Design Thinking Session to make this workshop more relevant and useful¶

In this module, we'll be using a Figma template to facilitate a design thinking session focused on identifying customer needs and pain points, and explore how AI-driven solutions can address them effectively. This will also ensure that the workshop is more relevant as we get more hands-on in the coming hours and days.

Overview¶

1. Introduction to Design Thinking & HEART Framework
2. Understanding Semantic Kernel
3. Setting up the Figma Template
4. Design Thinking Activities
5. Empathize
6. Define
7. Ideate
8. Prototype
9. Test
10. Integrating AI and Semantic Kernel Skills
11. Conclusion and Next Steps

Introduction to Design Thinking & HEART Framework¶

Design Thinking is a human-centered, iterative approach to problem-solving that focuses on deeply understanding users' needs and developing innovative solutions to address them. It consists of five stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

The HEART framework is a methodology to improve the user experience (UX) of software. The framework helps a company evaluate any aspect of its user experience according to five user-centered metrics. These metrics, which form the acronym HEART, are:

1. Happiness
2. Engagement
3. Adoption
4. Retention
5. Task success

Understanding Semantic Kernel¶

Semantic Kernel is a framework that helps developers build AI-driven applications by orchestrating and chaining AI skills. It allows for the seamless integration of AI components into the user experience and backend workflows.

Setting up the Figma Template¶

1. Sign up for a free Figma account if you don't already have one.
2. Duplicate the provided Design Thinking template to your Figma workspace.
3. Invite your team members to collaborate on the template in real-time.

Design Thinking Activities¶

Empathize¶

• Conduct user interviews, surveys, or observations to understand users' needs, motivations, and pain points.
• Create empathy maps and personas to represent different user segments.

Define¶

• Analyze and synthesize your findings to define the problem statement.
• Prioritize user needs and pain points to focus on the most critical issues.

Ideate¶

• Generate a wide range of ideas to address the defined problem.
• Use brainstorming, mind mapping, or other ideation techniques to encourage creative thinking.

Prototype¶

• Create low-fidelity prototypes of your proposed solutions.
• Use wireframes, mockups, or simple interactive models to visualize the user experience.

Test¶

• Validate your prototypes with real users through usability testing, interviews, or other feedback mechanisms.
• Iterate on your designs based on user feedback and insights.

Integrating AI and Semantic Kernel Skills¶

• Identify areas in your design where AI can add value, such as personalization, automation, or enhanced user experiences.
• Explore how Semantic Kernel skills can be integrated into your solution to enable AI-driven features and capabilities.

Conclusion and Next Steps¶

• Reflect on the insights gained through the design thinking process and how they can inform your application's development.
• Plan the next steps for implementing your AI-infused solution using Semantic Kernel and other AI technologies.

By completing this module, you will have a deeper understanding of your users' needs and pain points and a solid foundation for incorporating AI-driven solutions into your application using Semantic Kernel.