Design Thinking

DSTH 6301 (3-3-0) Design Research Methods

Participants will learn how to perform user research to better understand what customers and users want and need. The class will include practical methods for user observation, stakeholder / user interviews, competitive analysis, and inspecting apps / designs, understand the current pain points in user’s workflow. All will explore how designers understand, learn about, and frame problems both at the individual and societal levels. This course will explore focus on generative and exploratory research (i.e., how do we find the right problem?).

Requisites: None.

Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

DSTH 6302 (3-3-0) Rapid Prototyping and Visualizing

Participants will learn how to perform rapid prototyping of products and services. All will develop a Service Design Blueprint which will facilitate reimaging how a business process should change. Participants will learn how to rapidly generate and evaluate their ideas using sketching and critiquing in a safe, respectful environment. A prototype of ideas, objects and experiences will be created.  Learning includes how to visualize on paper as well as using digital tools to create examples.

Requisites: DSTH 6301.

Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

DSTH 6303 (3-3-0) Usability Testing

Participants will learn how to perform inspection and usability testing with real users to validate their ideas. All will focus on evaluative research methods. The focus will be to build out the product architecture and to analyze the economics of the innovation through the usability testing process.

Requisites: DSTH 6301, DSTH 6302.

Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. 

DSTH 6304 (3-3-0) Design Thinking Capstone Project

Participants will create a final project where they will showcase their mastery of design thinking. They will be required to work on real community or industry sponsored projects and to present their findings to a panel of experts and clients from throughout the area. All will learn how to do storytelling and perform executive level presentations to communicate / collaborate / innovate effectively.

Requisites: DSTH 6301, DSTH 6302, DSTH 6303.

Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.