Incubating Ideas: A Typology of Design Thinking Academic Centers in American Higher Education

Abstract

Twenty years after the founding of the Hasso–Plattner Institute of Design (the d.School) at Stanford University, a wide range of academic centers and institutes have been established to prioritize innovation, creativity, and design thinking. This qualitative study presents a typology of these centers across the United States, drawing on “About Us” language from 44 entities. Typologies drawn from the data analysis position the centers as innovators in engaging design to: reimagine higher education, cultivate a strong societal purpose or mission, develop the student as an entrepreneur, develop the student as a designer, confront problems and create solutions, support making as a learning experience, and develop the field of design.