Launch: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student

by John Spencer, A.J. Juliani

We Need More Creative Schools Something happens in students when they define themselves as makers and inventors and creators. They discover powerful skills—problem-solving, critical thinking, and imagination—that will help them shape the world’s future … our future. If that’s true, why isn’t creativity a priority in more schools today? Educators John Spencer and A.J. Juliani know firsthand the challenges teachers face every School can be busy. Materials can be scarce. The creative process can seem confusing. Curriculum requirements can feel limiting. Those challenges too often bully creativity, pushing it to the side as an “enrichment activity” that gets put off or squeezed into the tiniest time block. We can do better. We must do better if we’re going to prepare students for their future. Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student provides a process that can be incorporated into every class at every grade level ... even if you don’t consider yourself a “creative teacher.” And if you dare to innovate and view creativity as an essential skill, you will empower your students to change the world—starting right now. Look, Listen, and Learn Ask Lots of Questions Understand the Problem or Process Navigate Ideas Create Highlight What’s Working and Failing Are you ready to LAUNCH? "Required reading for every teacher who cares. A dramatic re-framing and a road map on how to rebuild our schools from the inside." —Seth Godin, author of Stop Stealing Dreams “All kids walk into school curious and creative. This book will help weave a path to ensure that these traits are not only maintained, but accentuated when those same students leave.” —George Couros, author of The Innovator’s Mindset “The LAUNCH framework John Spencer and A.J. Juliani present has the potential to dramatically change classrooms to be more engaging, student centric, and most of all, fun!” —Dr. Jackie Gerstein, online faculty for master’s degree programs in educational technology “This book, crafted by John and A.J., provides educators with a series of actionable steps regarding design thinking, while simultaneously dispelling common myths and dissolving perceived roadblocks to success.” —Sarah Thomas, regional technology coordinator, founder of #EduMatch

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching, Professional Development, Design, Business, School

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2016

About the author

My goal is simple. I want to make something new everyday. Sometimes I make things. Sometimes I make a difference. On a good day, I get to do both.

I'm currently working as an assistant professor of instructional technology in a small private college just outside of Portland, Oregon. Before that, I spent twelve years as a middle school teacher, where I used design thinking and creative processes for student coding projects, documentaries, and blogging.

I am a frequent keynote and conference speaker and I had the honor of sharing my vision of the future of learning at the White House Future Ready Summit in Washington, D.C. I also delivered a TEDx Talk on the topic of creative constraints.

My research experience includes writing a chapter in The Nature of Technology textbook and winning the NAU Education Technology Graduate Award for my work around transforming professional development.

I am an avid writer whose work has been featured in Kappan Magazine, The Answer Sheet, Slate, and Edutopia. I am the author of Wendell the World's Worst Wizard and co-founder of Write About.

Reviews

[Kris Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second and probably last book I've read from Dave Burgess consulting. Both labeled Reading as a consumptive activity. I fiercely disagree.

I believe reading is an act of creativity.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flew through this just this morning; I have four pages of crazy color-coded notes in my Moleskine, and tons of ideas/questions/connections about authentic audiences, problem-solving, and experimenting in EVERY core subject. Two take-aways: 1) RESEARCH is NOT READING, and 2) there are numerous reasons why marketing should be taught in schools (I clapped, cheered, did a cartwheel for that section!)... looking forward to discussing this book with colleagues.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid read; treat it like the handbook on design thinking for the classroom. lesson plans, scaffolds, and more. very practical and strong reference material to spark ideas and provide appropriate structure for your next LAUNCH cycle!

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could get more excited over this book. I really had high hopes but it didn't inspire me. Passed it on to a colleague who is just starting to learn about this type of teaching. Hopefully he'll get some new ideas.

[Annie Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This professional book club book ended up being pretty good. It gives teachers a cycle to use with their students to encourage design thinking to be more creative in your classroom. I definitely have a lot of take aways to use with my students to make our problem-based learning better and to use in other creative ways in my classroom like with the writing process. “We want students to be independent thinkers. We want them to be lifelong learners. We want them to be makers.” And the way we do that is by letting them create!

