What is the design cycle? Why practise design thinking? How do the IB programmes approach problem-solving and creativity with purpose across technology, engineering, and beyond?
To explore these questions, we interviewed members of the St. Nicholas School IB, STEAM, and Design team. Five quotes from the conversation reveal the essence of how creativity, inquiry, and purposeful action unfold across the school.
Mistakes as a Starting Point for Learning
“A mistake is not something that should be avoided. It’s something that should be looked at and understood so it can be the starting point of a new solution… and of course, learning.”
This belief reflects a core IB principle: learning is iterative, reflective, and rooted in inquiry. In the PYP, students explore, test, and revise ideas within a culture that sees mistakes as opportunities. In the MYP, this becomes more explicit through structured reflection embedded in the design cycle, assessment criteria, and Approaches to Learning (ATLs).
Across both programmes, students develop a growth mindset, understanding that enduring learning develops through experimentation, feedback, and revision.
Looking at Problems with “Beginner’s Eyes”
“Design encourages us to always approach a problem with beginner’s eyes… so we can debunk our own assumptions and stay open to the perspective of people facing the issue.”
This mindset mirrors the IB’s emphasis on perspective-taking and conceptual understanding.
In the PYP, inquiry begins with curiosity: learners ask questions, consider viewpoints, and investigate how different people experience the world.
In the MYP, global contexts help students situate problems within cultural, social, and personal lenses.
Approaching challenges with “beginner’s eyes” nurtures open-minded, reflective learners equipped to engage with complexity.
The Power of Brainstorming
“The brainstorming moment is the most powerful moment for creativity, because that’s when we allow all the information we gathered to mix together, sometimes into wild, absurd, or impossible ideas that might become feasible solutions.”
Creative thinking lies at the heart of inquiry. In the PYP, teachers intentionally create spaces for imagination, wonder, and possibility before students commit to a course of action. In the MYP, brainstorming is a vital stage in the inquiry process, helping students draw connections between research, prior knowledge, and conceptual frameworks.
Both programmes aim to cultivate resourceful thinkers capable of innovating within and beyond the classroom.
Locating Yourself in the Design Cycle
“When students follow the design cycle, they begin to locate themselves in the process. They see where they are, where they’re heading, and how to go back and refine their ideas when something goes wrong.”
The PYP emphasises learner agency, helping young students understand themselves as active, capable participants in their learning journey. As learners move into the MYP, the design cycle becomes a powerful framework for building metacognition: students plan, monitor progress, refine ideas, and reflect strategically.
In both programmes, students strengthen self-management skills and embrace iterative learning, foundations that prepare them for complex, authentic challenges.
Creativity With Purpose
“You cannot forget that you need to use creativity with purpose… you’re doing it for a client, a user, or a problem that needs solving.”
Purposeful action is fundamental to the IB philosophy.
In the PYP, inquiry connects to real-world contexts, encouraging students to recognise how their ideas and creations can influence their community.
In the MYP, authenticity is embedded in units through real users, significant problems, and global contexts that give meaning to design decisions.
Across the continuum, students learn that creativity is not abstract, it is intentional, empathetic, and impactful.
Innovation as a Lifelong Habit
As our STEAM, Design, First Lego League Challenge, and extracurricular programmes evolve, they give our students something essential: confidence in their ability to shape their world.
Whether they are five or fifteen, students learn that innovation is not something reserved for experts, it is something they can practise, refine, and live every day.
And with every idea they test, they are already building the future.
