Blog
TNA – why is this acronym so important in design thinking and eLearning?
If you're wondering what TNA stands for, here's the crux: Target Audience Analysis. It sounds quite robotic, but is one of the most important elements of a nicely and effectively designed eLearning course, a successful design thinking project, hell, even a...
How the brain learns – a quick and dirty recap
Ever since uni, I have been connected with education. I have a degree in teaching, a few extra methodology courses under my belt, I use design thinking and do workshops, I taught at school for a while, I work in online learning... and, of course, I learn...
eLearning – where to start?
Some knew what eLearning is way before the Covid-19 pandemic, but indeed it started to get recognition when life, including education/schooling/classes, moved to the Internet. As the world fought the ubiquitous virus by isolating at home, teachers...
Who are Instructional Designers?
The field of eLearning is becoming widely recognized, there are still questions about what people within eLearning do. My position has always been a mystery - and it's perfectly fine when people ask me what I do! I don't expect anyone to know this, as I...
The Journal of Applied Instructional Design
"The Journal of Applied Instructional Design" is a scholarly publication that "bridges the gap between theory and practice by providing reflective practitioners a means for publishing articles related to the field. The journal establishes and maintains a...
Exploring educational solutions (conference)
Hej, cześć! DT w Szkole (DT in School) to firma zajmująca się propagowaniem stosowania design thinking w "tradycyjnych" szkołach. Projekt prowadzony jest w języku polskim. Jeśli chcesz przeczytać posty po polsku to kliknij tutaj, znajdziesz tam pełny opis konferencji....
[PL] Konferencja “Projektowanie rozwiązań dla edukacji”
Hello, hi! Konferencja Projektowanie rozwiązań dla edukacji is an online educational event about design thinking and "new" practices in education. The project is led in Polish, therefore the following text is in Polish. Please click here if you would like to get a...
Podcasts about design thinking (List 3)
Pretty straightforward. Below is a list of episodes that talk about design thinking. The bad, the good, all. Welcome to list number three! The Business of Government Radio Hour - Design Thinking for the Military with Hal McNair, Ben Zweibelson,...
Tool: Ice breakers for remote meetings, part 1 (six games)
I work in eLearning, promising people you actually can learn stuff online (which more and more people take advantage of, yay!), so remote exercises are not news to me. However, what I noticed around when the times have changed, is the slightly incorrect...
Unpopular Opinion – We need to stop innovating!
Innovation and creativity have been the staple of my hustle existence for a long time now, with design thinking, content creation, and creativity workshops. However, the more I venture into the world of new technologies, inventions, and creative solutions...
Inspiration: Lewis Howes and The School of Greatness
I get a lot of inspiration from other people's stories - listening to how they lived, what they achieved and how much it cost the, how they were able to cope with both challenges, as well as hurdles in their lives. It gives me a boost and a certain...
Tool: Personas (empathy)
One of the best ways to better solve someone else's problems is to understand them clearly, understand their lives. And there is no better way to do so that try to be them, be in their shoes and see the world from their perspective. Obviously, we can never...
The power of BAD IDEAS
Hever you ever ransacked your apartment, pulling your hair out, firefighters and search rescue one call away, trying to find this once-uneventful scrap of paper that, as your current self realized, contained notes for the greatest idea ever invented™️? You...
The power of USELESS SUFF
Most of us, for some strange reasons, were bombarded by phrases such as, "That will never work!" or "That's so stupid!" throughout our lives (unfortunately, that often starts in our childhood). And then we carry them with us and let them linger on our...
The power of BOREDOM
"Only boring people get bored," have you heard that before? Well, don't worry, it's a load of crap, actually. Unless you just complain about how boring your life is, and then roll over in your bed, wallowing in self-pity - that saying is not true. First of...
Parallel thinking
Have you noticed that a standard conversation/discussion/debate usually focuses on supporting or disproving points that are being discussed? There are two tracks: you either support it, or you're against it. This is called adversarial thinking. But...
Tool: Six Thinking Hats (ideation and feedback)
Six Thinking Hats method was given to us by the (as I call him, at least) father of lateral/creative thinking, a Maltese physician, psychologist, philosopher, inventor, and consultant Edward de Bono. If you read my blog or follow my love for design...
