Assessing the ability to navigate ambiguity: An essential skill for imagining possible futures

Navigating ambiguity is increasingly recognized as a critical competency necessary for thriving in a complex world and for shaping futures. This paper introduces the d.school Ambiguity Navigation Instrument (DANI), a curriculum-aligned assessment tool that measures learners’ attitudes toward and strategies for navigating ambiguity. Unlike existing instruments that frame ambiguity as an inherently negative condition to be merely tolerated and an individual’s relationship to ambiguity as a stable psycho-social trait, DANI conceptualizes navigating ambiguity neutrally, and as a learnable skill, composed of two distinct factors: Navigating Ambiguity Attitude (NA Attitude) and Navigating Ambiguity Actions (NA Actions). A validation study at two universities demonstrates DANI’s effectiveness in detecting changes in students’ relationship with ambiguity following design-focused educational experiences. The instrument provides educators with a reliable method to assess curriculum effectiveness and offers students a starting point for reflection on their approach to ambiguity. DANI contributes to design education assessment, with potential applications beyond design, to support learning environments and experiences from all disciplines that better prepare students for the inherent ambiguity of the world.