Abstract
In this special issue, we explore design thinking as a broad conceptual process as well as a tool that might align with the work of technical and professional communication (TPC) programs. But what is design thinking? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the process? Can design thinking be used to help students address rhetorical challenges and complex problems? How is design thinking showing up in the field, and does it belong in TPC programs? Four scholars explore these questions in their niche areas: process, usability and user design, technical communication, and industry and programmatic perspectives.
As design thinking becomes more common in areas outside of traditional design and engineering contexts, students in technical and professional communication (TPC) programs will be more likely to encounter the process in their future careers. Popular design-thinking advocates argue that design thinking is the best process for innovating and solving complicated problems in the world, but they have little empirical evidence to back up their argument. Does design thinking have a place in TPC programs? Or is it simply new language for practices already common in TPC research and pedagogy?
To explore these questions, we invited four TPC teacher–scholars to share their thoughts: Jim Purdy, Tharon Howard, Julie Dyke Ford, and Lisa Melonçon discuss design thinking through their own particular lenses and invite our readers into the conversation about design thinking’s role in TPC courses and research.