Design Thinking and Innovation Course Outline - ZZZZ

Design Thinking and Innovation
YIF, April-May 2022.
Faculty Prof. Ranjan Banerjee

Email: ranjan@bitsom.edu.in
Course Materials
1. Required reading: Book- Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation By
Tim Brown
Articles:
Design Thinking comes of Age, HBR, Sept 2015
Why Design Thinking works, HBR, Sept 2018
Article: Innovation as a learning process: Embedding Design Thinking by Sara L. Beckman & Michael Barry, California
Management Review, 2007 (optional reading)
Course Overview
Design thinking is an approach to innovative problem solving. It involves four key elements: a) The use of eclectic, non
hierarchical teams b) understanding the problem from the user’s point of view c) divergent ideation d) iterative
prototyping. The approach is particularly suitable for ‘ill structured problems’ and has been successfully applied in
both business and social settings. The course deals with design thinking at three levels-approach, skills and mindsets.
This approach is an essential component of the tool kit of tomorrow’s prospective student, which enables him/her to
deal with ambiguous and unstructured real world problems.
Design thinking as an approach to problem solving is valuable in a variety of contexts in the social sector, policy
formulation, consulting and many emerging areas within business. Many YIF alumni have built on this course to build
careers around their design thinking capability. As a mindset, it can be seen as a life skill and there is a movement at
institutes like Stanford which looks at design thinking as an approach to designing your life journey.
Learning goals
The design of this course aims to enable the participants to:
1. Apply a systematic approach to solve ill-structured, real world problems in an innovative way.
2. Enhance skills of observation, empathy, insighting and problem framing/reframing.
3. Learn skills of divergent ideation, overcome mental blocks and use rapid prototyping to ‘hone in’ on a solution.
4. Cultivate a ‘design thinking mindset’ which incorporates openness, curiosity and the will to experiment.
General Information
The class sessions will be a mix of lectures, case discussions, and exercises. You will gain the most if you come prepared
for class and actively participate in discussions and exercises.
This course lays a lot of emphasis on in class activity and group work. Design thinking is meant to be learned by doing,
and you will need to put a lot of time and effort into each exercise to fully internalize the approach.
There will be a group design thinking project which will be worked on through the course. Classes will be mixed with
small group interactions with each project team where we will go into the projects in detail. This leads up to a
presentation in the final class which is in an interactive, exhibition style format.
Class Policies
1. We will start classes on time.
2. If you are late, the instructor has the choice of not allowing you to attend, or creating creative punishments
for tardiness.
Assessment
We will have three components of assessment.
a) In- Class participation- (20%)- This will comprise evaluation of in class group exercises. There will be 2 such group exercises for
evaluation.
b) Individual submission (30%).-This involves an essay of 2000 words. Consider any social , business or environmental problem relevant
to India which you are passionate about. How would you apply design thinking to this problem. You may draw on relevant academic and
popular literature.
c) Group project. (50%) YIF Final Design Challenge:

You would work on a real world challenge:
 Identify a project topic of your choice
 Your topic can be related to society, business, or technology, in products or services
 It could reflect prima facie, an obvious or a latent problem, that is faced by any community, or group, or consumers and which could
be of interest to us
 Your project topic needs to be an interesting one, if not unique. Starting with an interesting problem guarantees a rich application,
and consequently, deep learning.
 While in the course, you will learn about beneficiary needs, feasibility, viability scalability etc, your basic ideas on these terms, may
help you select a project topic
 In the project, you will apply tools learnt in the course and design a prototype of the proposed solution on Final Design Challenge
Day.
 A one-page project proposal highlighting the chosen topic is to be submitted by the start of the 3rd day of instruction.
Course Outline and Schedule
Session Date Time (IST) Topic(s) Remarks

Introducing Design Thinking
 Creativity and Innovation
 What is an innovative
Day product/service
1 2 hours  What is design thinking
1
 How is it different
 4 aspects of design thinking
 When should it be applied (and
not applied)
Video case study- DT in action In class submission-group exercise 1
Presentation of insights and ideas by Pre-reading for class 3: Why Design
groups Thinking Works, HBR September 2018.
Day
2 2 hours Presentation of video case-part 2
2 Design Thinking Comes Of Age, HBR,
What did we learn about design thinking
September 2015.
in practice.
Introduction to insight One pager on group project

Distinction between Preread for class 4:
data,information,fact,insight https://www.ideo.com/journal/the-5-year-
Day Insights in action- case study collaboration-to-turn-canadas-busiest-airport-
3 2 hours Interviewing for insight- designing into-its-best
3
qualitative interview guides
Live interview, brief for second group
insighting exercise
Capturing and framing insights Group exercise 2-insighting on gender
Understanding empathy maps roles
Day
4 2 hours Recording, and framing insights
4
Creating how might we statements
based on insights
Debriefing- insighting on gender roles
Advanced insighting techniques
Day Brief on individual assignment
5 2 hours
5
Small group discussion on group

6 Day 6 projects- Interview guides and
2 hours insights
Small group discussion on group
Day projects- Interview guides and
7 2 hours
7 insights
Ideation techniques Pre-read for session 9:

Day Divergent ideation-the 4 Rs https://www.ideo.com/journal/to-transform-
8 2 hours your-industry-look-at-someone-elses
8 Applying divergent ideation to create a
new service concept
Introduction to rapid prototyping
Prototyping game
Day
9 2 hours Prototyping workshop
9
Group engagement-perfecting group
projects
Group project-exhibition and final
10 Day 10 2 hours presentation
Wrap up-Design for life
11 Individual
project
submission

Design Thinking and Innovation Course Outline - ZZZZ

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Design Thinking and Innovation Course Outline - ZZZZ

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Design Thinking and Innovation Course Outline - ZZZZ

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Design Thinking and Innovation

YIF, April-May 2022.

Faculty Prof. Ranjan Banerjee

Design Thinking comes of Age, HBR, Sept 2015

Why Design Thinking works, HBR, Sept 2018

c) Group project. (50%) YIF Final Design Challenge:

Session Date Time (IST) Topic(s) Remarks

Introduction to insight One pager on group project

Small group discussion on group

Ideation techniques Pre-read for session 9:

You might also like