The final week of classes in April marked the culmination for students in the Design Thinking for Innovation course. This course involves reasoning with empathy to define a problem, and ideating solutions that are tested and refined to impact people in the marketplace or community. Throughout the term, student teams collaborated to build innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Professor Harold DeVries opened the class with a reading from Joshua 1: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” DeVries connected this passage to the courage required to step into new ventures and follow God’s leading to build restorative solutions.

The objective of the course is to apply the methods and tools of the design process to generate innovative solutions to the world’s wicked problems. Student groups shared the inspiration and stories behind the innovative solutions that they created. Each solution was designed to strengthen the Redeemer community and addressed a variety of real-world issues that students face on campus. The solutions ranged from raising awareness about campus accessibility for students with mobility needs to supporting students to get more engaged with the Career Centre. Three of the groups designed unique apps: one that helps students manage their many responsibilities, another that creates a digital community of belonging for students with anxiety, and a third app that encourages students to eat healthier and more balanced meals.

This idea goes beyond a project. It reflects how we approach people. Creating safety isn’t just about physical protection but making sure people feel heard and supported.

One of the groups dove into the complexities of women’s safety, seeking to empower students who may feel vulnerable walking home alone at night on postsecondary campuses. They shared the story behind the design of a VOX (voice and sound) phone case, which features a whistle attachment. Their hope was to create a practical product that individuals can use if they are faced with a situation that threatens their safety. They described the process of rigorously testing their original product and using feedback to improve the design and usability of the whistle. Their innovative venture extended beyond just the product itself. The team shared their vision to create pop-up shops displayed around schools, churches and local communities where the product would be available and to raise awareness about personal safety.

A member of the women’s safety group said, “This idea goes beyond a project. It reflects how we approach people. Creating safety isn’t just about physical protection but making sure people feel heard and supported. So moving forward whether it’s in our team, in our workplace or our everyday interactions, we want to carry that mindset because when people feel safe, they engage more, contribute more and trust more, which turns just an idea into a strong impact.”

At the core of all the presentations was the redemptive power of empathy in recognizing the needs of those they were serving. Through the creative design process, students discovered that a part of solving problems for a community unfolds through the act of listening to and understanding their audience. Empathy guides them to meaningful solutions to care for the wellbeing of others.

If you don’t actually connect with the people you are trying to help, you don’t understand what they’re feeling and you don’t learn how to actually solve their problem.” 

One student described the value of this: “Empathizing with your target audience is very crucial because you can have numbers, data, pictures and graphs but that only gets you so far. If you don’t actually connect with the people you are trying to help, you don’t understand what they’re feeling and you don’t learn how to actually solve their problem.” 

Redeemer staff from various departments attended the showcase and engaged in discussions about the innovative solutions related to their work. They provided their feedback to these real-world solutions and even opportunities for further collaborations.

DeVries commended his students for their creativity, sharing how proud he was of each one of them for taking the “idea of a problem and really digging into it to find out how we can express God’s love for others by finding a solution to that problem.”