How Might We...? An Intro to Design Thinking
We are excited to welcome Helen Glover, tech consultant at Lewis-Burke Associates and Executive Director of Civic Tech DC, for this hands-on introduction to design thinking.
What you will learn
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving that starts not with a solution, but with understanding the people you're designing for. This mindset is especially valuable in civics, where the best outcomes come from building with the community rather than for them. Helen will walk through the core mindset and methods of design thinking, including empathy mapping, problem (re)framing, and crafting effective "How Might We" statements.
What to bring
Come ready to practice applying these methods to real civic challenges. No design background needed—just a willingness to reframe problems and think from the community's perspective.
What you will leave with
A practical toolkit for approaching civic and community challenges with empathy first—including a repeatable framework for turning problems into "How Might We" statements that spark real solutions.
Bio: Helen Glover is a tech consultant at Lewis-Burke Associates and Executive Director of Civic Tech DC, a nonprofit that brings together technologists and designers to build community tech solutions. Her work focuses on open-source communities, civic technology, and the policy frameworks that support them.
About The Upskilling Labs
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The Upskilling Labs (https://theupskillinglabs.org/) is an open, project-based learning community where you build real things with real people. Every quarter, we run a Build Cycle themed around an industry—participants form pods around real problems, develop AI-enabled solutions together, and showcase what they've built. No credentials required. Just show up ready to learn alongside others.
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