Abstract

Design domains are fundamentally similar but with different working mechanisms due to some factors namely clients’ expectations, customers’ needs, production procedures and marketing strategies. One of the similar design processes for all design disciplines is the design thinking process. In view of design education, no matter what kinds of design students, they need to learn design thinking skills in the initial stage of their study. Teaching design thinking is educating design students to manage creative thinking and design planning concurrently. This hybrid process of design thinking is aiming for discoveries eventually, same as other major scientific breakthroughs, design students have to balance both abilities of creative thinking and design planning in a systematic, deliberate and scientific manner. This paper aims to discuss the ways of teaching design thinking skills in tertiary design education by emphasizing (1) the role of creative thinking in design education; (2) the ways of teaching creative thinking in design education; (3) the management of creative thinking and design planning for design thinking.