- Prototype link (Please submit a link to a playable prototype, not a link to your design file) Link:
2. Describe your project (max 150 words) Write your answer here.
Ponder is an interactive app designed to help young adults and students strengthen their critical thinking and articulation skills in an age of increasing AI reliance to compose thoughts and writing. While AI tools like ChatGPT can offer quick solutions, Ponder challenges users to think for themselves. Through engaging conversations with an AI chatbot, interactive daily games, and an open space for brainstorming and ideation, users engage their critical thinking skills and explore diverse topics, all while developing better problem-solving, reasoning, and communication skills. Ponder aims to foster independent thinking, encouraging users to analyze and reflect rather than simply relying on AI for answers, making learning both intellectually rewarding and empowering.
- Describe your research process and findings. If you conducted any surveys or interviews, please include the survey form and/or interview questions here. If you conducted secondary research by pulling from online sources, please include a link to your sources. (Max 500 words) Write your answer here.
Link to FigJam: https://www.figma.com/board/o4PmLiWVfjgZsK844Wfudi/Rice-Design-a-thon-2025-(go-team-302!!)?node-id=0-1&t=8Pr4tNuz3cBtH2p2-1
After reflecting on our relationship with AI and our own humanity, we came to an important realization: our increasing reliance on AI often leads to passive thinking, rather than active cognitive engagement with the topics we’re learning about. Instead of deeply contemplating and making connections, we’re quickly fed answers. To validate this concern, we looked into research on the cognitive effects of overusing AI—particularly chatbots—which revealed a troubling trend: AI can replace the critical thinking process, causing users to avoid forming original thoughts.
This sparked our curiosity about how humans learn and the essential role critical thinking plays in that process. Our research led us to the prefrontal cortex—the region of the brain responsible for insight, foresight, and planning. It’s what makes us uniquely human, as our ability to critically think defines our identity and how we interact with the world.
Looking for ways to strengthen this vital skill, we explored proven methods to stimulate critical thinking and came across the Socratic method. Socrates noted that when students were asked a series of targeted, open-ended questions, they were forced to reevaluate their beliefs and assumptions. This method demonstrated the power of conversation and inquiry in cultivating deeper thought.
This led us to create Ponder—an app that doesn’t just give you answers, but challenges you with thought-provoking questions. Instead of relying on AI to do the thinking for us, Ponder prompts users to question their preconceptions, link ideas, and engage in a process of self-reflection. The goal of Ponder is to encourage the use of critical thinking, the cognitive muscle that makes us human, so we can harness the full power of knowledge and creativity.
4. Describe your most important design decisions. What research findings and/or user testing results led you to make these decisions? (Max 500 words) Write your answer here.
Capturing the attention of young people, who often have short attention spans, was a key factor in shaping our design choices. We wanted to create a judgment-free space where users feel comfortable expressing their ideas, being "incorrect," and freely exploring new thoughts. Our visual direction strikes a balance between fun and smart, using a clean interface paired with imperfect and friendly illustrations to keep users engaged while maintaining intellectual credibility. By focusing on a simple, welcoming design, we aim to break down the misconception that critical thinking is boring or inaccessible, making it feel fresh, approachable, and exciting.
The journaling feature in Ponder is designed to provide users with a flexible, open-ended space for brainstorming and ideation, encouraging active critical thinking rather than passive consumption of information. It allows users to capture and expand on ideas in real-time while seamlessly integrating with the app’s other features, allowing for a dynamic environment where creativity and reflection drive deeper learning and personal insight.
To further engage users, we designed daily games that target different aspects of critical thinking, offering positive reinforcement and a competitive edge. The final stage of each game shows other users answers, making the user feel a sense of community and allowing them to learn from one another. These games encourage users to expand their vocabulary, improve articulation, and practice connecting ideas—activities that actively form new neural pathways in the brain.
Ultimately, the main goal of Ponder’s design is to keep users engaged through an exciting and welcoming space where originality and independent thinking are celebrated.
If we don’t exercise our neural pathways, we risk losing them. While AI is incredibly useful, we believe Ponder is one solution to reshape how we form thoughts and interact with AI—ensuring it supports, rather than replaces, the critical thinking skills that make us human.
Sources: https://slejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40561-024-00316-7 https://www.boisestate.edu/news/2023/09/06/dr-tromp-and-panel-of-experts-discuss-artificial-intelligence-in-higher-education/ https://thejuicelearning.com/blog/critical-thinking-brain/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499919/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4174386/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/08/05/13-easy-steps-to-improve-your-critical-thinking-skills/ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/why-is-critical-thinking-important/ https://wvnexus.org/opinions/ai-reduces-critical-thinking/ https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/a-brief-history-of-the-idea-of-critical-thinking/408
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