The aim of this paper is to present a reflection from a design perspective, regarding the importance of collaborative work among higher education students, in different cultures and context realities, using as a starting point a design thinking workshop. The goals of the workshop were, by introducing the principles of design thinking to a focus group of university students, in Finland, implement and develop the ability to experiment the design thinking process, and to realize how the interaction of different perspectives can lead to innovative solutions, as to the promotion of interdisciplinary work. Design thinking is a flexible methodology, which can be used in any work field, since it has valuable elements, such as iterating frequently based on continuous feedback from all the intervenient. Through rapid low-resolution prototyping, ideas are continuously tested with the potential users. "Fail early in order to succeed sooner" is the design thinking principle that helps to maximize learning and insights, crucial for human centred innovation. Collaborative work in a small groups scenario map leads to the discussion of solutions, and to the innovation that emerges from the different perspectives given by each person. Our main goal was to find business opportunities that emerge from underestimated issues from everyday life, but also to understand that exploring, understanding, and prioritizing areas can be crucial to ideating solutions.
The aim of this chapter is to evaluate the role of the designer as a socially responsible agent and the impact that artefacts created by designers have. The goal is to understand if the designer can help preserve local memories, as well as assess whether co-working influences how they emerge in the project. The awareness of the designer as a social agent, who works in collaboration with various agents towards the creation of value-added artefacts, is essential nowadays. As a case study, we bring the project developed by the Designlab4u laboratory in the village of Alhos Vedros, were the cultural and artistic itinerary of the village was designated as a place of memory. Ultimately, the intention is to evaluate whether or not the work developed for the exhibition was a driver of local memories.
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