Building the Future Thinker: AIPO Workshop prototypes a Critical Thinking Center for the AI Era

The Ateneo Intellectual Property Office (AIPO) conducted a hands-on Design Thinking Workshop on August 27, 2026, at the PLDT-CTC Building, Room 108, bringing together participants from diverse creative and professional backgrounds to explore innovation-driven solutions to emerging industry challenges. The workshop was facilitated by Mr Steve Chaves, Head of the Ideation Support Group (ISG) of AIPO, who guided participants through the Design Thinking process—from identifying challenges and understanding stakeholder perspectives to developing and prototyping human-centered solutions.

The whole-day session gathered five participants representing different fields, including marketing, interior design, legal management, and multimedia arts. Through collaborative activities such as ecosystem mapping, user persona development, and rapid prototyping, participants examined complex challenges from multiple perspectives and worked together to transform insights into actionable solution concepts.

Participants from diverse creative and professional backgrounds come together during AIPO’s Design Thinking Workshop to explore emerging industry challenges and co-create human-centered solutions through collaboration, empathy, and innovation.

Mapping the Ecosystem Behind a Growing Challenge

The participants began by identifying a challenge affecting their respective industries through an ecosystem mapping exercise. The activity allowed them to examine the interconnected roles of various stakeholders, including students, universities, employers, professionals, government institutions, and customers.

Through this process, the group identified a growing concern regarding the increasing dependency of graduating students on artificial intelligence (AI) tools and how this behavior may influence the quality of work they bring into professional environments.

While recognizing AI as a powerful tool for productivity and innovation, participants highlighted the importance of ensuring that students continue to develop essential human skills, particularly critical thinking, creativity, judgment, and problem-solving. They observed that graduates entering the workforce must be equipped not only with the ability to use emerging technologies but also with the capacity to analyze, question, and create meaningful outputs beyond AI-generated responses.

Understanding the User Through Persona Development

To better understand the needs, motivations, and struggles of their target users, participants developed a user persona called “Productive Phoenix.”

Productive Phoenix represents a multimedia student navigating the changing academic landscape—someone who embraces AI as a learning and productivity tool but wants to ensure that their work continues to reflect originality, creativity, and human insight.

As a student preparing for professional practice, Productive Phoenix faces the challenge of balancing efficiency through AI with the desire to develop independent thinking and contribute work that carries a distinct human touch. This persona helped the participants empathize with students who are not necessarily opposed to AI but need guidance in using it responsibly while strengthening their own critical thinking abilities.

The group practices empathy mapping by creating “Productive Phoenix,” a student persona representing the aspirations and struggles of learners who seek to maximize AI while preserving their own creativity and critical thinking skills.

Prototyping the Critical Thinking Center

Building on their research and user insights, the participants proposed the establishment of a Critical Thinking Center—a dedicated space designed to help students and professionals develop stronger reasoning skills while navigating the responsible use of AI.

Using rapid prototyping techniques, the group created a physical building-block-based model representing their vision of the center. The prototype transformed the concept into a tangible environment with different zones designed to support learning, reflection, collaboration, and innovation.

The proposed Critical Thinking Center, illustrating the different zones designed to support reflection, collaboration, AI literacy, and mentorship.

The proposed Critical Thinking Center included:

• Reflection Zone – A quiet space where students can pause, analyze ideas, and develop independent perspectives before creating solutions.

• Dialogue Zone – A collaborative area designed for discussions, peer learning, and stakeholder conversations where different viewpoints can be exchanged.

• AI Testing Zone – A space where students can explore AI tools while learning how to evaluate outputs, identify limitations, and strengthen their own decision-making and analytical skills.

• Mentor Corner / Help Desk – A consultation area where students can seek guidance from mentors, professionals, and facilitators on improving their work and developing critical thinking practices.

• Showcase Wall – A space dedicated to highlighting student projects and outputs that demonstrate creativity, originality, and thoughtful application of knowledge.

The prototype reflected the participants’ interdisciplinary perspectives, combining marketing strategy, multimedia storytelling, spatial design, and governance considerations into a holistic innovation concept.

From Dialogue to Action

As part of the proposed implementation, the participants recommended conducting a town-hall dialogue involving key stakeholders, including students, educators, industry professionals, and employers. This engagement would provide an opportunity to better understand current experiences, gather insights, and co-create strategies that promote responsible AI adoption.

The workshop concluded with the presentation of the Critical Thinking Center concept as a possible intervention to address the evolving relationship between technology and human creativity. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for human capability, the participants envisioned a future where technology complements human intelligence by empowering individuals to think critically, create meaningfully, and contribute unique perspectives.

Through this workshop, AIPO continues to promote innovation methodologies that encourage collaboration across disciplines and support the development of solutions grounded in empathy, creativity, and real-world impact.

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Interested in joining our next Design Thinking workshop on September 24 or October 24, 2026? Slots are still available! Register now to secure your spot: https://www.aipo.ateneo.edu/designthinking