CBSE Class 12 Sample Paper 2026 Solution for Design Thinking & Innovation

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CBSE | DEPARTMENT OF SKILL EDUCATION
DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION (SUBJECT CODE - 848)

MARKING SCHEME FOR CLASS XII (SESSION 2025-2026)
Max. Time: 2 Hours Max. Marks: 50
General Instructions:
1. Please read the instructions carefully.
2. This Question Paper consists of 22 questions in two sections – Section A & Section B.
3. Section A has Objective type questions whereas Section B contains Subjective type questions.
4. Out of the given (5 + 17 =) 22 questions, a candidate has to answer (5 + 10 =) 15 questions in the
allotted (maximum) time of 2 hours.
5. All questions of a particular section must be attempted in the correct order.
6. SECTION A - OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS (24 MARKS):
i. This section has 05 questions.
ii. There is no negative marking.
iii. Do as per the instructions given.
iv. Marks allotted are mentioned against each question/part.
7. SECTION B – SUBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS (26 MARKS):
i. This section contains 17 questions.
ii. A candidate has to do 10 questions.
iii. Do as per the instructions given.
iv. Marks allotted are mentioned against each question/part.

SECTION A: OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

Source Material Unit/ Page no.
Q.
QUESTION (NCERT/PSSCIVE/ Chap. of source Marks
No.
CBSE Study Material) No. material
Q. 1 Answer any 4 out of the given 6 questions on Employability Skills (1 x 4 = 4 marks)
i. d) All of the above 1
ii. b) An opportunity 1
iii. b) CTRL + A 1
iv. d) All of the above 1
v. d) Language barriers 1
vi. c) To address environmental challenges 1
sustainably
Q. 2 Answer any 5 out of the given 6 questions (1 x 5 = 5 marks)
i. b) Test CBSE Study Material 1 7 1
ii. b) False CBSE Study Material 5 48 1
iii. a) Incorporating ergonomic furniture, CBSE Study Material 2 17 1
soundproofing, and adjustable lighting
iv. a) Researching materials and prototyping CBSE Study Material 3 26 1
solutions that minimize waste.
v. c) Develop stage CBSE Study Material 8 55 1
vi. b) Ideate CBSE Study Material 4 35 1

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 1 of 11

Q. 3 Answer any 5 out of the given 6 questions (1 x 5 = 5 marks)
i. a) Hear, Create, Deliver CBSE Study Material 1 7 1
ii. a) Understand - Improve – Apply CBSE Study Material 2 17 1
iii. a) Prototyping CBSE Study Material 6 51 1
iv. d) Everything to do with products that succeed. CBSE Study Material 4 35 1
v. a) Convergent thinking CBSE Study Material 7 53 1
vi. C) Both of them 8 55 1
Q. 4 Answer any 5 out of the given 6 questions (1 x 5 = 5 marks)
i. b) Empathize > Define > Ideate > Prototype > CBSE Study Material 8 55 1
Test
ii. e) a & d CBSE Study Material 3 26 1
iii. C) Information about courses CBSE Study Material 5 48 1
iv. c) It will not be comfortable for the user. CBSE Study Material 6 51 1
v. b) How much space is needed per person? CBSE Study Material 7 48 1
vi. a) To derive the power of design thinking, CBSE Study Material 4 35 1
individuals, teams, and organizations must have
a leap of faith about the existence of a solution.
Q. 5 Answer any 5 out of the given 6 questions (1 x 5 = 5 marks)
i. b) False CBSE Study Material 3 26 1
ii. b) Experience Strategy CBSE Study Material 5 48 1
iii. d) All of above CBSE Study Material 6 51 1
iv. b) Contextual inquiry CBSE Study Material 7 53 1
v. b) Ideate CBSE Study Material 8 55 1
vi. c) Collect feedback from the testers to evaluate CBSE Study Material 4 35 1
his idea.