A Tale of the Two Mindsets
"Ugh, another buzzword!" you might be thinking. Well, not quite (also, read here why I don't believe in buzzwords). A way of life, more like it! Let's quickly establish what growth mindset is, what it isn't, and how can it help you become better at...
Tool: Eisenhower Matrix (prioritization)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a General in the US Army, then Allied Forces Supreme Commander during World War II, and later the 34th President of the United States (1953–61, serving two consecutive terms), is the namesake of the priority matrix that...
The power of design thinking, part 3 of 3: Proven cases and more!
I've written a few words about why I think design thinking is different, untrivial, and interesting, just click here! If my word is not yet authoritative for you, despite my long-winded expertise, maybe the podcast below, from world-renown experts with...
The power of design thinking, part 2 of 3: Critical claims rebuffed!
I've presented to you before the critical view of design thinking, a few articles and videos that generally say it's trash. The time has come to address some of the accusations and misconceptions that float out there in the sea of the world wide web... And...
The power of design thinking, part 1 of 3: What do critics say?
Like with literally everything else, design thinking has supporters as well as adversaries. It's easy with supporters - the logical ones see the benefits but try to tackle all the hurdlings as well. And I strongly believe that those who oppose have their...
6 Adult Learning Principles by M. Knowles
Andragogy, meaning methods and principles used in adult education, has been around for over 100 years. Firstly coined by a German educator Alexander Kapp in 1833, it was extensively studied and popularized by an American educator Malcolm Knowles in the...
How to set up an eLearning team (in a nutshell)
Note: This post is a supporting reading piece/summary of my session titled "Great eLearning team - a force to be reckoned with" that was part of an asynchronous conference organized by Professional Development 4 Instructional Designers. The event was...
Tool: Rose, Thorn, Bud (retrospective)
A simple activity to reflect on performed actions or meetings, that taps into own's doings/thoughts. This activity is based on one simple idea, that: -> Roses are what we did right, something we are happy about, positive things. -> Thorns are the negative...
Plan better meetings with design thinking
"Oh, I wish I was at a 2-hour, pointless meeting right now," said no one ever. Most of us working in collaboration situations are aware that not all meetings are needed, that they are too long, too confusing, don't reach any consensus, and sometimes create...
Podcasts about design thinking (List 2)
Pretty straightforward. Below is a list of episodes that talk about design thinking. The bad, the good, all. Welcome to list number two! The Crazy One - three episodes on design thinking Performance Matters Podcast - Episode #3 |...
UX After Hours podcast 2020
Hej, cześć! UX po Godzinach (UX After Hours) to wywiady z ekspertami z branży, rozpowszechniające wiedzę o UX i pokazujące smaczki z życia codziennego, które poprawiają doświadczenie użytkownika. Podkast nagrywany jest w języku polskim. Jeśli chcesz przeczytać posty...
Tool: Disney Brainstorming Method
When things fail - don't fret, don't throw your sketchbook away! Follow Walt Disney and switch your creativity! Instead, look at your idea/plan from three different perspectives: firstly generate new ideas from an innovative and creative perspective of a...
[Polish] UX po godzinach – ja w podkaście dla UX-owców
Hello, hi! UX po Godzinach is a podcast about all things UX. Two UX specialists, Szymon Trzepla and Krzysztof Miotk, talk with UX specialists, experts in the fields of UX research, user interaction, user-centered design, and UX creativity. The project is led in...
Tool: Brainstorming with SCAMPER
We all know and love good ol' brainstorming (or maybe we don't... read more about my on-again-off-again relationship with brainstorming, just click here), and - when done correctly - it can bring amazing results. But brainstorming is not the only technique to produce...
Three thinking modes – no, they don’t exclude each other
With the development of problem-solving techniques and methodologies, some simple and known concepts are getting their revamped life. So now, especially working in design thinking, when I approach something in an A->B->C way, I hear: "oh, but you need to...
Objectives Taxonomies, part 4 of 4: Six Facets of Understanding
Following a learning taxonomy, teaching can have a logical path, consisting of rational and beneficial exercises or knowledge chunks. There are other taxonomies as well (Bloom's Taxonomy, SOLO Taxonomy, and Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning; all...
