d.school

The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford

http://dschool.stanford.edu The d.school is a hub for innovators at Stanford. This is the core of what we do.

Students and faculty in engineering, medicine, business, law, the humanities, sciences, and education find their way here to take on the world’s messy problems together. Human values are at the heart of our collaborative approach. We focus on creating spectacularly transformative learning experiences. Along the way, our students develop a process for producing creative solutions to even the most complex challenges they tackle.

08/28/2026

From Fashion Waste to Wonder: https://stanford.io/4xuRkW2

“Design is such an interesting word because to me, it could be anything. I wish more people would see the potential in the word ‘design’ and how much impact we as humans have on things going forward.”

Beth Esponnette, Stanford University and d.school alum, and founder of unspun, shares more about how she used design to rethink physical materials for fashion.

08/26/2026

WORKSHOP - Intro to Design Thinking: https://stanford.io/3RDnjUh

This introduction to human-centered design techniques will help you develop your design skills through hands-on activities.

Gain practical tools and fresh perspectives that you can apply to both your professional and personal life.

Learn more and register at the link.

08/24/2026

“I’m a product of the d.school in a big way because I was very much an electrical engineer, sitting in labs with very low confidence that I could go build things myself. The concept of design thinking definitely gave me the creative confidence to feel like, ‘Oh, I could go build things, too. I could build things that customers would love.’”

Akshay Kothari, co-founder of Notion, shares more about the path design helped pave for him in “The Thrill of the Build.”

https://dschool.pub/kothari

08/20/2026

For Kareem Collie, design is more than a discipline. It’s a way of navigating the world.

Across culture, education, and space exploration, Kareem has used design to understand complex challenges, connect ideas and people, and create paths forward when the answer isn’t obvious.

Today, as Head of Design at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CreativeStudio, his work spans institutional identity, public engagement, and organizational leadership:

✔️ Leading the evolution of the brand and visual identity of a legacy scientific institution.
✔️ Creating immersive public experiences that invite people into science through story and participation.
✔️ Using design as a strategic tool to help leaders align teams, navigate change, and strengthen culture.

That approach has evolved throughout Kareem’s career, with an important chapter at Stanford’s d.school.

At the d.school, Kareem immersed himself in human-centered design, expanding his practice beyond communication design into navigating complexity across disciplines. Being asked to help build a core design thinking course without a set syllabus dropped him straight into ambiguity. Working through that experience clarified an approach built on shared understanding, collaboration, and moving forward when the path isn’t clear.

It’s an approach that continues to shape how Kareem designs, teaches, and leads today.

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3TW07Bx

08/19/2026

“No company, situation, or week is ever the same. To be successful in my work is to understand what the team wants to accomplish, where the puzzle pieces I can contribute will fit in, and to not do the same thing all the time.”

When d.school alum Erik Olesund worked at The New York Times, design helped him and his research team navigate the problems that are hard to predict and critical to solve.

Read more about Erik and “The Art of Not Answering.”

https://stanford.io/4rWD8SU

08/13/2026

Olatunde Sobomehin didn't find his purpose at the d.school. He found the language for it.

The work was already happening. The d.school gave him a framework, a stage, and a chance encounter that changed everything.

That encounter, featuring two stools, a flanking whiteboard, a stranger named sam seidel, and two words written down together: creative hustle.

What started as a conversation became a class, then a book, then a lifelong collaboration.

Today, Tunde co-leads StreetCode Academy, equipping young people from underrepresented communities with the mindsets, skills, and access needed to design futures that don't yet exist.

And Creative Hustle, the book he and Sam co-authored, blueprints a path for anyone determined to make work that matters.

08/06/2026

"Don’t procrastinate–prototype" with Grace Hawthorne: https://dschool.stanford.edu/events/2026-book-talk-creative-essentials-grace-hawthorne

Next week, join our Creative Essentials Book Club featuring Grace, who'll share insights from her career as an inventor, entrepreneur, and educator. She'll explore how experimentation, rapid prototyping, and learning by doing can unlock creativity and transform ideas into reality.

Learn more and register at the link now.

08/05/2026

Human-Centered Design for Local Government: https://stanford.io/4oCRMhl

Local government is where the rubber meets the road: essential services, critical infrastructure, and urgent problems that can't wait for a task force. You know the work. You also know how hard it can be to design solutions that reflect what residents actually need — not what a survey said six months ago.

This three-session workshop gives you tools to fill in that gap.

This October, Nadia Roumani and Roman Sanchez will help you reframe the challenges you're working on, get to know residents in new ways, build quick things to test in real neighborhoods, and connect design work to the strategy and budgets that already run your city. Come on your own or bring your team. Hit the link to learn more and register today.

08/01/2026

Introductory Design Thinking Workshop: https://stanford.io/3RDnjUh

This student-led workshop mixes experiential fun with an intro to design methods, creating a zero-pressure space where you can learn and explore.

Bring some friends and work as a team, or meet some new Stanford community members who share your curiosity. You'll walk away with new tools and ways of thinking that you can use right away in work and life.

07/30/2026

Human-Centered AI for Social Impact: https://bit.ly/4xdeNud

Too often, AI is built without understanding the people it affects.

What does it take to build AI solutions grounded in real human needs? We're partnering with Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) to bring social sector leaders to Stanford October 7-9 for a hands-on program at the intersection of human-centered design and AI development.

Hit the link to learn more and apply today.

Address

416 Escondido Mall Bldg 550
Stanford, CA
94305

Telephone

+16507361025

Website

http://dschool.stanford.edu/

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