Choose an object or system and use the prompts. 
In what ways could it be made to be more effective? 
In what ways could it be made to be more efficient? 
In what ways could it be made to be more ethical? 
In what ways could it be made to be more beautiful?

PURPOSE

What kind of thinking does this routine encourage? 

This routine helps students investigate objects and systems and how they might be redesigned by identifying new ideas and inviting divergent and convergent thinking.

APPLICATION

When and where can I use it? 

This thinking routine can be used to explore the possibilities of improving, tinkering with, and/or tweaking any object or system. While it is important for students to generate ideas within a wideopen possibility space, it is helpful to place creative constraints on that possibility space. You may do this by limiting the variety of tools and materials students have access to, presenting certain functionality criteria, or identifying a particular population or user group.

LAUNCH

What are some tips for starting and using this routine?

This thinking routine asks students to imagine new ways to improve an object or system by looking at the possibility space around an object or system through four different lenses. While we find these four lenses helpful to consider, you and your students are encouraged to come up with others. When considering how to redesign or hack an object or system, it is exciting to see students generate a list of big, unbounded ideas, but it is also important for students to be sensitive to the design of their objects or systems. You might want to consider using one of the following thinking routines that help students think about objects and systems before doing this routine. These include: Parts, Purposes, Complexities; Parts, People, Interactions; or, Parts, Perspectives, and Me.