Objectives Taxonomies, part 3 of 4: Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning
Learning taxonomies provide guidance and structure for creating meaningful and educational learning experiences. There are other taxonomies as well (Bloom's Taxonomy, SOLO Taxonomy, and Six Facets of Understanding; all links to posts on this blog), and all...
Objectives Taxonomies, part 2 of 4: SOLO Taxonomy
In the world of learning, a taxonomy is a framework that provides guidelines on how to plan, organize, and assess/evaluate learning experiences so they have the best educational effect. SOLO Taxonomy is not the only one, oh no! There are other taxonomies...
Objectives Taxonomies, part 1 of 4: Bloom’s Taxonomy (with revisions)
To prepare effective, logical, and natural learning experiences, teachers and Instructional Designers alike would seek help in learning taxonomies - frameworks that provide guidance for such. The below will be a dive into the three domains of learning...
Tool: Elephant in the Room (warm-up)
This exercise is a whole ton of fun! It can be a great break exercise, but it also serves a purpose, quite a few actually: + Helps to take the mind of the current issue. + Introduces a little bit of fun. + Taps into the kid-like approach. This exercise can...
Inspiration: Anna Akana (YouTube videos)
One of my favorite YouTubers is Anna Akana and her comedy/life commentary channel. It's not a vlog or a skit channel, but it deals with life and laughter via short videos or short films. Anna focuses on dealing with simple, everyday problems in a funny...
Horrible buzzwords
There are a few words that I absolutely hate. I hate them because they send the wrong message, because they divide people instead of bringing them together, because they create this irrational idea that "one is better than other" and make people...
Bookshelf: “A Book of Brilliant Ideas” by The Brothers McLeod
"A Book of Brilliant Ideas" by The Brothers McLeod is one of the "fill it up with your scribbles" books. It doesn't have a plot, characters, emotions, development... or maybe it does? The premise is simple: each page contains a "creative exercise or...
What happens when people start using design thinking?
Right, so I have babbled, preached, and shouted about design thinking, both on my blog and in my life (where I try to plug it everywhere because I literally love it). I mentioned why I think design thinking is different, untrivial, and interesting. In...
Tool: Five Whys (root causes analysis)
The story behind this technique is really simple. Anyone who has kids already knows this, and if you do you probably smirked at such a situation at the shops one time or another. For some reason the older we get, the more we forget! Young wee kids don't...
Quality or quantity, that is the question!
Of course, you probably guessed - it depends! Masterpiece - quality. Books - quantity (haha). Friends - definitely quality. But I would like to focus on the "quantity over quality" rule that is everpresent in design thinking, brainstorming, design...
Life lessons from a baking show
I feel like in the world of the kitchen there are three types of people: + The Burners - "I'll burn your house trying to boil some water!" + The In-Betweeners - "Eggs and beans on toast, and Cup-a-Soup, heck yeah!" + The Masterchefs - "Give me potatoes and...
Don’t code the (eLearning) content – soap! 2019 techcomm conf
Have you met me? If yes, the below won't be a surprise, hehe... If not, here we go, nice to meet you! WORKSHOP I love giving workshops and the tradition continued with me teaching people how to use Lightning Decision Jam (affectionately called LDJ) - a...
Tool: Lightning Decision Jam (problem-solving)
I'll risk saying there is no one who never suffered through a lengthy and disorganized brainstorming meeting that, all in all, ended up with no decision at all. Rings a bell? Yeah! And even with me using design thinking (what I mean here is I can use tips,...
Podcasts about design thinking (List 4)
Pretty straightforward. Below is a list of episodes that talk about design thinking. The bad, the good, all. Welcome to list number four! Sigma Nutrition Radio - SNR #248: Kyra Bobinet, MD – Behaviour Change Through Design Thinking ...
Podcasts about design thinking (List 1)
Pretty straightforward. Below is a list of episodes that talk about design thinking. The bad, the good, all. Welcome to list number one! FULL PODCASTS DEDICATED TO DT: + Design Thinking 101 by Fluid Hive + Creative Confidence by IDEO + Why...
Tool: I Like, I Wish, What If (retrospective activity)
A clever way to get feedback without lots of negative feelings. Instead of asking about positives and negatives, which usually puts pressure on people, halts their thinking, moves them forward negativity. This tool helps to bring feedback in the same...
