Hero’s Journey x Design Thinking: A Story of Transformation.

The beginning of a new year is always a time for reflection and dreaming, and a time where new adventures take their beginnings. One chapter of your hero’s journey is closing while a new one begins.

The term “hero’s journey” finds its origins with Joseph Campbell, who first mentioned it in his book of the same name. But the decades-old concept is as timeless as ever and serves as an analogy for life itself – or rather, for the chapters in life. At SCADpro, we like to think that a SCADpro project is a chapter within a student's life. It’s a transformative journey that propels individuals from the realm of college into the dynamic landscape of professional problem-solving.

With a mission to tackle real-world problems and equipped with the tools of design thinking, SCADpro students embark on a hero's journey that not only shapes their identity but also leaves a lasting impact on the world. Let the story begin!

Chapter 1: Call to Adventure

Once upon a time, 20 students came together to embark on a journey of innovation. On the first day of their ten-week journey, they receive a call from a global tech company. They are given the task to increase engagement with the company’s services and reduce churn among the users.

The typical SCADpro experience begins with a call to adventure that presents students with a task from a real-world client. At SCADpro, we also call it the “kickoff.” This marks the initiation of a ten-week project filled with innovation, collaboration, and personal growth.

Built on tools such as design thinking and the design sprint methodology, the SCADpro journey begins with empathizing with users and defining the problem. These tools, championed by global players, empower SCADpro students to think outside the box and create user-centered solutions. But the beginning of the design sprint also marks the beginning of a journey-within-the-journey: Much like the hero's journey of SCADpro students, the ideal user also undergoes a transformative process.

Chapter 2: Beyond the Threshold

To learn more about their users, the 20 SCADpro students dive deep into research. They map out their users’ characteristics, motivations, and challenges. Through a process of affinitization, the students find patterns in the user’s journey. Along the way, they receive guidance and feedback from faculty, clients, and external guests.

As SCADpro students move beyond the threshold of the known, they learn more about the realm of the users. They begin learning about their client’s products or services and venture into feedback from users – or should we say heroes? Because as the students follow their own hero’s journey throughout the project, they realize that they are tasked with designing the hero’s journey of the ideal user.

Chapter 3: Battling Challenges

Midterms are approaching quickly, the first ideas are solid, and the presentation is in the making. It all seems to go smoothly. The client loves the students’ proposed solutions and encourages them to keep going. However, as they develop the first prototypes and venture into user testing, the students learn that their product doesn’t actually soothe the user’s pain points.

The user's journey mirrors the hero's journey: It begins with a call to action to engage with a product or service, but as they cross the threshold into the product’s realm, challenges and obstacles arise. To understand the user’s pain points, needs, and desires, students have to be empathetic and employ emotional intelligence. On the journey to solving the user’s pain points, the students learn to understand the users (or heroes). They come from diverse places and come with all kinds of opinions, perspectives, and personalities that need to be taken into consideration.

Chapter 4: Finding Help

To get their solution on the right track, the students receive help from industry experts and designers that offer unique perspectives. After a row of workshops, more interviews, and thorough user testing, the students set their path straight and continue venturing forward.

The hero wouldn’t be the hero without receiving help along the way. Finding external help is all about expanding knowledge so the journey can continue. It’s as essential as the call to adventure because help is a catalyzer for transformation. Perhaps unknowingly, on a different level, the students also fulfill the role of the helper because they help the users achieve their goals, whether that is building a retirement fund, booking a hotel room, or using a tech product successfully. In the end, solving challenges through collaboration always presents an opportunity for growth.

Chapter 5: Transformation and return to the ordinary world

It all comes down to presentation day. As the students approach the end and simultaneously the climax of their journey, they refine their product, prepare a final slide deck, and get ready to perform. They are excited to meet their client, maybe a little nervous. But after all, that’s part of it. The presentation goes well, and the students are overwhelmed with feedback – mostly positive feedback, but there is always room for improvement. They’re relieved, they celebrate, then it’s time to return to reality.

As the SCADpro journey concludes, students and users return to the ordinary world. The feedback at the end of the final presentation from clients and faculty serves as a reward, and the final deliverable becomes a testament to the impact of purpose-driven innovation. The hero, whether a student or a user, leaves with a takeaway – a great user experience, improved relationships, or optimized processes – that encourages them to come back.

Perhaps it all boils down to this: SCADpro is not just a course, it is a transformative journey that shapes the designers, innovators, and problem-solvers of tomorrow. Through purpose, innovation, and a commitment to real-world impact, SCADpro assists students in transforming from student to professional.  

While the SCADpro student team undergoes a transformation throughout the ten weeks, everyone’s individual journey is different from each other – and that’s the beauty of it. As the young professionals continue their paths, they will face challenges and adventures. SCADpro is a glimpse of an exciting journey filled with new projects, new opportunities, and new people. It is up to the students to decide: Which kind of hero would they like to become? What will be their impact? How will they create change, and become heroes that design for the future?

Written by Julia Gralki, B.F.A. Writing (2023) and M.A. Service Design | SCADpro Ambassador

Directed by: Emilio J. Arellano. M.A. | SCADpro Academic Coordinator

Illustration by Freepik