INV 210

Innovate Your Life: Design Thinking for Growth

Summer Term 2025
Instructor: Staff	Total sessions: 30 Sessions
Office Hours: TBA	Session Length: 145 Minutes
Classroom: TBA	Credits: 3 Units
Class Length: 8 Weeks	Language: English

Course Overview:

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of Design Thinking and its application to real-world problems and life planning. Through hands-on activities, teamwork, and problem- solving exercises, students will learn how to empathize with users, define challenges, ideate solutions, prototype ideas, and test innovations. By the end of the course, students will have developed creative problem-solving skills and a structured approach to tackling complex challenges.

Required Material:

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

Additional reading materials, case studies, and online resources will be provided throughout the course.

Learning Objectives:

1. Apply the five-step Design Thinking process to solve problems.

2. Conduct user research and define key challenges.

3. Develop and test prototypes for innovative solutions.

4. Use Design Thinking to plan personal and professional goals.

Course Outline: Week 1:

Lecture 1-4: Introduction to Design Thinking

Lecture 1: Course Introduction & Overview of Design Thinking

o Key concepts and the 5-step process (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test)

o Applications of design thinking in business, education, and personal life

Lecture 2: Design Thinking vs. Traditional Problem-Solving

o Comparing linear thinking and divergent thinking

o Case studies: How design thinking drives innovation

Lecture 3: Human-Centered Design & User Research

o Understanding user needs through empathy

o Methods: Interviews, observations, and surveys

Lecture 4: Identifying and Defining Problems

o How to frame problems effectively

o Tools: Problem statements, “How Might We” (HMW) questions

Week 2:

Lecture 5-8: Ideation & Creative Problem-Solving

Lecture 5: Brainstorming Techniques

o Divergent and convergent thinking

o Methods: Mind mapping, SCAMPER, and “Crazy 8s”

Lecture 6: Idea Evaluation & Selection

o How to filter and prioritize ideas

o Techniques: Dot voting, impact vs. effort matrix

Lecture 7: Design Sprint Overview

o What is a Design Sprint?

o Step-by-step breakdown of the sprint process

Lecture 8: Applying Design Thinking to Real-Life Challenges

o Choosing a problem to solve

o Defining key user personas

Assignment 1

More specific requirements (e.g., topic, formatting requirements, deadlines, etc.) will be provided in the course.

Week 3:

Lecture 9-12: Prototyping & Experimentation

Lecture 9: Introduction to Prototyping

o Why prototyping is important

o Types of prototypes: Paper, digital, physical

Lecture 10: Low-Fidelity vs. High-Fidelity Prototypes

o When to use sketches vs. interactive mockups

o Examples from UX and product design

Lecture 11: User Testing Methods

o How to gather feedback on prototypes

o Techniques: A/B testing, usability tests, think-aloud protocols

Lecture 12: Rapid Iteration & Refinement

o How to quickly improve designs based on feedback

o Importance of continuous learning and iteration

Week 4:

Lecture 13-16: Design Thinking in Teams & Organizations

Lecture 13: Collaborative Design & Co-Creation

o How to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams

o Case studies of successful co-creation

Lecture 14: Communicating Design Ideas

o Storytelling techniques for presenting ideas

o How to create compelling pitch decks

Lecture 15: Ethical Considerations in Design Thinking

o Designing for inclusivity and accessibility

o Avoiding unintended consequences in innovation

Lecture 16: Mid-Course Reflection & Feedback

o Review of key concepts covered so far

o Peer feedback on ongoing projects

Midterm project: More specific requirements (e.g., topic, formatting requirements, deadlines, etc.) will be provided in the course.

Week 5:

Lecture 17-20: Applying Design Thinking to Life & Career

Lecture 17: Designing Your Life – Introduction

o Applying design thinking to personal growth and career planning

o Concept of life prototyping

Lecture 18: Identifying Your Core Values & Interests

o Self-reflection exercises to define personal priorities

o Frameworks: Odyssey Plan, Workview & Lifeview alignment

Lecture 19: Reframing Problems in Life & Work

o How to shift perspectives on challenges

o Examples of reframing career and life decisions

Lecture 20: Exploring Possible Life Prototypes

o Creating multiple career/life paths

o Testing assumptions through small experiments

Week 6:

Lecture 21-24: Prototyping & Experimenting with Life Designs

Lecture 21: Networking & Informational Interviews

o How to learn from professionals and mentors

o The role of serendipity in career design

Lecture 22: Testing & Iterating Life Prototypes

o Building small experiments to test ideas

o Examples of real-world application

Lecture 23: Overcoming Fear & Failure in Innovation

o Why failure is essential to the design process

o Techniques for learning from setbacks

Lecture 24: Course Project Work Session

o Hands-on working time for final projects

o Instructor and peer feedback sessions

Assignment 2

More specific requirements (e.g., topic, formatting requirements, deadlines, etc.) will be provided in the course.

