What is this?

The presentation captures the design thinking process re-imagined to promote equity. This new framework was created in May 2016 to hold the vulnerability and courage needed to develop one’s self-awareness as a equity-centered designer. We added two new design modes to the existing hexagonal d.school design thinking visual: Notice and Reflect.

The Notice phase helps designers develop a self and social-emotional awareness before entering any context or practice of empathy. This phase focuses on you, the designer, in order to build a practice of self-awareness of your own identity, values, emotions, biases, assumptions and situatedness. From there, begin to reveal your authentic self accept and build from all you don’t know so you can empathize with humility, curiosity and courage. Noticing what one brings to any person and context allows for authentic human centered design, not “you” centered design.

The Reflect phase of the process is ongoing and transparent throughout the design thinking process. It allows you and your team the time to notice, focus and reflect on your actions, emotions, insights and impact as designer(s) and human(s) within your user's context. We suggest you Reflect using an Equity Pause, a process step coined by EquityXDesign. An Equity Pause is a time to share our learning and see what we can do better next time in the service of equity and inclusion.