SECTION B: SUBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS
Source Material Page
Unit/
Q. (NCERT/PSSCIVE/ no. of
QUESTION Chap. Marks
No. CBSE Study source
No.
Material) material
Answer any 3 out of the given 5 questions on Employability Skills in 20 – 30 words each (2 x 3 = 6 marks)
Q. 6 1) A Slide Master is a slide which contains information 2
about the whole theme. It is the top slide which
contains information about the background, fonts,
colors, placeholders, etc.
2) The Animations tab in PowerPoint contains a
number of animations that you can apply to your
slides. The easiest way to add one is to select a slide
element, go to the Animations tab and select an
animation effect from the given menu.
3) Transitions: The difference between animations and
transitions is that the latter loads a slide with an
effect and the former is used to load slide elements.
4) PowerPoint has introduced a revolutionary
transition effect called Morph. This transition
enables presenters to animate multiple parts of a
slide which animate as you switch to the slide.
Q. 7 1) It increases individual’s energy and activity. 2
2) It directs an individual towards specific goals

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 2 of 11

Q. 8 1) Strong leadership qualities. 2
2) Highly self-motivated.
3) Strong sense of basic ethics and integrity.
4) Willingness to fail.
5) Serial innovators.
6) Know what you don't know.
7) Competitive spirit.
8) Understand the value of a strong peer network.
Q. 9 A long-term goal is something you want to do in the 2
future. Long-term goals are important for a
successful career. A long-term goal is something you
want to accomplish in the future. Long-term goals
require time and planning. They are not something
you can do this week or even this year.
Q. 10 1) On the Home tab, under Insert, click Text. 2
2) On the pop-up menu, click Text Box.
3) On the slide, click the location where you want to
add the text box.
4) Type or paste your text in the text box.
Answer any 4 out of the given 6 questions in 20 – 30 words each (2 x 4 = 8 marks)
Q. 11 A capstone project is a project where students must CBSE Study 5 43 2
research a topic independently to find a deep Material
understanding of the subject matter. It gives an
opportunity for the student to integrate all their
knowledge and demonstrate it through a
comprehensive project.
Q. 12 A journey map is a diagram or other visual CBSE Study 4 36 2
representation of the process an individual goes Material
through to complete a goal. This tool can be helpful to
identify barriers or process inefficiencies in consumer
purchasing.
Q. 13 In the initial stages, you should start with low-fidelity CBSE Study 7 53 2
prototypes. These could include paper sketches, Material
cardboard models, or basic digital wireframes. The
focus is on quickly exploring and testing ideas without
investing heavily in high-cost materials or detailed
designs.
Q. 14 Design thinking is a human-centric approach in which CBSE Study 8 55 2
problems are defined and resolved by empathizing with Material
users, understanding how problems affect them,
generating ideas, creating prototypes, and testing them
on the intended end users. Within project
management, it can facilitate greater creativity and
innovation.
Q. 15 COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS: Know your competitors! What CBSE Study 3 26 2
else is out there? What is working? What isn’t? What Material
features do the competitors have that our users will
expect? What features are missing in the marketplace?
MAP POSITIONNING: These tools help you to determine
your market positioning strategy in comparison to your
competitor strategy.

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 3 of 11

Q. 16 Brainstorming is a way to generate lots of ideas to solve CBSE Study 6 51 2
a problem, find opportunities for improvement and Material
spark innovation.
Principles of brainstorming
I: Generate as many ideas as possible.
Quantity of ideas is favored over quality. Encourage
people to keep thinking of ideas during the session.
II: Equal opportunity to participate.
By having each person give one idea at a time as you go
around ensures equal participation. If someone has no
further ideas, they can say pass but can continue to
contribute when it comes to their turn again.
III: Freewheeling is encouraged.
The only bad ideas are those that are withheld. You
must encourage everyone to share whatever comes to
mind. This is how some of the best ideas get generated.
IV: No criticism is allowed.
Neither positive or negative criticism is allowed during
brainstorming as it could cause people to hold back,
especially when you have different levels of leadership
in the session.
V: Record all ideas.
Appoint a scribe, someone to write down the ideas on a
flip chart. Use paper so the list can be left in view or
posted to the wall. Once again, no criticism or
editorializing is permitted.
VI: Let the ideas incubate.
Don’t rush into analysis or other problem-solving
techniques. Leave the list on display so people can
reflect on it and new ideas might be generated or
suggestions for combining items.
Answer any 3 out of the given 6 questions in 50– 80 words each (4 x 3 = 12 marks)

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 4 of 11

Q. 17 1. Simple Coconut Shell Plant Pot CBSE Study 2 17 4
The first, easiest and simplest idea to consider is simply Material
using half coconut shells as plant pots.
These can look attractive, and allow you to avoid the use
of plastic plant pots in your home or garden. The shell is
fully biodegradable. Simply make a few holes in the
bottom of each one for drainage, then place these in
your garden or in another shell half to catch water if
growing indoors.
Coconut shell plant pots are ideal for seedlings to be
potted on, and can also make attractive holders for
microgreens, succulents, smaller herbs or perhaps even
air plants indoors.

