Ph.D., Antioch University, 2017, Leadership and Change

This study developed a scale for assessing design thinking capabilities in individuals. Many organizations today are turning to design thinking to tackle the complex challenges they face. As organizations move toward adopting this way of working the need to develop design thinking capabilities in individuals becomes imperative. The capabilities needed for engaging in design thinking are skills that we all have to some varying degree, but we do not all use them to their full potential when solving problems. The scale developed in this study measures the degree to which an individual uses design thinking capabilities when engaged in problem solving. The research process involved a two-phase mixed methods design. In Phase 1, 536 individuals responded to an online survey. The data collected were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. A new scale was developed that identified the three core capabilities needed to engage in design thinking: Solution Optimism, Visual Expression, and Collaborative Discovery. In Phase 2, 10 respondents from Phase 1 were selected to participate in follow-up interviews. Findings from the second phase of the study indicated the scale was perceived to accurately measure the use of design thinking capabilities in individuals when engaged in problem solving. Participants commented that this profile was unlike any other assessments they have taken in the past because this profile focuses on skills not emphasized in other assessments. Therefore, the new scale could be used along with other assessments to get a complete view of an individual's skill set. The findings also indicate that this profile will be useful for executive coaches, change management practitioners, educators teaching design related courses, leaders engaged in team development, and for researchers exploring design thinking capabilities. This dissertation is accompanied by an Executive Summary [pdf] and the author's MP4 video introduction (for transcript see Ap (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mitchell Kusy (Committee Chair); Carol Baron (Committee Member); Shannon Finn Connell (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Behaviorial Sciences; Business Administration; Business Education; Design; Management; Organization Theory; Organizational Behavior; Social Research

PHD, Kent State University, 2022, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of design thinking instruction on the creativity of preservice teachers. Preservice teachers took part in a two-week unit on 3D printing as a part of their regular instruction in an educational technology course. The experimental group was introduced to design thinking instruction as a framework for the 3D printing content. The control group received typical 3D printing instructional activities. Both groups completed a culminating 3D printing lesson plan project. Two instruments were used to measure the impact of design thinking instruction on creativity. The first was the Teaching for Creativity Scales (TCS; Rubenstein et al., 2013), which measured the preservice teachers' creativity in teaching before and after the 3D printing unit. The Assessment Criteria of a Lesson for Creativity (ACLC; Tran et al., 2017) measured the creativity of the preservice teachers' lesson plans. Results revealed nonsignificant differences between groups on the TCS (creative press/person). However, the experimental group scored significantly higher on the ACLC (creative product/process). The inclusion of demographics in the analyses were not significant for TCS but showed positive significant differences for the experimental group with the control/ experimental condition and GPA on the ACLC. This study contributes to the limited quantitative literature relating to preservice teachers and creativity. Further, it also provides evidence for the use of design thinking as a method of improving preservice teachers' creativity, particularly in relation to creative process and creative products.

Committee: Richard Ferdig (Committee Chair); Enrico Gandolfi (Committee Co-Chair); Jason Schenker (Committee Member); Karl Kosko (Other) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Teacher Education

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2014, Industrial, Interior Visual Communication Design

Studying as a designer and working with engineers revealed differences between the disciplines that affect communication. The increasingly complex problems facing society require specialists to manage. Increased specialization can lead to confusion when communicating across disciplines. Designers and engineers both provide vital services to industry and it is important that they be able to work with each other as effectively as possible. With a focus on the two academic disciplines of design and engineering, I have attempted to explore whether collaboration between the two can be positively impacted. Participants from each field of study were asked to complete a series of evaluations to determine their problem solving tendencies, learning styles, and patterns in thinking. They were then asked to present their problem solving process for approaching a set of complex contemporary issues. Engineers tend to fall into logical and rational thinking patterns and are more likely to be seen as linear thinkers. Designers differ in their approach to problem solving when there is an opportunity for abstract and innovative thinking. A practical application of this information would require the contributions of both designers and engineers throughout the design and development process. Interaction between disciplines should take place in the form of information exchange, discussions, and informal dialogues. These goals can be achieved through common workspaces, support from management, and strong leadership.

