At the heart of a design thinking process is the concept of getting out of the library and talk to users, experts and doing observations to find inspiration for your design. 

But how to do it? Come to this session if you want to learn some basic tools for how to do it - and if you want to experience a live synthesis process where input from the users are turned into insights. 

The purpose of this session is to teach a few methods and steps in the design thinking process: how to get inspiration from user research and convert them to actionable insights that can inspire your design!

Session organizers: 

Andrea Saenz - Chicago Public Libraries

Julka Almquist - Anthropologist, Minneapolis

Ane Schjødt Koch, Aarhus Public Libraries

Helene Bruhn Schvarzman, Aarhus Public Libraries

Lisbeth Mærkedahl, Aarhus Public Libraries

Sidsel Bech-Petersen, Aarhus Public Libraries

With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Chicago and Aarhus Public Libraries have worked together, and with design company IDEO to write the Design Thinking for Libraries Toolkit. Now with another round of Gates Foundation funding, we have the opportunity to share what we have learned so you will be inspired to try these methods in your library, and find support when you are already using them.