2. Bird Feeder
You can also use a coconut shell half to make a simple
bird feeder for your garden. Simply make holes in the
half shell so you can hang it somewhere suitable for
feeding wild garden birds, then fill it with a mixture of
lard, bird seeds and other foods birds will enjoy.

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 5 of 11

Q. 18 A mind map helps the team visually organize all possible CBSE Study 4 39 4
ideas and features, starting from core aspects like Material
battery life, design, and comfort to advanced ones like
stress tracking and device integration. By branching out
these features into sub-categories (e.g., comfort could
include material, fit, and weight), the team can address
multiple considerations simultaneously.
Mind maps also allow for the easy identification of
dependencies, such as how battery life may affect the
choice of features like GPS or continuous heart rate
monitoring. These connections help in identifying trade-
offs and prioritizing which features are most important.
1. In the design thinking process, the first phase is
empathy, which the mind map helps with by including
insights from users regarding comfort and functionality.
This user-centric approach ensures that every feature is
aligned with user needs.
2. Moving to define, the mind map helps the team
clearly outline the main challenges, such as balancing
health-tracking accuracy with battery life. The team can
then ideate around those challenges using mind
mapping, ensuring solutions are both creative and
feasible.
3. Prototyping and testing follow, where features
identified through the mind map can be developed into
low-fidelity models and tested iteratively, ensuring the
smartwatch meets user expectations before a full-scale
launch.
Overall, mind mapping serves as a visual blueprint for
innovation, while design thinking ensures the features
are developed in a way that is both user-centered and
technologically feasible.

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 6 of 11

Q. 19 Five key steps make up the design thinking CBSE Study 6 51 4
methodology: empathy, define, ideate, prototype, and Material
test.
Stage 1: Empathy
The first stage of the design thinking process is empathy.
During this stage, design teams set aside their own
biases and work to gain a deeper understanding of real
users and their needs—often through direct
observation and engagement.

Example: Imagine you are the owner of a boutique gym,
and you want to improve membership retention. In the
empathy phase, you would talk to a range of current and
past members. You would solicit feedback on what they
liked or disliked. You might observe how different
members interacted with the equipment or different
facilities. You would look for areas of encouragement or
discouragement: what makes them happy? What seems
to frustrate them? You would keep at these
observations until you could truly understand and
empathize with your members and their needs.
Stage 2: Define
The second step is to define the problem. In this phase,
designers analyze the data gathered during the previous
stage to identify and define the issue with a clear and
concise problem statement.

Example: Let’s continue to use the gym scenario
mentioned above. During the define stage, we’ll take all
our user feedback and observational data and analyze it
to determine why some members keep their
membership and others don’t. We look for common
complaints and try to identify possible pain points or
unmet user needs. Based on our analysis, we create a

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 7 of 11

problem statement that defines the issue that has the
greatest impact on member retention.
Stage 3: Ideate
The ideation stage is where designers start to explore
solutions. Ideas in this stage will ultimately become
prototypes that can be tested with your target
audience.

Example: Based on user feedback, you were able to
identify the number-one issue keeping members from
renewing their membership is that there aren’t enough
open exercise machines. During the ideate phase, you
gather your team together and brainstorm ideas.
Nothing is off the table. Any idea to resolve this issue is
worth considering.
Stage 4: Prototype
During this phase of design thinking, teams will create
prototypes of the ideas they generated in the previous
stage. Prototypes don’t need to be finished products.
They are meant to convey a possible solution, not
deliver it. Sketches, models, and digital renders are all
examples of prototypes: scaled-down versions of the
product created during the ideation stage.

Examples: Believing that neighboring pieces of
equipment are being used simultaneously by users
performing “super sets,” your idea is to relocate those
machines to opposite sides of the gym. This should
prohibit users from occupying multiple machines at
once. Your first prototype is a rough sketch of what the
new floor layout would be and where the machines
would go. Based on feedback from staff members, you

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 8 of 11

prototype it again as many times as necessary.
Stage 5: Test
The testing phase of the design thinking process
involves real users and real user feedback. During this
phase, prototypes are given to participants to try out.
Design teams observe how participants interact with
the prototype and gather feedback about the
experience.

