Design Thinking Foundations
Design Thinking Foundations is a research-based initiative started at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada by Cameron Norman and Andrea Yip.

The project seeks to understand the concept of design thinking as understood both by those that practice it and through synthesizing the literature on design thinking, innovation, creative problem solving and design itself. Through this project, we are interviewing professionals and scholars who are both influencing “design thinking” and thinking about design. Our aim is to understand more about what it is, how it is practiced and the ways in which it is applied to different disciplines and fields, particularly human systems and social issues.

The insights and perspectives generated from these interviews will be used in the development of a theoretical framework for understanding the foundations of design thinking. Through DesignFoundations.ca, we will keep you updated on the project and share some of the learnings we are gathering along the way.

Cameron Norman, PhD
Cameron Norman has been working in the field of public health for more than 15 years as an educator, researcher and health promoter. He is an Adjunct professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and the Principal of CENSE Research + Design, a social innovation design studio and consultancy. His research and practice focuses on the intersection of design, systems thinking, and health promotion to such areas as social media communications, innovation education, and knowledge translation. He is the Principal Investigator of the project.

Andrea Yip, MPH
Andrea Yip is a health promoter and researcher at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Her background is in filmmaking, arts-based approaches to community engagement, biological sciences, and more recently she has taken a special interest in the applications of design and design thinking to health promotion. She hosts a blog on the visual elements of health promotion and design called Drawed.