Design Thinking for Innovation

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-design-thinking-innovation

Introduction

# Course Review: Design Thinking for Innovation ## Overview In today's fast-paced world, where innovation is not just a luxury but a necessity, the course "Design Thinking for Innovation" on Coursera emerges as an essential learning experience. Whether you are a manager at a multinational corporation, an aspiring entrepreneur, a public servant, or an educator, this course teaches you how to harness the power of design thinking to streamline processes and foster creativity. The course aims to equip learners with vital tools to think innovatively and identify creative opportunities that are often overlooked. It moves beyond traditional methods, encouraging a fresh mindset and breaking down barriers to innovation. ## Course Structure The course is structured into five comprehensive modules, progressively leading you through the essentials of design thinking: ### 1. What Is Design Thinking? The journey begins with an introduction to design thinking, emphasizing its effectiveness in innovation. Through a real-world case study of **The Good Kitchen**, a program from Denmark that provides nutritious meals to the elderly, participants explore the mindset necessary for innovative success. The module details the types of challenges suitable for design thinking and teaches the Visualization tool to bring ideas to fruition. ### 2. Preparing Your Mind for Innovation Design thinking transcends processes and tools; it hinges on your mindset and the people you collaborate with. This module delves into individual mindsets through the stories of two managers, George and Geoff, highlighting how positive outlooks foster innovation. The importance of storytelling as a tool for shaping these narratives is underscored, enhancing your ability to perceive and seize opportunities. ### 3. Idea Generation Diving deeper, this module focuses on using design thinking to generate innovative ideas. A compelling case study of **MeYouHealth** showcases how social networking can improve health outcomes. Participants learn to explore existing conditions, identify challenges, and creatively consider “what if” scenarios. The Mind Mapping tool very effectively assists in organizing and visualizing these emerging ideas. ### 4. Experimentation With a wealth of ideas generated, this module teaches participants how to choose the most viable ones through experimentation. Following an IBM team's use of design thinking in enhancing trade show experiences, learners are introduced to the "what wows?" and "what works?" questions. These guiding principles help determine potential outcomes and facilitate small experiments, fostering a culture of testing and learning. ### 5. Final Assignment The final module focuses on synthesizing the course learnings into a structured assignment. Participants select a design thinking tool, write a reflection based on their personal experiences, and engage in peer reviews, creating a community of feedback and collaboration. ## Course Experience The course strikes a perfect balance between theoretical concepts and practical applications. Each module is rich with real-world examples, which not only maintain engagement but also provide context for applying design thinking in various environments. The focus on collaboration through peer reviews adds an invaluable layer of interaction and insights. Furthermore, the course's flexibility allows learners to proceed at their own pace, making it accessible to busy professionals. With a mix of video lectures, reading materials, and hands-on exercises, it ensures a well-rounded educational experience. ## Recommendations I wholeheartedly recommend "Design Thinking for Innovation" for anyone looking to enhance their innovative capabilities. Whether you're a seasoned professional wanting to refresh your approach or a newcomer eager to enter the world of innovative thinking, this course provides practical tools, frameworks, and mindsets that can be applied immediately in your work and personal life. By the end of this course, you'll not only grasp the principles of design thinking but also cultivate an innovative mindset that enables you to view challenges as opportunities. So, if you’re ready to think differently and unlock your potential for innovation, enroll in this course on Coursera today!

Syllabus

What Is Design Thinking?

Welcome to the course -- we're excited you're here! We will begin by unpacking what we mean by design thinking and why it is more effective than traditional methods when the goal is innovation. By looking at the case history of The Good Kitchen, a Denmark program for providing meals for the elderly, we will explore how the mindset and practice of the innovation team that partnered with innovation consultant Hatch & Bloom enabled them to achieve innovation and growth. We’ll also examine what kinds of challenges are best-suited for design thinking and learn about the Visualization tool, which helps bring ideas to life. By the end of this module, you'll have a better understanding of what we mean by design thinking, when to use it, and how to use the Visualization tool.

Design thinking is not only about process and tools, it is about people as well: about you as a design thinker and about the people you want to create value for and with. And so, before we jump into the process of using design thinking to generate and test ideas, we want to first focus on your mindset, and look at whether your mind is prepared to both see and act on opportunity when it shows up in your world. We will examine this issue by looking at the stories of two very capable managers, George and Geoff, and how their differing mindsets affect their ability to lead innovation and growth. We'll also learn about the value of the Storytelling tool. By the end of this module, you'll have a better understanding of a mind prepared to see and take action when opportunity arises, and how to use the Storytelling tool.

Now we will dive deeper into the design thinking process, looking at how we can use it to generate better ideas. In this module, we will look at the story of an entrepreneur, Chris Cartter, and his start-up, MeYouHealth, as they worked with Boston design firm, Essential Design, to understand the kind of opportunity that social networking might hold for helping us to improve our health. Examining what already exists is the first step in the design thinking process. As part of assessing "what is?", designers “follow the customer home” and explore the problems they are trying to solve in life versus their product use. Once they have thoroughly explored and looked for patterns, designers look toward the future and ask "what if?" This is the creative part of the process, but it also requires a disciplined approach. By the end of this module, you'll understand how to use design thinking to generate innovative ideas, how to apply the "what is?" and "what if?" questions, and how to use the Mind Mapping tool.

Having generated all of these innovative ideas, what’s next? The design thinking process now helps us to take the many ideas we have generated and figure out how to determine which ones are likely to produce the specific kinds of outcomes we want, whether these take the form of improved nutrition for the elderly (e.g., The Good Kitchen), healthier lifestyle choices (e.g., MeYouHealth) or even more “hot leads” emanating from your trade shows (as in the IBM example to follow). In this module, we will follow the activities of an IBM team working closely with experience marketing agency George P. Johnson as they develop and test ideas for a revolutionary approach to trade show participation. This process begins by asking "what wows?". This question brings together the customer and business cases supporting our new concepts. Typically, the “wow” zone occurs at the intersection of three criteria: 1) somebody wants it, 2) we can create and deliver it, and 3) doing so has the potential to produce the outcomes we want. Then we ask "what works?" and conduct small experiments to test if our assumptions are accurate. By the end of this module, you'll understand how to apply the "what wows?" and "what works?" questions, and how to use the Learning Launch tool. We'll conclude by reviewing our lessons and discussing strategic opportunities.

This module hosts materials related to your final assignment for the course. The assignment requires selecting one of the design thinking tools presented in the course, writing a reflection, and completing three peer reviews. To successfully complete the course, you must complete and pass the final assignment.