Example: Rearrange the exercise machines and see how
customers respond. Does the new arrangement solve
the users’ problem? Does it create new issues for
different users? Solicit feedback from gym members:
are they happy with the new arrangement? Based on
user feedback, revisit the design thinking stages as
necessary.

Q. 20 The testing phase of the design thinking process CBSE Study 7 53 4
involves real users and real user feedback. During this Material
phase, prototypes are given to participants to try out.
Design teams observe how participants interact with
the prototype and gather feedback about the
experience.
Testing reveals what is or isn’t working. Don’t forget:
design thinking is an iterative and non-linear process—
that goes for testing, too. Depending on user feedback,
changes to the product might be required. These
changes might require you to restart the testing phase
or revisit past stages. Feedback from user testing might
also inspire new potential solutions or actionable
insights.
Commonly used testing tools include:
Usability Testing: A testing tool that gauges the usability
of a design with a group of target users.
Beta Launch: Releasing your prototype to a limited pool
of users to determine usability, detect bugs, and test
whether your product addresses users’ needs.

Q. 21 Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that can CBSE Study 5 45 4
be incredibly useful when designing focused tablets for Material
school pupils. Here are the general steps of design
thinking, tailored to your specific scenario:
1. Empathize:
Understand the Users: Talk to teachers, students, and
parents to understand their needs, challenges, and

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 9 of 11

expectations regarding educational tablets.
Observe: Spend time in classrooms to observe how
students and teachers interact with technology and
identify pain points.
2. Define:
Define the Problem: Based on your research, clearly
define the challenges and issues faced by students and
teachers regarding tablets in the classroom.
Develop Insights: Identify patterns in the data collected
during the empathize phase. What are the common
problems? What are the key needs?
3. Ideate:
Brainstorm Solutions: Gather a diverse team and
brainstorm potential solutions. Encourage wild and
creative ideas without any criticism.
Prototype Ideas: Create rough prototypes or mock-ups
of the focused tablets. These could be simple sketches
or digital prototypes to visualize the concepts.
4. Prototype:
Build Prototypes: Develop functional prototypes of the
tablets based on the most promising ideas generated
during the ideation phase.
Iterate: Test the prototypes with a small group of
students and teachers. Gather feedback and iterate on
the design to improve functionality and user
experience.
5. Test:
Gather Feedback: Distribute the prototypes to a larger
group of users within the school. Collect feedback on
the usability, performance, and overall experience.
Refine the Design: Use the feedback to make necessary
changes and refinements to the tablet design. This
might involve hardware adjustments, software updates,
or user interface enhancements.
6. Implement:
Production: Once the design is finalized, move into full-
scale production of the tablets.
Training: Provide training sessions for teachers and
students on how to effectively use the tablets for
educational purposes.
7. Evaluate:
Assess Impact: Monitor the use of tablets in classrooms.
Gather data on academic performance, engagement
levels, and any other relevant metrics to evaluate the
impact of the focused tablets.
Collect Long-term Feedback: Continuously collect
feedback from teachers, students, and parents to make
ongoing improvements to the tablets based on their
real-world usage.
8. Iterate:
Continuous Improvement: Use the feedback and data
collected to make iterative improvements to the
tablets. Technology and educational needs evolve, so
the design should be flexible and adaptable.

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 10 of 11

Q. 22 Every aspect of a design thinking plan is created with CBSE Study 8 55 4
customers in mind. Design thinkers develop a product Material
that appeals to the customers because with the help
of automated tools. Here are some of the standard
tools used across various stages of design thinking:
1) Analysis and synthesis: It helps consolidate data
collected through various sources, also assisting in
converting data into actionable results. There are
many tools for visualization, assumption testing,
and others.
2) Ideation: There are many tools that design
thinkers use for facilitating brainstorming or
ideation sessions, such as rapid concept
development, mind mapping, storytelling, etc.
3) Prototyping: Tools like rapid prototyping, journey
mapping, etc., are used by design thinkers during
prototyping to test the product or service’s
usability and the experience it creates.
4) Immersion: There are many tools that design
thinkers use to determine the customer’s problem
and offer solutions to it.

848 – DESIGN THINKING & INNOVATION – XII Page 11 of 11

Study Materials
Notes

Model Papers Class 6 Notes

Sample Papers Class 7 Notes
Half Yearly Sample Papers Class 8 Notes

Class 9 Notes
Important Resources
Class 10 Notes
Periodic Table
Class 11 Notes
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Maps of India / World Class 12 Notes

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