Committee: Paul Nini (Advisor); Elizabeth Sanders Ph.D. (Committee Member); Philip Smith Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Higher Education Administration

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between life design and student leadership development at Bowling Green State University, a mid-sized, comprehensive public institution in Northwest Ohio. Life design was an institutional strategy used to increase student success and empower students with the tools and skills to design their college experience more intentionally and prepare for the next steps after graduation (Life Design, 2023). Life design is a creative problem-solving framework that empowers students to adopt design thinking mindsets and methods and apply them in their own lives to creatively solve problems (Burnett & Evans, 2016). Based on the literature, including research focused on Social Change Model and Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership, I suggested five main areas of overlap between life design and leadership: consciousness of self and others, collaboration, creative problem-solving, change, and innovation management. Utilizing Fall 2020 data from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership, multiple student subgroups who were involved in various life design and leadership experiences were compared across various leadership and life design scales. This study was meaningful as it contributed empirical evidence to the emerging research topic of life design and suggested preliminary signs of a relationship between life design and leadership. Findings suggested that students connected to life design and leadership experiences had higher levels of leadership outcomes than students who did not participate in life design or leadership experiences across all six scales in the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership. Findings also provided evidence of increased life design outcomes for students in life design programs according to a prototype Life Design Capacity Scale. This scale was also a statistically significant variable within a logistic regression model as a predictor of a student's four-year graduation outcome, though t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Maureen Wilson Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Margaret Adams Ed.D. (Other); Jessica Turos Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jacob Clemens Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

MFA, Kent State University, 2023, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

This thesis explores the relationship between design thinking methodologies and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The work includes a case study of a national advertising campaign conducted by the author, a designer for Bellwether Enterprise (BWE), examining the transformative and adaptable nature of design thinking in shaping marketing projects. It emphasizes its influence on the perception and strategic direction of CSR efforts within the company. The research comprises two main themes: the examination of design thinking methods and their impact, and the exploration of CSR in terms of internal employee engagement and external effects on client relationships and business growth. The paper highlights how CSR enhances brand development with design thinking as a guiding framework, focusing on audience understanding, value proposition definition, and the creation of a visually and verbally coherent brand identity. The second section of the thesis centers on BWE's "Working Together" advertising campaign, celebrating a decade-long partnership with Enterprise Community Partners. The campaign involved in-person interviews with residents in affordable housing communities across the United States, emphasizing visual storytelling through documentary-style short films, portrait photography, written content, a microsite, and a 3D online exhibition. The paper evaluates the campaign's effectiveness, discussing outcomes, addressing challenges, and offering recommendations for future content creation using design thinking principles. The project aimed to authentically depict the experiences of affordable housing residents, contributing to BWE's CSR initiatives. The author's application of design thinking principles facilitated creative and innovative engagement strategies, aligning the campaign with the needs of both the organization and its audience. This thesis serves as a comprehensive exploration of the transformative potential of design thinking wh (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jessica Barness MFA (Advisor); Ken Visocky-O'Grady MFA (Committee Member); Sanda Katila MFA (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Design; Marketing

Master of Science, Miami University, 2023, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Balancing creativity with a structured approach in engineering design poses a critical challenge, necessitating optimization of each stage to aid in efficiently creating superior products. Functional analysis, a systematic approach defining the design problem, enables comprehensive exploration of the design space. However, critics argue that it requires too many resources, restricts creativity, and imposes high demands on design teams. The goal of this research is to enhance the effectiveness of functional analysis by integrating theories from cognitive research and human-centered design. The proposed method, Natural Cognitive Flow Functional Analysis (NCFFA), aims to promote designers' creative freedom, maintain the quality of the function model, and be accessible to engineering students and professionals alike. A between-subject study involving novice engineers evaluated the effectiveness of NCFFA. Although determining the full effectiveness of NCFFA in terms of enhanced creativity and reduced effort proved challenging, the study found marginal improvement in designers' Flow State, suggesting the potential merit of the NCFFA method for enhancing the designer experience during functional analysis. The study highlights the benefits of incorporating cognitive research and human-centered design principles into functional analysis and paves the way for further research to refine the structured design process.

Committee: Jinjuan She (Advisor); Christopher Wolfe (Committee Member); Sk Khairul Hasan (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Engineering; Mechanical Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Wright State University, 2022, Engineering PhD

