Course Syllabus

Overview

This course is a foundation-level course that enables you, regardless of background, to understand the concept of design thinking, consider its benefits in your own field of study (and life), and provides you the basic tools to leverage the design process. In the remote version of this course, you will take part in a variety of lectures, exercises, and projects in a fully asynchronous format (AKA - without meeting at the same time). Throughout the course, you will pick up several new tools and skills that you can use to tap into your creativity, build empathy, identify problems, and try and evaluate ideas quickly. The course will culminate in a project where you can put all the pieces together into one process. The overarching goal of the course is to help you build your creative confidence and give you the tools you need to bring design thinking into your own work and field.

Content

This course is broken down into two big chunks: 1.) Process + Methods and  2.) Applied Project. In the Process + Methods section, we will talk about the following topics:

• Design vs. Design Thinking
• Creativity
• The Design Thinking Process
• Design Thinking vs. other problem-solving processes
• Methods to understand problems
• Methods to build ideas
• Methods to prototype ideas
• Methods to evaluate prototypes

In the applied project, you will get a chance to put all your new skills into action. We are partnering with IUPUI's University College to identify problem spaces on our campus that we might be able to solve through Design Thinking. Your insights/ideas/prototypes will go directly to the IUPUI administration.

Format

This course is fully online and asynchronous. That means that we will not meet at the same time as a full class. Each week, I will post a mix of readings, lectures, activities, or reflections. I will post a new module each Monday. It will be your responsibility to stay engaged with our Canvas page to make sure you're getting the latest updates. 

 

Learning objectives

These are high-level goals that I have for you. They are the underlying principles that I use to guide what lectures and assignments I create in the course.

• See Design as a useful tool in your work/field of study
• Value people-centeredness in your decision-making process
• See yourself as a creative person
• Understand why STEM to STEAM is valuable

 

Learning outcomes

These are the tangible things that you will be able to do at the end of the course.

Students will…

Approach

• Build creative confidence and belief that everyone is creative. 
• Embrace ambiguity to define and articulate problems 
• Discuss the concept of failure and resiliency in a creative problem-solving context
• Cultivate empathy
• Articulate the values and rationale of people-centered innovation in Design Thinking

Techniques

• Conduct basic methods of prototyping (or making) 
• Utilize basic modes of storytelling 

Principles & practices

• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of the creative problem-solving processes such as design thinking, systems thinking, or strategic thinking
• Develop critical thinking skills to improve outcomes through an iterative process. 
• Apply Design Thinking to individual problem-solving process

Integration with campus and state learning outcomes

This course can satisfy your Social Science general education requirement. It does this my aligning several outcomes that the campus, state, and I have for your learning. This alignment can be found below.

 

You will learn how to…	In order to help you become a…	In doing this, you will also be able to…	You’ll know you’ve learned this through your performance in…
Course Learning Outcome	IUPUI (PLUS+)	Statewide General Ed. Outcome	Course Activity
Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of the creative problem-solving processes such as design thinking, systems thinking, or strategic thinking	Problem solver	Demonstrate basic literacy in social, behavioral, or historical research methods and analyses3.	In-class discussion, reflection paper, process documentation
Develop critical thinking skills to improve outcomes through an iterative process.	Problem solver & Innovator	Evaluate the evidence supporting conclusions about the behavior of individuals, groups,institutions, or organizations.	In-class discussion, process documentation
Articulate the values and rationale of people-centered innovation in Design Thinking & Cultivate empathy	Community Contributor	Recognize the extent and impact of diversity among individuals, cultures, or societies in contemporary or historical contexts.	In-class discussion, Reflection paper
Articulate the values and rationale of people-centered innovation in Design Thinking & Build creative confidence and belief that everyone is creative	Community Contributor	Identify examples of how social, behavioral, or historical knowledge informs and can shape personal, ethical, civic, or global decisions and responsibilities.	Reflection paper

Readings

Required Book

Kelley, Tom, and David Kelley. Creative Confidence. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2013.

 

Other readings (that I will provide)

Curedale, Robert. Design Thinking: Process & Methods Manual. Topanga, CA: Design Community College, 2016.

Seelig, Tina L. Creativity Rules: Get Ideas Out of Your Head and into the World. , 2015.

Lupton, E. (2014). Graphic design thinking: beyond brainstorming.

Lockwood, T., Papke, E., Coffey, C. H., & Recorded Books, Inc. (2017). Innovation by design: How any organization can leverage design thinking to produce change, drive new ideas, and deliver meaningful solutions.

The field guide to human-centered design. (2015). San Francisco, Calif: Design Kit.

LUMA Institute. (2012). Innovating for people: Handbook of human-centered design methods.

 

Assignments and Grading

Weekly Activities (15%)

Weekly exercises and skill-building activities.

Lectures and Reading Responses (25%)

Weekly reflections on readings and lecture discussions.

Project: Idea Pitch & Process Documentation (35%)

As a team, present your final solution and produce a document of your process.

Paper (‘Design in your life’) (25%)

A written overview of the potential of Design Thinking and a projection of how you might use it moving forward.