It's all about the tools and the process!

"Design thinking" linked to a bike pavilion project starts by formulating and answering some key questions:

• How can you affect transportation in your community?
• Would it make sense to develop a bike pavilion for your community?
• Is there a location outside of your local region that would benefit from the development of a bike pavilion?
• Who would use the pavilion that you design?
• What needs and desires of your potential bike pavilion clients would need to be addressed?
• How would factors such as location, weather, traffic patterns and geography impact the design?
• Has a budget been established for the project?
• What is your schedule for completion?
• What inspires most you about this project?

Process:

For the Bicycle Pavilion project, students may choose to closely align their work with the parameters that Will Fowler presents in the videos. They can also use the process as a framework to design a public building for all sorts of clients and locations; maybe it's the newest World Wide Wrestling Federation's hall of fame or a combination taco shop and skateboarder's clubhouse for sales, rentals, lessons, and death-defying tricks using the facility's superior collection of ramps, rails, and half-pipes. The bottom line is this: If students can expand and enhance their ability to combine the innovation capabilities of the software and the power of the design thinking process, then the goals of this curriculum have been achieved.

Design considerations used in the example project are as follows:

• Purpose: Create an inviting space where bicyclists can go to recharge, repair, and meet.
• Location: Embarcadero, San Francisco, California
• Target audience: Bike commuters, tourists, bike enthusiasts.
• Size limitations: Up to 4,000 square feet
• Materials to be used: Can vary; must meet structural, budget, and aesthetic requirements.
• Scheduling requirements: 15 hours plus to complete all seven design phases.
• Budget constraints: $3.5 million
• Building code and zoning restrictions: All relevant San Francisco codes including seismic requirements.