[Nick Wethington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was recommended this book by a school librarian I work with. I've read a lot of books around the pedagogy of making and tinkering, but this is the most useful and practical one when it comes to integrating this into the classroom. We read this book among a cohort of teachers that I lead as to how to best use making, tinkering and the design thinking process in their classrooms and schools. It was a hit. I think my favorite aspect of it is that it's written by actual classroom teachers, with practical advice for other classroom teachers. There is so much advice out there for school teachers from people who have no clue as to what it's like to be in a classroom day in and day out - advice from folks "in the field" is invaluable.

I highly recommend this book for any teachers, administrators, and informal maker educators to think about ways they can integrate the design thinking process into their curriculum or setting.

[Cayenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great book with very practical, helpful ideas on how to increase creativity and drive in students and how to make learning fun again. I especially found the “challenges” section in Chapter 8 helpful.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thinking about leading a group of K-12 teachers through an optional book study to expand our understanding of design thinking. Definitely a good option with actionable items.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book for teachers! Everyone can be creative. And this book has some fantastic ways to overcome challenges to getting kids to be creative in the classroom (from the focus on standardized tests and the limit of time to the frustration of getting stuck in the creative process).

And it helps give a bit of structure to creativity. The LAUNCH process is excellent for planning creative projects and guiding people through creating and putting your creation out into the world.

Because sometimes when we’re creative it’s hard to follow through. This books helps solve these types of problems!

[Laura Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal reading. This book has become an invaluable resource as I prepare to move my teaching staff from a traditional mindset to a culture of practicing design thinkers. It was especially important to me to have a better understanding of what the design process entails and Launch has thoroughly answered all of my current questions and more.

[Trever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the design learning process all rolled up into a book, definitely will use this next year, just wish there wasn't 1 paragraph about design learning and math.

[Ashley Couture · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe it is worth mentioning that I purchased this book as a part of a deal dbc_inc was running. I did not necessarily want it. One morning while I was out for a walk, I listed to a podcast about PBL and the podcast's host stated that it doesn't matter which method you use, whether it was design thinking, the steps to publishing, launch . . etc and I thought "Hey! I have this book." Since I am looking to incorporate more pbl and inquiry into my classroom I thought I had lucked out in getting this book. I was wrong.

Launch is the acronym the authors have developed to replicated the Design Thinking process. The author's state at the beginning that L.A.U.N.C.H is an easier (more kid friendly) way to remember the steps for design thinking.

This book takes you through the design thinking process (or launch process) step by step. It is very thorough, easy to read and understandable; with one major exception, the authors mention a variety of times completing a "needs assessment". I happen to know what a needs assessment is because of my Master's degree. I have had to use and develop many needs assessments for that program, but I couldn't help but think I have never heard this term in education. The author's have dropped a term that is a business vocabulary word and not explained it or show any example and this needs assessments is a crucial part of their first two steps.

I believe that I felt let down by this book because my expectations of it were wrong. I went in expecting something it help me understand project based learning and help me to generate ideas for my own class (I tend to generate some of my best ideas when reading about different teaching strategies). It accomplished neither of those things and this is because it is not about PBL, but what the design thinking process. Due to the fact that I went into the book expecting something it is not I cannot shake the feeling that the book 'let me down'.

If you want to better understand the creative process, its struggle, and have some good tips and tricks to break out of the slumps that creative process can have then this is a good read. If you are trying to find a way to implement it in your class under the umbrella of PBL then I do not know that I would suggest it.

[Rebekah Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking to add Project Based Learning to your classroom in a way where students are at the helm of their learning, that learning that there is creativity in all jobs/lives, and you want to teach via the design-thinking process, this is the book for you!