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has seen a surge in popularity as increased computing power has made it more viable and useful. The increasing complexity of AI, however, leads to can lead to difficulty in understanding or interpreting the results of AI procedures, which can then lead to incorrect predictions, classifications, or analysis of outcomes. The result of these problems can be over-reliance on AI, under-reliance on AI, or simply confusion as to what the results mean. Additionally, the complexity of AI models can obscure the algorithmic, data and design biases to which all models are subject, which may exacerbate negative outcomes, particularly with respect to minority populations. Explainable AI (XAI) aims to mitigate these problems by providing information on the intent, performance, and reasoning process of the AI. Where time or cognitive resources are limited, the burden of additional information can negatively impact performance. Ensuring XAI information is intuitive and relevant allows the user to quickly calibrate their trust in the AI, in turn improving trust in suggested task alternatives, reducing workload and improving task performance. This study details a structured approach to the development of XAI in time-critical systems based on a design thinking framework that preserves the agile, fast-iterative approach characteristic of design thinking and augments it with practical tools and guides. The framework establishes a focus on shared situational perspective, and the deep understanding of both users and the AI in the empathy phase, provides a model with seven XAI levels and corresponding solution themes, and defines objective, physiological metrics for concurrent assessment of trust and workload.

Committee: Subhashini Ganapathy Ph.D. (Advisor); Sherif Elbasiouny Ph.D. (Committee Member); Asaf Harel Ph.D. (Committee Member); Victor Middleton Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Design; Engineering; Experiments; Industrial Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Management

Though recognized as a popular approach to advancing innovation in organizations, design thinking remains largely marginalized. Paradoxically, it is design that gets in its own way. It is applauded for its ability to make great things, yet fetishizing making limits design's ability to progress beyond product creation in organizations. Underneath the veneer of cosmetic design lies a design cosmology with strong commitment to a making or techne paradigm. Based on the assumption that organizations are products in a sense—bigger and more complicated than artifacts but artifacts nonetheless—prevailing design theories double down on making and production in their efforts to incite systems change. Unfortunately, this only perpetuates the issue of marginalization. I offer an alternative hypothesis—a theory of design for organizational change rooted in institutional theory and inspired by Aristotle and Augustine. From Aristotle, we understand that the design of living social systems is less about technical production (making) and more about creative action (doing). From Augustine, we understand that time is an important source of both constraint and enablement for human action in systems. In a theory of design as action, individuals can shift their temporal orientations within the flow of time so that time's structure is repositioned from something constraining to something enabling. I propose three sources of design agency that correspond to the temporal dimensions of the past, future, and present: action via memory, expectation, and attention. A qualitative autoethnographic account is depicted to demonstrate what this is like or could be like in a complex healthcare environment. In conclusion, I suggest that “design doing,” or doing design, is a domain-relative management practice suitable for the shaping of human systems. It is an argument that challenges the commonplace notion of what management is and what design is not. The ethos of design doing serves as a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Buchanan (Committee Chair); Richard Boland Jr. (Committee Member); John Paul Stephens (Committee Member); Kalle Lyytinen (Committee Member); Fred Collopy (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Health Care; Health Care Management; Information Systems; Management; Organization Theory; Philosophy; Rhetoric; Systems Design

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2022, Design

The rise of Black Lives Matter and Operation Varsity Blues has provoked public reflection on diversity, affordability, and education access. Despite being among the most debated topics in the public realm, reports on higher education access rates have demonstrated that the racial gap is still prevalent among underrepresented minorities, including at flagship universities like The Ohio State University. College admissions have been characterized by an overly complex and decentralized the process that evaluates different students using the same criteria (Klasik and Strayhorn 2018) but varying in requirements. Together, both characteristics can act as a deterrent to minorities as they are more likely to be first-generation students and, therefore, lack the network to navigate the process (Kochhar and Cilluffo 2018) or come from low-income racial minorities. Historically, minorities are enrolled in poorer school districts (Darling-Hammond 2006) and tend to score lower in college readiness benchmarks like English and Mathematics (Conwell and Ye 2021). This one-size-fits-all evaluation criterion is not bound to the Ohio State University but represents the American education system. Focusing on the African American Women's college application process, this research expands the debate on college access by inviting African American Women from public schools to the decision table of citizen participation in the public realm. It investigates how their unique social realities impact the higher education application journey and how design methodologies can be applied to investigate and improve their college application process. Using individual interview strategy and co-design methods to investigate the perception of different actors in the college admission field, this research addresses the creativity portion of essay writing, a reasonably uncreative process (Goyal 2016) for minorities seeking financial aid. Getting direct inputs on the application process and voicing out (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sébastien Proulx Ph.D. (Advisor); Andrea Headley Ph.D. (Committee Member); Susan Melsop M.Arch (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Design; Education; Education Policy; Gender; Public Policy

