Elon University has been studying design thinking techniques for over a decade. In that time, we have collected a broad range of toolkits, books and other resources to support campus and community partners as they deepen their understanding of human-centered design.Filter by:
American Refuge: True Stories of the Refugee Experience (opens in a new window)
By Diya Abdo, Design Forge Presenter 2024 Alamance Reads book club selectionCollective Action Toolkit (opens in a new window)
A universal design thinking framework that empowers communitiesCultivating Mentoring Constellations Worksheet
Prompts from our Cultivating Mentoring Constellations workshopDesign Against Racism: Creating Work That Transforms Communities (opens in a new window)
By Omari Souza, Design Forge presenter Case study co-authored by Danielle LakeDesign Empathy and Contextual Awareness: Frames of Reference for the 21st Century Creative (opens in a new window)
By Wayne K. Li, Design Forge presenterDesign Social Change: Take Action, Work Toward Equity, and Challenge the Status Quo (opens in a new window)
By Lesley-Ann Noel, Design Forge presenterDesign Thinking for Educators (opens in a new window)
A design thinking process overview, methods, and instructions for educatorsDevelopment Impact & You Toolkit (opens in a new window)
A library of digital tools to invent, adopt or adapt ideasHigher Education Leadership: Challenging Tradition and Forging Possibilities (opens in a new window)
Co-authored by Curricular Catalyst Rozana CarducciI Never Thought of It That Way (opens in a new window)
By Mónica Guzmán 2023 Elon University common readingRedesigning Liberal Education: Innovative Design for a Twenty-First-Century Undergraduate Education (opens in a new window)
Co-edited by Community Catalyst Phillip MotleyRelationality: An Emergent Politics of Life Beyond the Human (opens in a new window)
By Arturo Escobar, Michal Osterweil and Kriti Sharma, Design Forge presenters 2025 Pre-Design Forge ReadStamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (opens in a new window)
By Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi 2021 Elon University common readingThe American Queen (opens in a new window)
By Vanessa Miller 2026 Alamance Reads book club selectionThe Field Guide to Human-Centered Design (opens in a new window)
A step-by-step guide that will get you solving problems like a designerThis Is Service Design Doing (opens in a new window)
By Marc Stickdorn, Markus Edgar Hormess, Adam Lawrence and Jakob SchneiderThis Is Service Design Methods (opens in a new window)
Companion toolkit to This Is Service Design Doing