It’s not a new-fangled system that if you pay for the program and implement with fidelity, all problems will be solved. It’s a style of teaching/classroom learning that is shown to improve learning beyond teaching to the test. It’s not easy or simple, but it seems worth it - teaching students skills that will help them in any career, as a human, and help them more fully and actually understand the standards they are required to learn.

The thing about project-based learning is that you are teaching the TEKS/state standards WHILE learning AND you are teaching so much more - marketing, confidence, research, problem solving (in tangible ways), writing, collaboration, creativity, and so much more.

It’s chocked full of examples of classrooms across the U.S. who are implementing this in their classrooms and students are empowered and thriving. They are LAUNCHING their designs, projects, and services to their communities and coming up with ways to impact people around the world. They are growing in empathy, listening to the world around them, and using what they know and what they are learning to create!

It’s also full of real life moments (like Apollo 13 post “Houston, we have a problem”) where people in real jobs use creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and dedication to solve problems and impact the world. We want our students to have these mindsets, attitudes, and abilities and to take on the world in amazing ways - being creative in the every day and beyond.

[Kate Laird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good concept but could have been half the length and still as helpful. The first couple chapters are basically “cheerleading” to get you to understand anyone can be creative. The remainder are spent discussing the LAUNCH steps. The first “L” step is in my opinion the best to parse ideas and conceptualize how you could implement this.

The main issue I have is that the book keeps stating that saying “but I have a curriculum I need to address” or “but I have standards I need to address” is essentially a lame excuse to not use design thinking activities. However they never discuss how to address all the standards you need to address and instead keep reinforcing that the topics should be student selected. Sorry but I can’t tell my Biology class “you can do a project on anything that interests you” and then give them credit for passing biology when they build a computer from scratch or even design an experiment to test if organic food is really better for you (one is completely irrelevant and the second barely hits on maybe one or the dozen standards I need to teach).

Overall, good idea with some nice take-away tips but still needs work if you want traditional high school teachers to adopt it as a whole.

[Jorge Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

En general me parece una obra mercadológica, promotora de la actividad desmedida, con poca filosofía o reflexión, basada en exceso en lo accidental, lleno de opiniones y de poca ciencia, cuando curiosamente lo que hay de fondo del famosísimo "Design Thinking" es el método científico incompleto y muchas veces manoseado.
No es un libro peligroso, al contrario tiene ideas curiosas sobre creatividad e incluso propone un camino certero para actividades dentro del aula y consejos para profesores.
Tal vez mis expectativas fueron erróneas ya que no me parece un mal libro.
Volvería a leer alguna otra obra de los autores, al precio correcto, si deseara buscar herramientas y consejos sobre como aplicar la herramienta creativa, desgraciadamente estas herramientas son poco valiosas dentro de la complejidad y amplitud de la educación, la pedagogía y la didáctica, creo que aquí está el error de los autores, desean, con la visión utilitaria, abarcar todas las dimensiones educativas, cosa improbable.

[David Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

It must be hard to write a book that provides a framework for implementing major classroom changes. While it may not seem like it to those who aren't inside the classroom everyday, teachers use a variety of techniques and classrooms are run in a myriad of different ways. What works for one may not work for another, so as far as describing plans for full-scale design projects with a maximum amount of flexibility goes, this book does a pretty decent job.

I wasn't looking to revamp an entire class, just to find new ways to approach, guide, revise, and assess projects, and, for those things, the book gave me some nice ideas. I could have done without the childish tone and the overly optimistic view of the creativity of children, but what are you going to do?

This style of project based learning seems to have gotten pretty popular over the last several years, so I don't know if this book is doing anything truly unique, but if you want to give project based learning a shot, you could do worse than starting here.

[Douglass Gaking · Rating 5 out of 5]

I teach a variety of business and music courses, including an Intro to Entrepreneurship class that does a 20time project every year. Launch provides a framework for design thinking in the classroom. The framework and the various tools within it work well with 20time and with almost any creative project teachers might facilitate in their classrooms.

