How can you use design thinking principles and practices to make scientific knowledge more experiential and actionable? That was the goal of two half-day “pop-out” courses developed by Worldview Studio and colleagues at Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design  (d.school). 

“Designing with the Brain in Mind,” integrates neuroscience and design through informative presentations and interactive exercises, culminating in a rapid prototyping design challenge that prompts teams to use brain science insights. “Designing the President” (now publicly available as “Vote by Design”) aims to foster more productive political conversations and agency. Individually and in groups, people prioritize the nonpartisan values and qualities desirable in a U.S. president (as identified by leading historians); test their choices by viewing real candidate debates; role-play “presidents” faced with challenging scenarios; give press briefings; and then reflect on how their personal perceptions of the presidency have changed.