VS Crest
Victoria School · Nil Sine Labore

VS Design Thinking Hub

Your end-to-end guide to social innovation — from empathy to impact.

❤️
Empathise
Mode 1
🎯
Define
Mode 2
💡
Ideate
Mode 3
🛠️
Prototype
Mode 4
🧪
Test
Mode 5
📋 SI/VIA Proposal Form

Submit your project for teacher approval before you begin.

📓 Offline DT Journal

Prefer collaborating on Google Slides? Get the offline VS DT Planner.

Get Slides Journal
📦

Download My DT Portfolio

Compiles everything you've typed across all modes into one PDF for submission. Only modes you've filled in will be included.

Includes only completed modes
🧠 Design Coach
Stuck? Tap a situation for a nudge.
Foundation

🧠 DT Mindsets

Before you use the tools, adopt the mindset. These five shifts make all the difference.

👥

Human-Centred

Design for real people, not assumptions. Empathy before everything.

🧪

Bias to Action

A rough prototype today beats a perfect plan on paper. Make it tangible.

🌱

Embrace Ambiguity

Unclear problems are opportunities. Sit with not-knowing — for now.

🔁

Learn from Failure

Fail fast, learn faster. Every setback is data for your next iteration.

🤝

Radical Collaboration

Diverse perspectives make better solutions. Seek out people unlike you.

🚧

What's Blocking You?

Identify your block, then flip it into a mindset shift.

Common Blocks → Mindset Flip

Block"I don't know enough about the user." → Go back to Empathise. One more conversation changes everything.
Block"My idea isn't good enough." → You need more ideas, not better ones. Ideate more wildly first.
Block"The problem is too big." → Narrow your focus. Who is the one person you're designing for today?
Block"My prototype looks terrible." → Perfect. Low fidelity = low attachment = more honest feedback.
Block"We disagree as a group." → Disagreement is a feature. Try both approaches and test.
✍️

My Mindset Reflection

Mode 1 of 5

❤️ Empathise

To understand the user's perspective, their context, emotions, and unarticulated needs.

Your progress
🚀

Project Launchpad

Step 1 — Choose your empathy tool

Use one or both depending on your situation. Most of the time, interviewing gives richer insights. Use observation when you cannot get direct access to your user.

🎤

Option A — The Interview

Best for most cases
Format: One-on-one, in-person to see body language · Tip: Ask open-ended questions like "Tell me about a time when…" and follow with "Why did you feel that way?"
🎨

Subject Spotlight: AEP Examples

See how Art students apply interview techniques to uncover deep personal stories.

Step 2
🗺️

Synthesis Empathy Map

Step 3
Based on your interview and observations — what do you now understand about your user?
Says
Thinks
Does
Feels
Final Step
💡

Key Insight

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Mode 2 of 5

🎯 Define

To synthesise your findings and craft a meaningful problem statement that guides your design.

Your progress
📌

POV Statement

Step 1
A Point of View (POV) anchors your design around a real person with real needs. Fill in the blanks.
Step 2
❓

How Might We Question

Step 2
HMW reframes your problem as an opportunity. It should be broad enough to allow creative solutions, but narrow enough to be actionable.
Your HMW Question
How might we…
Step 3
🔍

Root Cause Analysis

Step 3
Ask "Why?" five times to get past the surface of the problem.
Final Step
💡

Define Insight

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Mode 3 of 5

💡 Ideate

To generate a wide range of creative solutions — quantity before quality. Defer judgement.

