A Better Library Checkout

A Better Library Checkout — page 1 — Design Thinking and Identifying a Problem Have you ever stood in a long line and wondered if there was a way to make it move faster Or maybe you’ve thought about how your favorite app would be more enjoyable with one small change Perhaps you wish you could make something you use all the time like your water bottle or lunch box a little bit better When you find something that could use improvement this is called a design problem You may wonder why people have not invented solutions to these problems Instead of wondering why not design a solution yourself You might just create something that can help make the lives of friends and family a little bit easier If you don’t know where to start don’t worry You can use a process called design thinking to help you Design thinking helps you solve a problem by following steps to understand the problem and come up with ideas for a solution Design thinking was started by a company called IDEO in California People have used design thinking to solve all kinds of problems like how to open a car door when your hands are full or how to 4 CHAPTER ONE

A Better Library Checkout — page 2 — Design thinking helps you look at ordinary objects like toothbrushes and think of ways to make them better 5

A Better Library Checkout — page 3 — A selfie stick is a good example of an innovation that solved an everyday problem make brushing your teeth more comfortable All kinds of people and companies use design thinking to create solutions to everyday problems This book is designed to help you explore the design thinking process by coming up with ideas for improving the way your library checks out books In each chapter we’ll explore a step in the process so that you can find a way to make your library better 6

A Better Library Checkout — page 4 — Try This Visit your local library This could be your school’s library or a public library Bring a notebook with you Then find a book to check out You may have to go up to the librarian to check out the book Or the library might offer self checkout with a bar code scanner set up for people to use Make notes about any problems you encounter Is there anything frustrating or difficult to understand What is good or bad about your experience Take note of these things and any possible design problems You’ll use that list to guide your work in Chapter 2 7

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