Week 7:

Lecture 25-28: Communicating Impact & Applying Design Thinking

Lecture 25: Storytelling & Pitching Your Design

o How to effectively present findings and insights

o Techniques for engaging presentations

Lecture 26: Designing for Impact – Ethics & Responsibility

o Ethical Design Principles

o Sustainable Innovation

Lecture 27: Peer Collaboration & Advanced Creative Thinking

o Advanced Problem-Solving Techniques (reversal thinking, TRIZ, and biomimicry)

o Effective Team Collaboration

Lecture 28: Career Applications of Design Thinking

o Design Thinking for Career Growth

o Building a Personal Brand

Week 8:

Lecture 29-30: Reflection, Iteration & Final Submission

Lecture 25: Course Wrap-Up & Personal Reflection

o What have you learned? Key takeaways

o Future applications of design thinking in personal and professional life

Lecture 26: Final Project Submission & Course Celebration

o Reflection on the journey and next steps

Final project: More specific requirements (e.g., topic, formatting requirements, deadlines, etc.) will be provided in the course.

Grading Assessment:

Assignment 1	15%
Assignment 2	15%
Midterm project	30%
Final project	30%
Seminar Participation	10%
Total	100%

Assignments:

Students are required to complete two creative assignments that apply Design Thinking principles during the semester. Assignment 1 (Empathy & Problem Definition) requires

students to conduct user research through surveys or interviews, analyze pain points, and visually present insights in a problem statement using infographics, journey maps, and sketches—limiting text to bullet points only. Assignment 2 (Ideation & Prototyping) builds on the first by encouraging students to brainstorm multiple solutions, develop low-fidelity prototypes (napkin sketches, wireframes, or paper models), and submit a creative document showcasing their

iterative design process. Both assignments prioritize visual storytelling over text, pushing students to think creatively and communicate ideas effectively.

Attendance:

Students are required to attend a weekly seminar led by TA to focus on the week's topic and deepen understanding. Seminar time assigned by TA. Seminar attendance counts toward the final grade.

Midterm Project:

Students will choose a real-world problem and apply the first three steps of Design Thinking: Empathize, Define, and Ideate. They will conduct user research, develop journey maps, and generate multiple potential solutions. The submission must be a creative visual document (infographics, sketches, mood boards) with minimal text, supported by a short, recorded audio presentation explaining their research and design process.

Final Project:

Expanding on the midterm project, students will move into the Prototype and Test phases. They will create a functional prototype, conduct user testing, gather feedback, and iterate their design. The final submission will include a detailed pitch deck, an interactive prototype (physical or

digital), and a recorded audio presentation demonstrating their design process, findings, and final solution.

Final Evaluation:

Letter Grade	Percentage (%)	Letter Grade	Percentage
A+	≥95	C+	64-67
A	89-94	C	60-64
A-	84-88	C-	56-59
B+	79-83	D+	54-56
B	73-78	D	50-53
B-	68-72	F	≤50

General Policies:

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is the cornerstone of academia and requires students and researchers to

maintain honesty, fairness, trust and responsibility in all academic activities. It includes not only avoiding dishonest behaviors such as plagiarism, cheating, and falsifying data, but also requires taking responsibility for one's own academic actions and ensuring that all work is done

independently and accurately cites the research of others. Violations of academic integrity can result in severe academic penalties, such as zero grades, suspension or even expulsion, and can cause serious damage to an individual's reputation and future career. Upholding academic

integrity is therefore essential to promoting a fair academic environment and facilitating the authentic dissemination of knowledge.

Accessible Resources Policy

The policy ensures that all students, especially those with disabilities, are able to participate equally in school learning and activities. The school provides a wide range of accessibility resources including, but not limited to, specialized classrooms, hearing aids, Braille textbooks, assistive technology, and flexible testing arrangements. Students are required to apply to the school in advance and provide appropriate medical or psychological evaluations so that an

individualized support plan can be developed for them. This policy is designed to remove barriers in the academic environment and to ensure that every student has access to equitable learning opportunities.

Withdrawal Policy

Students may choose to withdraw from a course within a specified period of time, and may not be able to do so after the expiration date. When withdrawing from a course, students are required to fill out a withdrawal form with a reason, which will be reviewed and processed on a case-by-

case basis. Withdrawal from a course may not affect the student's academic performance. If a student withdraws from a course with incomplete requirements, a “W” may be assigned instead of a grade, depending on the course.