Your progress
🌩️

Step 1 — Brainstorm & Vote

Step 1
Add ideas, then vote. Type an idea and press Enter (or click + Add Idea) to drop it on the board. Aim for quantity — wild ideas welcome.
Then pass the screen around: tap any sticky to add a vote 🔵. Each person gets 3 dots — use them wisely. Most-voted ideas rise to the top.
Dots left for this voter:
🔵🔵🔵
Your ideas will appear here as sticky notes

💡 Tap a sticky to vote • drag a sticky into the matrix below • ✕ removes it

Step 2 — Effort-Impact Matrix
📊

Step 2 — Effort-Impact Matrix

Step 2
Drag your top ideas (especially highly-voted ones) from the board above into the matrix. Ideas in the Low Effort / High Impact quadrant are your best starting point to prototype.
← Low EffortHigh Effort →
High Impact ↑
⭐ Quick Wins
Low effort · High impact
🎯 Big Bets
High effort · High impact
Low Impact ↓
🗑 Fill-ins
Low effort · Low impact
⚠️ Time Sinks
High effort · Low impact

💡 Drag ideas from the voting board above into the quadrants. Ideas can also be dragged between quadrants.

Alternative Tool
🔀

Alternative: SCAMPER

Already have an existing product or solution you want to innovate on? Use SCAMPER to push it further instead of brainstorming from scratch.

Final Step
⭐

Our Best Idea

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Mode 4 of 5

🛠️ Prototype

To build a tangible representation of your idea — cheap enough to change, real enough to test.

Your progress
📐

A — Prototype Description

Section A
✓

Low Fidelity

Quick idea testing
Fast, rough, inexpensive. Tests whether the core concept works before investing more effort.
D&TSketches, paper/origami prototypes, kraft paper models, role play
MusicHummed melody, rough voice memo, hand-clapped rhythm
ArtCompositional sketch, quick colour study, thumbnail drawings
FCETest recipe with basic ingredients, rough meal plan
VIARough programme outline, storyboard of session flow
✓

Mid Fidelity

Refining interactions
More refined. Tests how the solution actually works with users before finalising.
D&TCardboard model, high-density blue foam, corrugated board, mock environment
MusicRecorded draft on instrument, structured peer performance
ArtRefined study, maquette, material exploration
FCEFull test recipe with adjustments, plating trial, tasting session
VIAPilot mini-session with small group, trial workshop activity
✓

High Fidelity

Usability validation
Closest to the final outcome. For final validation before submission or launch.
D&TWood & acrylic model, digital prototype, functional working model
MusicPolished recorded performance, full arrangement, public performance
ArtFinal artwork, resolved piece ready for display or submission
FCEFinal dish with full documentation, presented to audience
VIAFull pilot programme run with target beneficiaries
Section B
🤔

B — Why This Fidelity Level?

Section B
Section C
⚡

C — Quick Testing Summary

Section C
Select the testing methods you used. Only the ones you tick will expand. You don't need to use all four — choose what fits your prototype and subject context.
✓

⚡ 1-Minute Reaction

Show the prototype for 60 seconds without explanation. What was the immediate reaction?

✓

🗣️ Try-It-and-Talk

Ask the user to interact with the prototype while thinking aloud.

✓

🎭 Role-Play

Act out the scenario with the user in context. Especially useful for VIA, FCE, and experience-based prototypes.

✓

🔄 One-Change Feedback

Ask: if you could change ONE thing, what would it be?

Section D
🔧

D — Improvements Made

Section D
Section E
🚀

E — Next Steps

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Mode 5 of 5

🧪 Test

To gather real feedback from real users and use it to improve — or completely rethink — your solution.

Your progress
📋

Step 1 — Test Plan

Step 1
Golden rule: Don't explain your prototype. Let users interact with it and observe — then ask questions after.
Step 2 — Choose your testing method

Select the method that best fits your situation. You can use more than one.

How to choose: Use T1 after a demo or presentation to capture all types of feedback at once. Use T2 for quick peer reviews or when testers are shy. Use T3 when you can sit with your user and watch them use your prototype in real time.
➕

T1 — Feedback Capture Grid

Structured feedback
Observe and listen. Don't defend your idea — just capture what happens. Fill in what testers say and do across all four quadrants.
✅ What worked?
List things the user liked or found intuitive…
△ Delta (Changes)
What didn't work? What would they change?
❓ Questions Raised
What parts were confusing? What did they ask?
💡 New Ideas
What new sparks or suggestions came up?
Final Step
🔁

Next Iteration

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Across the Curriculum

🎨 Subject Spotlight

At Victoria School, DT tools are integrated across A&D subjects to create a coherent learning experience.

