinking.
Student catalysts often facilitate workshops weekly, making up a significant portion of their work for the Center. From faculty and staff to campus organization to classes, the catalysts get to work with many members of the Elon community.
The move to online learning has not stopped the Center from supporting the Elon community . In response to such changes, the student catalysts have worked with the Director of Design Thinking, Danielle Lake, to maintain their valuable partnerships through online workshops and virtual consultations.
All of this comes just in time for National Student Employment Week, where the catalysts will be celebrating their hard work via Instagram (@elonbydesign) all week long. This includes the team-wide achievements of designing, facilitating, and assessing over 100 workshops since this fall, creating a vision and five-year strategic plan, revising the Center’s website and social media platform, and creation of official center policies and guidebooks.
Additionally, check out our new video “Elon by {Your} Design,” featuring student catalyst Tres Jones ‘20. Jones is another catalyst who is going on to big things after his time at Elon, as he is planning to pursue a masters degree in Brand Management.
Students interested in becoming a Design Thinking Catalyst can apply on the Elon Job Network or email dlake@elon.edu with any questions.
To inquire about workshops, simply email elonbydesign@elon.edu or visit @elonbydesign on Social Media for more information!