Empathize
Students will investigate the needs of a horse trainer and a wildlife manager to understand how living conditions, training, and ecology influence horse speed. Through direct interviews and structured empathy mapping, students will gather firsthand evidence that will later ground their problem statements and solution designs.
Days 1 - 3
🐎 Meet the Horse Trainer & Wildlife Manager
Launch 45m
🧠 Empathy Map: Speed & Survival
Deliverable 45m
🔍 Assumption Check & Peer Feedback
Deliverable 45m
Define
Students will synthesize interview notes, empathy maps, and speed data to identify patterns in user needs, define a focused design problem, and craft a clear How Might We statement grounded in evidence from a horse trainer and wildlife manager perspectives.
Days 4 - 6
🧩 Interview Insights Affinity Map
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
📝 Point-of-View to How Might We
Deliverable 45m
🔍 HMW Peer Critique Protocol
Assessment 45m
Ideate
Students will generate a wide range of solution ideas for their Interactive Speed Solution Exhibit and documentary features, using structured brainstorming and design thinking strategies. They will move from divergent thinking to evidence-based convergence, selecting top concepts grounded in real user needs from the horse trainer and wildlife manager perspectives. By the end of the phase, each team will produce annotated concept sketches/storyboards that show how a real user would interact with their proposed solution.
Days 7 - 10
🐎 Rapid-Fire Exhibit Brainstorm
Deliverable 45m
🧠 Crazy-8s Speed Solutions
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
📊 User-Need Decision Matrix
Deliverable 45m
🎬 User Interaction Storyboards
Deliverable 45m
Prototype
Students will build and refine interactive exhibit prototypes and documentary components that address the needs of horse trainers and wildlife managers. They will move from low-fidelity models to higher-fidelity versions, test with authentic users when possible, document feedback, and revise based on evidence to prepare for final testing and presentation.
Days 11 - 15
🧠 Prototype Testing & Iteration Mini-Lesson
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
✏️ Low-Fidelity Speed Exhibit Build
Deliverable 45m
🔎 Peer User Testing Round
Research 45m
🔁 Prototype Revision & Iteration Log
Deliverable 45m
🎬 High-Fidelity Exhibit & Documentary Integration Check
Assessment 45m
Test/Present
Students will conduct a final validation of their interactive speed exhibits and documentaries with new users, refine their solutions based on documented feedback, and present their full design story at the Gallop Gala to community stakeholders including a horse trainer.
Days 16 - 20
🐎 New User Speed Exhibit Test
Community Experience 45m
🔁 Feedback-Driven Revision Sprint
Project Work 45m
🎤 Design Story Rehearsal & Peer Critique
Deliverable 45m
🖼️ Gallop Gala Exhibit Setup
Project Work 45m
🎬 Gallop Gala Documentary Premiere
Assessment 45m