Featured Photo By: Nate Kitch on ScientificAmerican
Kate
“Hey! I really liked reading your reflection on the design process. I thought it was really creative how you described it as a loop instead of a straight line. It makes a lot of sense how you connected the Double Diamond model with Backward Design since both focus on exploring ideas first and then narrowing them down with a clear purpose in mind. I liked how you mentioned that design isn’t just about getting to a perfect endpoint but about learning and improving through feedback.
Your Challenge A reflection was really meaningful, especially how you used your comic to help children with developmental disabilities understand and express emotions. Simplifying your panels and focusing on empathy over detail showed a strong understanding of clarity and connection with your audience.
For Challenge B, I liked how you applied what you learned from Challenge A and used it to design mindfulness videos. It’s great how you’re combining creativity with practical skills like editing and file management. You could maybe expand a bit on how feedback shaped your revisions, but overall, your reflection showed a strong sense of growth and purpose. I can tell you’re really developing your design voice and confidence!”
Bashar
“Hey! I really enjoyed reading your reflection on the design process because it was clear and structured, and even provided a picture that breaks down the stages from defining the problem to implementing the final product. I thought it was cool how you described moving from a sequential process to an interactive one by revisiting your prototype after peer feedback, showing a strong understanding of how design is about refining ideas rather than completing them in a single go.
Your reflection on teamwork was also thoughtful because you recognized that each member in your learning pod had both strengths and weaknesses, suggesting a better way to divide work for future projects (Challenge C). In the early stages, our team used divergent thinking by exploring different aspects like visuals and text for the prototype, and now you are aiming for a more convergent approach that brings those ideas together into a cohesive final product.
If you wanted to expand your post, you could connect your design choices to backward design by considering your target audience and how you planned each step to reach that goal. I think you also improved a lot from your last post by adding more multimedia, pictures, and content. I am also really happy to be in your learning pod because you, me, and Raj collaborated well and met all deadlines.”
Brian
“Hey! I like that you’re focusing more on iteration and teamwork this time. It’s great that you’re using feedback throughout the process instead of just at the end. You could even connect this idea to backward design which thinks about your goal from the start and checks if each version supports it. I also thought it was really honest and reflective how you mentioned working in a silo during Challenge A. Noticing that limited feedback led to higher cognitive load shows a good awareness of how important collaboration and user perspective are.
Overall, your post shows a lot of growth and understanding of how design is a continuous learning process.”
Kushank
“Hey! I thought your Challenge A reflection was great because you chose a character-driven story to explain dispersion instead of just using diagrams was a smart move. It made your idea more engaging and easier to understand. I also liked how you used peer feedback to make your comic more dynamic, like splitting the color reveal into multiple panels. For Challenge B, it’s awesome how you’re applying the same process with your group. Testing scripts and aligning visuals with narration sounds like a solid plan, and it’s great that you’re building on what you learned from Challenge A. The way you connected everything to the Double Diamond model tied your reflection together really well. Overall, your post showed creativity, growth, and a strong grasp of how good design takes time and iteration!”