Virtually Design for a World Full of Pandemic Problems

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Recently, due to a world pandemic and global health crisis, humanity now relies on Design and STEM careers to defend them in a war against an unseen enemy. Limited human contact in order to stop the spread of a contagious virus is creating ongoing problems and challenges that humanity has never seen or experienced before. School districts across the globe close their doors in order to play their part in “flattening the curve”. Many of these school districts were forced into virtual schools and virtual learning as a solution to continue education for our youth. And while these world events continue to play out in our lives, Design Thinking continues to be a process and mindset humanity leans on in order to design solutions and responses to some of the biggest challenges facing mankind. A process that, at one time had no time and distance restrictions as parameters in design, can continue to be utilized in our newly acquainted virtual world.




School admins and teachers are now forced into using technologies and digital platforms, which were once optional tools, to integrate learning and school/class instruction. These virtual tools and technologies now require essential skills that have required educators across the globe to adopt a growth mindset so that they may adapt to virtual learning. The educators are forced to “design” solutions to problems and challenges the virtual learning world continues to present. It has forced society and education to learn new vocabulary, such as “social distancing” and “zooming”, and design solutions to virtual student communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. Teachers are exploring the many ways Design Thinking can be experienced in this virtual world. Educators can continue to utilize the Human-Centered Design mindset/methods to engage their students in innovative solutions for the new problems that have risen during this global pandemic. Here are a few virtual tools that can take Human-Centered Design and Design Thinking to a virtual platform. 




Google Classroom: Google classroom has been one of the premier choices for school districts across the world. It allows for students and teachers to learn on a virtual platform, collaborate, and communicate in order to run a day to day virtual classroom. By integrating Human-Centered Design projects, students design and create a solution to a real-world problem. This solution can be a tangible product, a service, or an action plan with detailed information on how to solve the problem. Students use the design thinking process to develop these solutions, even in virtual school. Google Classroom, through its integration of Docs, Slides, Forms, Google Jamboard, and Hangouts, provides an ideal virtual location to run Human-Centered Design Challenges.




Trello and/or List management apps: There are times in the Design Thinking Process that you will need to keep and share detailed lists and brainstorm sessions. These critical ideation methods can easily be created and shared on digital platforms such as Trello and plenty of other digital solutions on the net. 




Flipgrid- Flipgrid is a social learning tool utilizing the power of video in order to capture live learning, collaboration, and feedback. Flipgrid allows educators to create a free account, create a grid and topic questions/activities and students respond by using a live recording on their device. This is an amazing way to post Design Challenges and capture the entire process via video feedback.




Google Jamboard: Google Jamboard is a great tool to use in order to brainstorm and ideate. It allows you to share “boards” that can be populated with sticky notes, pics, videos, and tables. It can also be shared with others and worked on collaboratively.

Human-Centered Design can be done in virtual learning. The Design Think process can be done in virtual learning. Education can be done through virtual learning. As many people around the world continue to face difficult challenges and circumstances during this world pandemic, Human-Centered Design and the Design Thinking toolset/methods will be here to help facilitate solutions to all of our human challenges. Stay tuned to more resources and courses from the Human-Centered Design Princeton Hive!

Be on the lookout for….


More Problems, More Design: 

In light of recent pandemic problems and challenges, DT allows us to take these negatives and design positives
Design Challenges in Virtual Schools

With Google Docs, Zoom, and a little HCD Mindset, teachers can create a virtual design challenge for their students to create some virtual critical thinking and interaction.  

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