Design Thinking is a powerful tool for working with problems in creative ways. Much of Design Thinking is learned using short sprints in an hour workshop or in a couple of days. In this context it is stretched out into a marathon sequence that lasts through four courses in two semesters. This allows students to dig more deeply and professors to introduce more technology into the process at various stages.

The aim of the paper is to show others the many places where today’s technologies, both hard and soft, can be used to help diverge and converge in Design Thinking. For example, the use of WhatsApp to involve local village people in brainstorming to diverge as well as the use of it to investigate local opinions on a practical solution or convergence.

The approach involves explaining where either the authors or the students have found creative ways to support the process with technology. With the luxury of time in a two-semester sequence, students can experiment with a variety of technologies to see what helps them in the general process outlined by the Stanford design school. For example, students can try using AI in the empathy phase, the definition phase, and in prototype development work.

Key findings provide that many of the things that are making our world smaller and easier to manage can also help with the Design Thinking process. Each finding is explained in the paper in the order in which the technology seems to appear in the Design Thinking Process. The time available in the four classes really makes a difference to the student’s ability to explore technologies in a variety of ways.

The implications are broad for those working in Design Thinking and Human Factors Engineering. Many of these technologies help designers to better understand the clients they are hoping to serve. Learning that has taken place when there is more time may be applied in shorter design sprints and in practice in design studios and classes.

Specifically, the paper discusses the use of the following soft and hard technologies: Arduino, Artificial Intelligence, Smartphones, social media, Starlink, Three D printing, Translating Apps, and WhatsApp. These tools are increasingly available in universities, globally. The paper endeavors to show others how these technologies can be used to improve design education. Technology can help students learn and interact more throughout the steps of Design Thinking.

Keywords: Design Thinking, AI, Arduino, WhatsApp, 3D Printing.