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Information Technology

The steep rise of social media usage in recent years has contributed to the increase in cyber-bullying too, where individuals harass each other online. Our focus in this research is to understand how interactions among young adults take place on social media, their perceptions on cyber-bullying and investigate their reporting behaviors to inform the design of a support intervention. This research uses the design thinking approach to inform the design of a context-appropriate support intervention for the victims of cyber-bullying. Design thinking was adopted as a problem-solving strategy, which entailed examining recognized features of the cyber-bullying setting and identifying more ambiguous or peripheral factors that contributed to the environmental conditions of cyber-bullying. The study took a qualitative approach which involved semi-structured interviews, exploratory surveys, and a design thinking workshop to come up with a cyberbullying support intervention proposal. Through the use of the proposed support intervention, young adults can build awareness about cyberbullying, recognize the abuse, and be empowered enough to report it. The data from these reports can then be analyzed to generate insights in order to visualize safety ratings of all the social media platforms, increasing their accountability and strengthening the awareness amongst intervention users even further, hence creating a feedback loop of understanding, reporting, and analysis.

Committee: Annu Prabhakar Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kijung Lee Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Information Technology

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2021, Design

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 was a transformative event that changed the way many of us work, with many people using online platforms to work remotely, often for the first time. The field of social work was no exception. The problem with this online shift lies in the nature of the social work profession—human connection, empathy, and face-to-face relationships are an integral part of how social workers perform their jobs. This study aimed to explore how social workers adapted to the online environment, what worked well for them, and what could be improved. The research used an approach that was a blend of traditional design, Co-Design, and Appreciative Inquiry to work with faculty, staff, current students, and alumni of The Ohio State University College of Social Work regarding their response to the pandemic. The study consisted of a survey, interviews, and interactive online workshops using Zoom, a videoconferencing platform, and Miro, a collaborative platform and online whiteboard. These activities were then summarized in an interactive presentation that provided an additional opportunity for collaboration with social work stakeholders. The output of this study includes the design of a prototype for a model that can assist social workers who are involved in micro clinical work when working with clients online. There is an associated matrix that includes the types of barriers social workers are likely to encounter when working with clients online, things such as a lack of internet or a chaotic home environment. The matrix also includes a sampling of means to address these barriers—both from real-world examples that were relayed to me by social workers and new ideas that were generated during an online workshop with social work stakeholders. It is my hope that social workers can use both the online treatment model and the barriers matrix as resources to assist with their online interactions, and to continue to develop and evolve both items through their pract (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Sanders (Advisor); Peter Chan (Committee Member); Yvette Shen (Committee Member); Ramona Denby-Brinson (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MFIS, Kent State University, 2020, College of the Arts / School of Fashion

Driven by fast fashion and overconsumption of clothing, the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world. The purpose of this research was to explore the creative process of fashion designers in pursuit of a deeper understanding of creative problem-solving specific to fashion design as well as an effort to gain insight into pragmatic solutions for addressing the sustainability issue of overconsumption of clothing. This qualitative research examined the complex creative processes of three professional fashion designers with a minimum of thirteen years of experience. Utilizing open-ended, one-on-one interviews, participant data was recorded, transcribed and analyzed to identify emerging themes and patterns. A case study research design was used to present the findings. This study revealed that fashion designers specifically are crucial to finding sustainable solutions in changing the way the fashion industry operates. However, analysis also showed that overconsumption of clothing is a systemic problem which affects the whole fashion production model. Addressing overconsumption in the fashion industry includes a number of different facets, that include, but go substantially beyond design. In order to move away from the fast fashion model, change is required from both fashion professionals and consumers. The findings of this study add to the existing knowledge of design research and the creative process of professional fashion designers centered around problem-solving, experience, communication, customer, creative space and sources of inspiration. Furthermore, this study helps extend the knowledge of the complex issue of incorporating sustainable practices into the fashion industry by examining the challenges such as cost, thinking fabric first, continuous questions and profit as a goal.

Committee: Ja Young Hwang Ph.D. (Advisor); Catherine Leslie Ph.D. (Advisor); Robin Vande Zande Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Sustainability

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2020, Design

This research examines how design-based making strategically supports the outcomes of Positive Youth Development (PYD) programs. PYD is understood as a developmental process, an approach to youth programming, and as instances of youth programs and organizations focused on fostering the positive development of youth by engaging youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups and families in a constructive manner. While a review of the literature revealed PYD successfully mobilizes other types of making in its programming (arts-based, sciences-based, etc.), it remains blind to the avenues and opportunities offered by design-based making. Through a pilot test of a PYD program, this research examines how design-based making might provide opportunities within PYD programming to support and foster PYD objectives. The study was designed and conducted to capture youth experiences during a six-week out-of-school PYD program at a Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus location (Ohio). Youth experiences were analyzed through inductive and deductive thematic analyses, which resulted in eight emergent sub-themes organized under two main themes: A Design Journey is Personal; and Design Facilitates an Emergent Network of Contribution. Each theme revealed aspects of how design-based making supports PYD program outcomes. The research concludes with a roadmap for future research and practice to further connect the domains of Design and PYD.

