About this course: Today’s workplace calls for a new style of leadership to embolden and accelerate innovation. Design offers a novel way to discover market opportunities, experiment to validate concepts and mitigate risk, and deliver value to all stakeholders. This course offers hands-on experience applying human-centered design process to real-world challenges, and requires you to explore the world around you. Learn how to engage with end users, effectively frame problems, identify potential solutions, and build prototypes to test assumptions and learn what works (and doesn’t). Then dive into a range of ways large and small to bring design innovation into your organization.
Who is this class for: At the Segal Design Institute, we believe that the ability to imagine new possibilities and collaborate to bring them to life in compelling ways is a fundamental 21st century skill. This class is intended for leaders across industries and departments, and does not require previous design experience.
Created by: Northwestern University
Taught by: Elizabeth Gerber, Associate Professor, Co-director of the Research Cluster at the Segal Design Institute
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science (Segal Design Institute), School of Communication, Kellogg School of Management (by courtesy), School of Education and Social Policy (by courtesy)
Taught by: Pam Daniels, Clinical Assistant Professor, Design Innovator in Residence
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Segal Design Institute)
Taught by: Ed Colgate, Allen and Johnnie Breed University Design Professor, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Engineering Design and Innovation Masters Program at the Segal Design Institute
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Taught by: Greg Holderfield, Pentair - D. Eugene and Bonnie L. Nugent Clinical Associate Professor of Design, Director of the Segal Design Institute, Co-Director of the MMM Program
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science (Segal Design Institute)
| Basic Info | Course 5 of 6 in the Organizational Leadership Specialization |
| Commitment | 3-4 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Portuguese (Brazilian) |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Using Design Principles to Innovate and Find Opportunities
You will learn that the first step in the design process is finding opportunities. Human-centered designers do so by immersing themselves in a particular user context to identify areas of focus for design innovation.
10 videos, 4 readings
- Reading: Meet Your Professors
- Reading: Course Grading & Logistics
- Video: Course Overview with Ed Colgate
- Reading: Suggested Readings (Optional)
- Video: Innovating and Finding Opportunities by Design
- Video: Design is about People
- Video: Adopting the Traits of a Design Innovator
- Video: Uncovering Opportunities with a Design Innovation Mindset
- Reading: Optional Reading: Empathy on the Edge
- Video: Design Research
- Video: Tools and Techniques for Design Research
- Video: Observations to Insights
- Video: Generating How Might We (HMW) Questions from Insights
Graded: Finding Opportunities / Design Brief
WEEK 2
Exploring Ideas
How do we take the opportunities that we've uncovered and turn them into new possibilities? In this module we'll explore ideation, sketching, and storyboarding as tools to generate and communicate ideas.
3 videos, 1 reading
- Video: Generating Ideas
- Video: Storyboarding Concepts
- Reading: Supplementary Visuals & Exercises
Graded: Generating Ideas / Design Brief
WEEK 3
Prototyping to Learn
It is easy to think of prototypes as “drafts” of the final design, but in this module we’ll teach you to think of prototypes a bit differently: as tools for learning. We will discuss approaches for maximizing the amount that you learn from prototypes, and iterating your way rapidly toward outstanding results.
6 videos
- Video: Value of Prototyping
- Video: How to Prototype
- Video: Preparing to Test Prototypes with Users
- Video: Testing Prototypes with Users
- Video: The Role of Prototypes in Decision-Making and Leadership
Graded: Using Prototypes to Accelerate Learning / Design Brief
WEEK 4
Leading Design Innovation
How do you bring design innovation to your organization and sustain it over time? In this module we will learn theory and practical techniques to help you lead an organization that routinely produces innovative products, services, and systems.
6 videos, 3 readings
- Video: Communicating about Design & Innovation
- Video: Building the Team
- Video: Creating Space for Design & Innovation
- Video: ROI for Innovation
- Reading: Design Worksheet
- Reading: Example Completed Design Worksheet
- Reading: Optional Reading: Design Thinking Comes of Age
- Video: Conclusion to Course 5 with Dean Blount
- Discussion Prompt: Optional Course Feedback
Graded: Leading Design Innovation / Design Brief
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
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Creators
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research and teaching university with campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, and Doha, Qatar. Northwestern combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment that transcends traditional academic boundaries.
Pricing
| Purchase Course | |
|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Available |
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