Tool: Empathy Map (research, empathy)
Empathy maps are yet another tool to exercise empathy and understand someone on a deeper level. Paired with other tools - personas, for example - present a powerful compendium of the user/target group. Using empathy map can be a bit intimidating at first,...
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in a nutshell
I have a feeling that in today's world this theory has been forgotten in favor of quick turnaround, ROI, or other business-crappy needs. Which is even weirder because we have such great research available! Developed in 1943 by an American psychologist and...
Inspiration: Matt D’Avella and The Ground Up Show
"The Ground Up Show" is a podcast for those bold enough to take the small steps - as the author Matt D'Avella says himself. And I like it! I like it because this tagline doesn't put pressure on big names, important topics (important to whom, exactly?), and...
Startup Woche – teaching at startup week in Dusseldorf, Germany
Every year in Dusseldorf, Germany, the city swarms with yellow. Yellow flags, yellow banners, yellow balloons. The yellow indicates that you might see lots of innovative and tech people walking around, going from workshop to a presentation to an after...
MY EXPERIMENT REVEALED during Design Thinking Week 2018
This year's edition of Design Thinking Week in Kraków was short in time, but not in ideas and passion. There were workshops on how to become more empathetic, a project to create new version of a traditional Cracovian hat that would appeal as a souvenir,...
Supporting Uni of North Carolina with design thinking
Due to the ideas and perseverance of Dr. Lance Cummings, Asst. Prof. of English at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, technical writing, eLearning and new ways of teaching found their ways to the classes at UNCW. These topics are not part of the...
Teaching design thinking to college kids (in Northern Ireland)
I'm so happy to see that the idea of creativity, "alternative" approaches to life, and cultivating curious minds find their way to schools and kindergartens. I'm solely behind the idea of letting kids and teenagers act on their ideas, supporting them, and...
Asynchronous conference iDesign Learning 2018
I love all initiatives, especially the ones where I can dish about design thinking! iDesign Conference was an event held totally online, devoted to all things eLearning, and using one of the eLearning tools (Canvas Instructure). What a great idea already -...
TEDxKazimierz Adventure with Design Thinking
Talking about design thinking and how its mindsets can change the world is one of my favorite things to do. TEDxKazimierz was kind enough to ask me and Karolina Adamczak from graphic recording service Wizualna Karolina to host an open lightning workshop...
School systems in New Zealand and Poland
There are a few things that can expand your horizons like no episode of "Friends" will. Playing board games with your family and friends. Reading. Building stuff from Lego blocks. Falling on your butt when jumping over a bench. Traveling. Ever since I...
Girls-in-Tech Week in Derry, Northern Ireland
Derry/Londonderry is not a tech city, about 90% of any tech or startup-related events happen in Belfast and Dublin (Google much?). If you add the general approach of "tech if not for girls" to the mix (something that still exist!) - not a lot of...
Polish-American Innovation Bridge 2016 (PAMI), Krakow
There is nothing better than exchanging creative ideas, bouncing them off each other, getting some advice from those who know more about innovation and business. Polish-American Innovation Bridge (PAMI for short) was organized to foster precisely that!...
Design Thinking Week 2017 (3rd edition), Krakow
Design Thinking Week is a week-long (d'oh) festival focused on design thinking (double d'oh) that takes places in many cities across Poland. 2017 held the third edition and as previously, it was organized by my NGO, Innovation and Creativity Lab Foundation...
Design Thinking Week 2015 (2nd edition), Krakow
I was over the moon hearing about the 2nd edition of Design Thinking Week! Though smaller than last year, equally - if not more - inspiring and engaging! Krakow participated again, and Innovation and Creativity Lab Foundation (Fundacja Laboratorium...
Design thinking for biotechnology, a class at the Jagiellonian University, Krakow, 2015
I remember the times when design thinking was not an "official" methodology, and it wasn't a system to drive innovation; hell, it wasn't a school subject, let alone a uni degree! Back then I was fortunate enough to start that trend, haha, as I taught...
Redesigning services with the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs
Prior to my lecture, I haven't heard much about design thinking, service design, lean management, or any other process design methodology to be applied in Polish governmental organization. Imagine my surprise when I was contacted by a former listener of my...
