Designing Classrooms and School Spaces with Design Thinking Practices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JdJoz8j-Vo

Are you looking to take your learning space design to the next level?

When we set out to design new environments for our students, we started by defining our vision and understanding what the learning experience should look like. But having a vision is only the first step. To bridge the gap between our ideas and a functional reality, our STEM team leaned heavily into the principles of design thinking—specifically, the practice of prototyping.

Through this practical, hands-on process, we went from early conceptual models to ultimately launching five new makerspaces that truly support dynamic, hands-on learning.

Why Prototype Your Learning Space?

Prototyping is an essential step that brings ideas into the physical world. Even with a clear vision, it’s crucial to see how those ideas will work in practice. A prototype allows you to visualize how teachers and students will interact within the space, making it much easier to identify potential challenges before finalizing the design or spending any money. Without this step, it is incredibly easy to overlook how everyday movement and interactions might be hindered by a poor layout.

Bringing Ideas to Life with Low-Fidelity Models

Our team knew we needed a tangible way to explore the space. That’s when my colleague, Shaun Kirkwood, stepped in with a creative approach. Shaun built a low-fidelity prototype—a scale model made entirely out of cardboard—to test our initial ideas.

He even laser-cut small student figures and tables to represent how people and objects would move. Having this simple, flexible model physically in front of us sparked conversations that simply wouldn’t have happened if we had only relied on digital sketches.

Collaborative Prototyping

Once the model was ready, our STEM team gathered around it to simulate different activities and learning scenarios. We moved pieces around, testing multiple setups. This collaborative process gave everyone a chance to visualize the flow of the room and provide valuable input.

Refining the Design

With the insights gathered from our hands-on session, we moved forward to create a detailed plan. Our team lead, Kelli Buxton, translated our collaborative ideas into a digital layout using Google Drawings.

This visual representation made it incredibly easy to communicate our final ideas with architects and other stakeholders, ensuring everyone was aligned before construction began.

Prototyping is where creativity meets practicality. By making your ideas tangible and testing them collaboratively, you can ensure your new learning spaces truly support the educators and students who use them.