SST 510 Design Thinking for Innovation and Reflexive Solution Development
This content module is one of four in the second semester, designed to build on the foundational work in the first semester. It focuses on skill-building in order to interweave interdisciplinary insights with the transdisciplinary knowledge necessary to bring about transformational change in issues of sustainability. The joint capstone assignment across the four content modules, based on the SDS and the IDGs, will be coordinated by the instructor by the instructor of the inter-and transdisciplinary methodology course in the second semester, in collaboration with the instructors of the content modules.
Design Thinking for Innovation and Reflexive Solution Development specifically equips students with the human-centred toolkit that can be applied to conceive innovative visions and draft reflexive solutions, ultimately guiding processes of transformation. It aims at making creativity and reflexivity part of standing operating procedures in individual leadership and collaborative teamwork. Distinct exercises building on each other in a stepped format will gradually stack the design thinking toolbox: observation, reflection, and empathy experiences to identify immediate problems and their underlying deep structures; out-of-the box thinking and creativity exercises to ideate and invent uncommon approaches; analogue and digital prototype-building to assess initial solutions; AI applications to enhance problem-solving skills and creative thinking; critical iteration of ideas; context-driven storytelling for final design solution presentations. Upon completion of the coursework, students will be fully prepared to assess when and how to employ individual components of their design thinking toolkit and how to design strategic processes of innovation and solution development.
Offered
Spring