🧰

VS DT Tools & Strategies

These are the 14 tools you will encounter across your A&D subjects. Tap any tool to learn what it is.

❤️ EMPATHISE
🎯 DEFINE
💡 IDEATE
🛠️ PROTOTYPE
🧪 TEST
🗺️

VS DT Tools & Strategies Map

Use this to track which DT tools you have learnt across your A&D subjects. Tap a ✓ cell to mark it as done.

❤️ EMPATHISE 🎯 DEFINE 💡 IDEATE 🛠️ PROTOTYPE 🧪 TEST
E1 E2 D1 D2 I1 I2 I3 I4 P1 P2 P3 T1 T2 T3

✓ = taught in this subject  ·  🟢 = you've marked as learnt

⚙️

D&T

Design & Technology uses observation, brainstorming, SCAMPER, and all three prototype fidelity levels — the most complete DT journey of any A&D subject.

Tools: E2, I1, I2, P1, P2, P3, T1, T2

ObservationPrototypingIteration
🍳

FCE

Food & Consumer Education starts with empathy interviews, defines using POV and HMW, ideates with dot-voting, and tests solutions with real users.

Tools: E1, D1, D2, I1, I3, P1, T1

InterviewHMWTesting
🎵

Music

Music students use observation to understand audience needs, brainstorm ideas, evaluate with dot-voting, and prototype across fidelity levels with peer feedback.

Tools: E2, I1, I3, P1, P2, P3, T2

ObservationBrainstormingFeedback
🖼️

Art (AEP)

Art students use observation and structured interviews to uncover personal narratives, define using POV and HMW, then brainstorm before prototyping.

Tools: E2, D1, D2, I1, P1, P2, P3

ObservationPOVNarrative
Before You Begin the 5 Modes

📋 SI/VIA Proposal

Complete this first and get teacher approval before starting your DT journey. This is about your intent and considerations — not your execution.

How This Works
1
Complete all 5 sections
Answer the guided questions thoughtfully. Take your time — there is no word limit, but minimums apply.
2
Strengthen it with AI feedback
Use the VIA Proposal Navigator to get personalised feedback before submitting to your teacher.
3
Download and submit to your Teacher Mentor
Only begin the 5 DT modes after your Teacher Mentor has approved your proposal.
Note: This form is for your own planning and self-assessment. Your final submission must be done via the official form to your Teacher Mentor.
👥

Project Basics

1. Empathise
Understanding Community Needs
Answer these:
  • Who do you seek to serve? (Be specific: age, location, circumstances)
  • What are their primary concerns and needs?
  • How did you learn about these needs? (interviews, observation, research)
0 / 100 characters minimum
2. Define
Articulating the Problem
Answer these:
  • What is the ONE key problem your project aims to address?
  • Why is this problem important to your beneficiaries?
  • What happens if this problem remains unsolved?
0 / 80 characters minimum
3. Ideate
Generating Solutions
Answer these:
  • List 3–5 possible solutions you brainstormed
  • For each: what it involves and why it could work
  • Which solution did you choose and why?
0 / 100 characters minimum
4. Prototype
Implementation Planning
Answer these:
  • Timeline: When, how many sessions, over how long?
  • Activities: What will happen during each session?
  • Resources: Materials, support needed, budget
  • Team roles: Who does what?
0 / 150 characters minimum
5. Test
Values, Impact & Feedback
Answer these:
  • Which MOE CCE core values does your project reflect? (Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Integrity, Care, Harmony)
  • How will you gather feedback? (surveys, interviews, observation)
  • How will you measure success? (specific, measurable indicators)
0 / 100 characters minimum
🤖 Want AI feedback on your proposal?
Use the VIA Proposal Navigator to get personalised, supportive feedback — strengths, areas to develop, and next steps — before submitting to your teacher.
Get AI Feedback →
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