Course Syllabus

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Course Description

Design Thinking is not Design!

Design Thinking is a systematic approach to innovation and creative problem-solving. Therefore, the course is not a 'design course': It is for all professions and has elements of analysis, social science approaches, creativity, complex problem-solving, and 'business thinking'. In short it is a interactive course that teaches you how to use methods of Design Thinking and co-creation, applying a user-centered mindset to help you critically reframe challenges and innovate collaboratively. No design experience is required.

The course uses hands-on approaches to learning. Your grasp of Design Thinking will only come gradually, and you will likely be confused along the way. That is the nature of innovation: Plenty of ambiguity and precious few facts. If that is not something you care for, then this course is possibly not for you. On the other hand, if you thrive in an atmosphere of experimentation, collaboration, innovation, and creativity, you will love it here.

The course will help you to:

• Participate in and lead innovation in a collaborative setting in multidisciplinary teams
• Master creative thinking and problem-solving
• Learn techniques to understand users’ motivations and to gather deep insights
• Learn from failure: Innovation entails taking risks and trying new things
• Communicate through engaging visual storytelling and video-prototyping
• Incorporate Design Thinking into your everyday professional activities

The course and the assignments blend:

• Practice — focused on methods and tools
• Background — theory and history relevant to Design Thinking
• Reflection — considering and questioning Design Thinking
• Multidisciplinary work — exploring your collaborative force and collective intelligence

We have three hours of class time each week. Outside of class, you’ll also have six hours of work, most of which will be assigned to your team. Therefore, planning your week is essential.

Learning Objectives of the Course

By the end of this course you will:

• Have fundamental capabilities in the methods used for practicing Design Thinking
• Understand challenges and benefits of Design Thinking
• Be able to communicate clearly about Design Thinking
• Be open to innovating in multidisciplinary teams
• Have a process and mindset suited to innovation and creative problem-solving

Faculty

Dorte Mari Aggergaard

M.A. (Modern Culture, Innovation & Communication, University of Copenhagen) B.A. (Art History and Pedagogy/Educational Studies, University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University). Visiting scholar at Leeds and Brown University. Member of the Denmark Committee at Brown, and DIS representative at Harvard, MIT, RISD and Brown. Worked for The European Commission's Safer Internet Programme, recipient of an EU Lifelong Learning Programme grant for a project on cross-cultural learning. Has worked with innovation, and been part of the start-up community in Copenhagen. With DIS since 2014.

Readings

• Brown, Tim, and Barry Katz. Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation. Harper Business, 2009.

• Osterwalder, Alexander, et al. Value Proposition Design. Wiley, 2014.

• Selected articles and cases

Expectations of the Students

Be prepared to participate, contribute, ask and answer questions, and think creatively:

• Are you a good listener?
• Are you willing to test new ideas and new ways of thinking?
• Do you promote an environment where everyone feels free to express their ideas and stretch their thinking?
• Do you contribute to the learning environment by sharing your thoughts and experiences?

• Students are expected to show up for class prepared and participate actively
• Complete all assigned worked prior to each deadline and each class
• Contribute actively and engaged during classes, visits, activities, and make sure to always speak up and contribute to our knowledge production each time we are together
• Be punctual and attend all assigned activities both during our classes, mandatory activities, and visits
• Missing classes, activities, visits and assigned work without a legitimate excuse will result in a lower final grade

Digital Devices in the Classroom

The default policy for this class is no laptops, smartphones, or other digital devices in the classroom, unless being used directly for an activity (e.g. presentations, group work, etc.), or as required as part of an accommodation. Please make sure to have notifications silenced during class time.  If you fail to meet this expectation, it will have a negative impact on your final grade.

Assessment and Assignments

Practice project [team]: Practice Design Thinking in a real-life project that you define yourselves.

Final prototype [team]: Learn how to make rapid prototypes - from low fidelity to your final video prototype  

Presentations [team]: Present the Practice project in class, both halfway through and at the end of the course. Your presentation and communication skills are essential: Do you convey your message clearly and convincingly? Do you engage your audience?

Toolbox [individual]: Document the process and tools used in class & your Practice project. Reflect on process and tools. A highly visual and engaging submission is expected.

Engagement [individual]: This grade is based on your engagement and participation both during class, field studies, and as part of your team.

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Participation & Engagement	20%
Final Prototype (Practice Project)	30%
Team presentation  & Problem Statement	30%
Design Thinking Toolbox	20%

Individual grades for team assignments may be applied. The course policy is that late assignments are not accepted.

Disability and Resource Statement

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this.  In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

Please notice that the course topics are subject to change, depending on how the semester unfolds and the interests of the class.