Your City is Our City Urban Festival in Krakow, 2014
Design thinking is a versatile methodology that can help upgrade various areas of life for the better. Urban designers have already tapped into the creativity and human-focused traits to upgrade and redesign public spaces, bike routes, entire buildings, or...
Teaching Brainstorming at the Innovators’ Summit 2014
Ever since I accepted design thinking as my personal business savior, I feel the urge to share my knowledge and its teachings with others (well, I’m also a teacher at heart, so there you go), and I did precisely that at the Innovators' Summit, with a smile...
What makes design thinking different, untrivial, and so interesting?
Quite recently, I've had an interesting albeit short exchange about why design thinking is the shizz for me. As I'm a bit of a flowery speaker/writer, I knew I wouldn't have been able to cram my answer into 280 characters, so I wrote this instead,...
INNOVATION IS SHITE! (not clickbait) – soap! 2018 techcomm conf
And I can still smell the fresh paint... Just kidding, it's only been a year since my last soap! conf appearance! If you're interested in my 2017 soap! conf experience, just click here (pssst, it's gobsmackingly magnificent!)! Aaaanddd, now for the main...
eLearning Summer School 2018 Podcast
Hej, cześć! Letnia Szkola eLearningu (eLearning Summer School) to edukacyjny podkast o e-learningu, szkoleniach i rozwoju, prowadzony przez Piotra Peszko. Podkast nagrywany jest w języku polskim. Jeśli chcesz przeczytać posty po polsku to kliknij tutaj,...
[Polish] Narzędzia w eLearningu (Letnia Szkoła eLearningu 2018)
Hello, hi! Letnia Szkola eLearningu is an educational podcast about e-learning, training, and self-development run by Piotr Peszko. The project is led in Polish, therefore the following text (as well as linked episodes), is in Polish. Please click here if...
[Polish] Design thinking w eLearningu (Letnia Szkoła eLearningu 2018)
Hello, hi! Letnia Szkola eLearningu is an educational podcast about e-learning, training, and self-development run by Piotr Peszko. The project is led in Polish, therefore the following text (as well as linked episodes), is in Polish. Please click here if...
So you brainstormed… now what?
Well, there you are. You've just run a successful (or was it... buahahaha [insert evil laugh]) brainstorming session (and you can read about my semi-hatred towards brainstorming, just click here, lol) that saw no arguments, no bias, but tons of ideas! Now...
I hope I ACE-d it! ACE! conf, May 2018
Aced it? Get it? Coz, ACE... ace-d it? Moving on! When Paul Klipp, the brain behind ACE! conference, invited me, this shortstack geek passionate about design thinking, to speak at the event, I was over the moon. I love spreading info about creativity and...
Brainstorming SUCKS. Is there something better?
Well, OK, "SUCKS" in all caps might be a strong word. But there, I said it: I do not like brainstorming, almost "hate it with the fire of a thousand suns." This widely used technique, advertised and encouraged by the most prominent design...
Design Thinking Week 2014 (1st edition), Krakow
The year I started my adventure with design thinking was the first year that Design Thinking Week was organized, and not only in Krakow but many cities across Poland. Design Thinking Week is a week-long festival when people from various backgrounds share...
soap! conf 2017 – the only techcomm conference in Krakow
When I started my adventure with tech there wasn't a lot of events happening for people who were interested in technical communication, online solutions, or technology business. Hell, back then the word start-up existed only in Silicone Valley (even though...
MeetContent about Design Thinking
MeetContent, organized by the same people who stand behind soap! conf, was a fantastic opportunity to share my knowledge of design thinking to the audience that has never heard of this methodology. The recording is a little rough, and so was my stage...
Women Techmakers Belfast Summit 2018
I had the immense pleasure to be featured at a women-run conference with my talk about - yes, yes - design thinking! This one, however, was not predominantly about the methodology, but about how it can empower you to be better, both professionally and in...
Design thinking – this is where it starts!
Have you ever had that moment in your life when you think, "Hmm, maybe there's more...?" Yes, that one! I had a few of them, one of them being my first workshop devoted to the the-unknown design thinking methodology, given by The Creativity and Innovation...