Design Forward Brings Human-Centered Design Training to Chicagoland Educators

What does it look like when educators step fully into Human Centered Design?

 

In early December, Siebel Center for Design brought its Design Forward professional development program to Chicago in partnership with the North Cook Intermediate Service Center. Over three days, educators explored what it means to approach their work with curiosity, empathy, and a willingness to rethink long standing assumptions.

Led by SCD Director Rachel Switzky and Senior Associate Director of Assessment, Research and Learning Saadeddine Shehab, the workshop guided participants through hands on activities, reflective discussions, and practical tools they can apply immediately in their school communities.

Day 1: Human-Centered Design 101

Day One opened with an introduction to the Human Centered Design taxonomy and the core mindsets that shape HCD practice. Switzky and Shehab guided participants through scaffolding activities designed to build shared language around the process and its purpose: understanding people deeply enough to design with them, not just for them.

Together, they introduced the cohort to the HCD Taxonomy and core HCD mindsets:

• Human-Centeredness
• Experimental
• Collaborative
• Metacognitive
• Communicative
• Creative

Learning from Real Stories

To bring these concepts to life, Shehab introduced a well-known case study:  GE Healthcare's development of the “Adventure Series” for pediatric care.

As he taught, he asked participants to interpret what they observed in their own words, prompting deep synthesis.

A few key insights emerged:

➞ Engineers often try to fix the machine, not the experience
➞ HCD shines a light on uncertainty instead of avoiding it
➞ Bringing in more voices can feel “risky” but leads to better outcomes
➞ The design process isn't linear; it's expected to move back and forth between steps

The Morning Routine Design Challenge

The first hands-on activity asked a simple but revealing question: How might we alleviate stress in our morning routines?

Participants reached into their new design thinking toolkits to map journeys, develop personas, and brainstorm using 2x2s and sticky note clustering.

A few big questions surfaced:
➞ How do we make space for joy?
➞ What can be simplified or shared?
➞ Where is stress coming from and how might we lessen it?

By the end of Day 1, participants realized something important:
Most of them were already practicing pieces of HCD. Design Forward was simply helping them name, organize, and intentionally apply those tools using a shared language!

Day 2: Capabilities in Action

Equipped with a strong foundation on Human-Centered Design, Day 2 served as a deep-dive into the six Human-Centered Design capabilities:

1. Engage Optimistically
2. Explore Empathetically
3. Imagine Possibilities
4. Navigate Uncertainty
5. Embrace Collectivity
6. Dialogue Visually

Switzky and Shehab presented case studies throughout the day that showcased each of these capabilities in action, and attendees shared their own reflections on moments in their work where these capabilities helped them to problem-solve.

The Power of Understanding

One attendee recalled a chronically late student who she assumed didn’t care about class. After acknowledging the risk of her assumptions, she started asking deeper questions and learned the student was actually on time but embarrassed to disrupt the room if she arrived after her classmates. By placing a desk near the door for this student, her attendance improved significantly!

Day 3: From Ideas to Implementation

By Day 3, the room was buzzing with creativity! Participants performed skits that surfaced pain points from their own educational settings, using humor and storytelling to highlight needs and spark practical solutions.

The depth of insight and connection across the group truly impressed our team, and we left feeling inspired by the thoughtful ways participants plan to continue applying HCD throughout the Chicagoland area.

The Design Forward program is built on SCD’s proven methodologies and commitment to helping organizations foster meaningful, sustainable change. We are so grateful to the North Cook ISC team for partnering with us and for bringing such enthusiasm, curiosity, and expertise to the experience.

If you're interested in bringing Design Forward to your team, please contact Rachel Switzky at rswitzky@illinois.edu.