I got some great ideas from this book about how to better guide my students through their projects. A big takeaway for me was how to start a project with research and the importance of developing research skills early. There are some great strategies discussed here. The other big one is the P.A.R.T.S. acronym for project planning. I am going to replace my 20time proposal template with a P.A.R.T.S. template this year.

I really appreciate John Spencer and A.J. Juliani sharing their ideas and modeling their processes through this very helpful book.

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are all creative, but not all of us are makers. Why do we find it so devastating to fail, when that is the path to understanding and improving? Why do we push children away from creativity and into conformity that leads to groupthink?

This book isn't a philosophy book, although there is a lot of background into the authors' thinking. This book is designed to teach middle-school children design thinking. I find it useful to read books written by teachers for middle-school kids. It's a way for me to understand what I don't know as well as what I need to know.

It's an excellent book--it explains steps, how to apply the steps, examples of how the steps connect and how to avoid problems in the process.

[Lisa Kraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had great information about how to lead students through the creative process and all of the risks that are part of it. The authors emphasized that students need authentic experiences and research doesn't need to be something that occurs just once a year. Major takeaways - even when using a process like the Launch Cycle one has to be realistic, we don't live in a 'utopia' and it won't always be perfect. We also have to be patient, the cycle uses a series of skills that take time to develop for both teachers and students. Fears have to be acknowledged, boredom is okay, and in the end it is worth all of the struggle when we see what students are capable of.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me a while to get through as I was digesting the information. I found the idea of taking students fully through the design thinking process (the LAUNCH cycle) to be intriguing. There are definitely elements I want to incorporate in my classroom. However, I think the authors had some pretty ideal situations and students. I teach in an urban school and only see my students for 45 minute chunks-- those two factors right there make a lot of what they propose seem out of reach. However, I'm willing to work with what I've got.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Design Thinking is an industrial model that has been adapted to fit all manner of applications including education. Some would argue that an off-the-shelf application of Design Thinking to teaching is entirely ineffective. I looked to Launch! for a more thoughtful approach, and for the most part, found it. Filled with many sound educational principles, Launch! provides some great fodder for thinking and great ideas for application directly in the classroom.

[MyNguyen1709 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book for educators who desire to using design thinking as a framework for Maker and unleash creativity and innovation in each students. Launch cycle: Look, listen, learn; Ask lots of questions, Understand the problem or process, Navigate ideas, Create, Highlight what's working and failing.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book we did for a Hamilton County ESC Instructional Center book study. I love the innovation, creativity, and design thinking Spencer and Juliani teach us about - taking risks in the classroom keeps passion alive for teachers and students! Students need choice, opportunities to create, and support from a passionate educator.

[Tara Schuhmacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The awesome detailed lesson plans at the end really put this book (which I already had learned so much from) over the top. They not only give me a great blueprint for creating my own LAUNCH projects, this project in and of itself is great!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to hate teaching research. This book shows teachers how to go about tapping into students' passions to complete authentic inquiry and discovery with an authentic audience. I have about 57 sticky notes in it now marking awesome ideas. If you teach, you need to read this book.

[Darren Dennstedt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simplistic ideas presented in the book rehashing what others have already done.

The authors attempt to create a new Engineering Design Process and call in LAUNCH. Simplistic ideas presented about innovating in the classroom.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the 2019-2020 school year. It was pretty interesting, but got a little over-explanatory. After a while I got the point, but it just kept going. Will be interesting to see what conversations we have this year in our PLCs.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a practical guide to guiding students through the creative/maker process. If you have PBL or Genius Hour, it has great ideas on giving that time structure and a format that students and teachers can follow. A worthwhile read.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as one of my first books in learning about design thinking. In education it worked nicely to provide ways for a teacher to include design thinking in lessons and build student understanding. An easy read with easy to apply ideas.

[Jenny Leitsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read to get me thinking about instructional design. Reminded me of things I know about how people learn best. Loved the discussions of creativity and how it manifests itself differently in different people.