Innovate Using Design Thinking

Design thinking is a creative and systematic approach for solving problems by relying on human-centered and iterative processes. Human-centered refers to focusing on real people’s (usually customers’) needs and problems—as opposed to focusing on the problems of a demographic group or a segment. We will use methods such as observation and in-depth interviews with individual consumers to generate insights that can help us develop products/services. This emphasis on observation and interaction rather than surveys recognizes that we cannot know all the challenges faced by our customers without engaging with them directly. An iterative process refers to the notion that an initial solution need not be complete and elegant. Rather, design thinking focuses on building initial rough product prototypes that are based on deep customer understanding of “jobs to be done.” These prototypes are tested soon and often and constantly evolve. Experimentation plays a big role in testing and refining potential solutions. This course will illuminate how Design Thinking can enhance innovation activities in terms of market impact, value creation, and speed. We will partner with a client and work on a live project during the course, and the client will work closely with students during the week. The course will strengthen your individual and collaborative capabilities to identify customer needs using indirect and qualitative research, create sound concept hypotheses, and develop a prototype that allows for meaningful feedback in a real-world environment. The course will include a combination of lectures, cases, guest speakers, and hands-on project work. The project will give you an opportunity to come up with a creative solution to problems or challenges in a particular consumer context. This is an experiential course and the block-week will be an intensive and fulfilling learning experience!