Committee: Sébastien Proulx Ph.D. (Advisor); Elizabeth Sanders Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lauren McInroy Ph.D. (Committee Member); Susan Melsop M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

STEAM Education is drawing more and more public attention. The art education in STEAM education is often mistakenly thought to be just a tool to improve STEM courses. How can design educators effectively contribute in STEAM education? There are few reported studies linking game design and design thinking together. This study found that teaching game design thinking skills can be a tool for design educators to cultivate creative and empathetic minds in STEAM education. In this study, a practical workshop as case study was conducted as a method to analyze the influence of game design thinking on the creativity and emotional intelligence for STEAM educational purposes. The study found that game design thinking had positive effect on the cultivation of creativity and emotional intelligence. The result of the study advocates a new outlook of art education in STEAM field and provides a new perspective to design educators on how to begin to apply game design thinking in STEAM education and even other areas such as company career training to foster empathy and creativity.

Committee: Claudia Rebola Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Brooke Brandewie M.A. (Committee Member); Gerald Michaud M.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2019, English (Rhetoric and Writing) PhD

Scholars such as Kenneth Bruffee, Jim Trimbur, Andrea Lunsford, Lisa Ede, and William Duffy have all argued that a key component of writing studies and writing pedagogy is collaboration. As such, Douglas Walls, Scott Schopieray, and Danielle DeVoss (2009) in Hacking Spaces note, “We [writing instructors] are keenly aware when space interferes with such collaboration” (p. 277). This dissertation explores the connection of space and collaboration in a space intentionally designed to foster collaboration. This study is situated in the Collab Lab, a newly built collaborative space located in Bowling Green State University's library. I examine how collaboration is understood in the Collab Lab and what are the collaborative activities people are performing in the Lab. I also examine how the space affects the way people perform these collaborations and why people use the space in that way for their collaborations. To do this, I observed and mapped people in the Collab Lab. Additionally, I surveyed users in the space and conducted a loosely scripted interview with the director of the Lab. Design thinking methodology guided my methods of data collection and data analysis. My findings show that the flexibility of the Collab Lab accommodates a variety of kinds of collaboration and collaborative activities. The space promotes flexibility in its design, but in doing so, it is also fulfilling people's wants and needs of the space then. The Lab is affecting the performance of collaboration with its focus on vertical working surfaces and openness, which promotes sharing and encourages people to be face-to-face.

Committee: Sue Carter Wood PhD (Advisor); Neil Baird PhD (Committee Member); Lee Nickoson PhD (Committee Member); Jerry Schnepp PhD (Other) Subjects: Composition; Rhetoric

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

Food Stories is a proposed design research methodology to help designers from all creative fields to collect insights about peoples' cultures, by identifying how people see themselves, what experiences are meaningful for them and what emotions inspire them to give meaning to things. For many years social fields have considered food as a signifying element that communicates meaning. Moreover little has been done in the design field to explore food as a source of information. Food Stories is an emerging tool that reviews the background from food studies as a frame of reference for informing the design field. The purpose of this research is to incorporate peoples' cultures and values into the design process to create meaningful objects that people genuinely care about.

Committee: Samantha Krukowski Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Claudia Rebola Ph.D. (Committee Member); Matthew Wizinsky M.F.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

For years, designers focused on styling, technology, and usability, but neglected to consider the users' motivation. This study not only introduces a new perspective for designers but also serves as a design tool to create or evaluate persuasive and habit- forming systems. This study provides a general guideline for developing persuasive and habit-forming systems by helping designers to discover consumers' motivations, pain points, and possible drivers that could persuade consumers. For designers, knowledge of persuasive and habit-forming design is important since they want consumers to use or purchase their products or services. However, in many situations, the design team fails to persuade their users because they lack the knowledge of persuasive and habit- forming design. Creating persuasive and habit-forming systems is complex, and it is full of restrictions. However, design based on a good understanding of persuasive and habit-forming systems can be very successful. Therefore, by understanding the relationship between users' motivations and behaviors, designers can produce a more fruitful and positive outcome for their users.

Committee: Craig Vogel M.I.D. (Committee Chair); Gerald Michaud M.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2017, Integrated Bioscience

Biomimicry is innovation through emulation of biological forms, processes, patterns, and systems. What motivates practice is a basic understanding of natural selection as a process that favors high-performance, resource-efficient survival strategies – strategies that can be abstracted to address technical challenges from the molecular to systemic scale. Biomimicry has generated commercial solutions in diverse sectors, but industry practice is limited by a lack of clarity around quantitative / qualitative benefits and best practices. This body of work starts to unveil the different dimensions of value biomimicry can offer business, providing evidence of its potential to enhance creativity, increase rates of intellectual property generation, and inform environmentally sustainable solutions. It also details an iterative five-phase biomimicry process, validated in a corporate context, that can serve as a template for industry implementation. Perhaps most importantly, it describes how biomimicry helps us recall a fundamental truth we managed to forget: humans are a part of rather than apart from nature. Innovating from this point of view, we brighten prospects of a flourishing life on this planet.

Committee: Peter Niewiarowski PhD (Advisor); John Huss PhD (Committee Member); Bob Gray PhD (Committee Member); Steve Ash PhD (Committee Member); Ven Ochaya PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Design; Entrepreneurship; Management; Mechanical Engineering; Philosophy; Sustainability

MFA, Kent State University, 2016, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

Alongside design's growth as an interdisciplinary field of study and practice throughout the last century, debate has arisen as to its role in the cultivation of society. At a fundamental level, it can be considered a method of action that determines successful communication of an idea, whether that idea is forthright or implicit. As a multi-faceted field that encompasses several concentrations of specialized study, it has historically played the role of mediator between the arts and sciences—an interdisciplinary approach to communication that shares notable similarities with classical rhetoric. Because of this similarity, it has been considered a part of the new rhetoric movement that emerged in the middle of the 20th century. If designers are to be considered rhetors, they must comply with the implied responsibilities of authorship by producing work that edifies the culture in which they design. This thesis asserts that design is the space between disciplines: an interdisciplinary connector within a society of disciplinary specializations. The designer must bear responsibility for care of the culture within which they work by nurturing these commonalities—even by making evident their existence. To explore this assumption, a mix of qualitative design methods are used to locate commonalities in design thinking—these primary research findings are used in turn to create a series of prototypes that further examine the disciplinary relationships of study participants through codified audio-visual representation. As an exploration in Critical Making and Speculative Design, this study seeks to investigate the question: how might design study better facilitate interdisciplinary culture?

Committee: Ken Visocky O’Grady MFA (Advisor); Jessica Barness MFA (Committee Member); Nate Mucha MFA (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Personality Psychology; Web Studies

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2016, Industrial, Interior Visual Communication Design

Design is not simply an outcome, but a process of problem solving. The current transitional process for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the challenges faced by their healthcare providers and parents is a wicked problem that needs to be addressed. Wicked problems are not good or bad, but are often made up of multiple stakeholders and an indeterminate end-state. Design problems are often wicked; there is no definitive formula or an existing solution. Trained and practiced in reshaping complexity and ambiguity through Design Thinking to give form to new ideas that do not yet exist, Designers have the capacity to expand their role from simply `makers' of artifacts to `makers' of sense, building new tools and integrating new ways of problem solving to assist with framing wicked problems. The objective of this body of research is to investigate a hybrid CoDesign approach (using digital and non-digital Design Thinking tools), and the expanding role of the Designer and stakeholders in tackling wicked problems through an exploratory autism case study. The role of the Designer in addressing wicked problems and the use of technology for collective sensemaking in the Design process were investigated through the development of a digital prototype in parallel with an exploratory Participatory Action Research (PAR) case study centered on issues surrounding transitional care and support for adults with autism and their families. A diverse group of stakeholders was brought together to participate in an iterative CoDesign process aimed at building shared understanding, stimulating new ways of thinking, and reframing the wicked problem to create new resolutions for the Center for Autism Services and Transition (C.A.S.T.), a clinic for adults with autism connected to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. The outcomes of the case study and findings from the development and testing of the digital prototype support the value of sensemaking and reframing, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth B.-N. Sanders Ph.D., (Advisor); Alan Price (Committee Member); David Staley Ph.D., (Committee Member); Elliot Bendoly Ph.D., (Committee Member) Subjects: Design