Course Level 1: Introductory

Estimated Study Time: 15-20 hours

Offered by: Alison

Design thinking is a methodology that’s not exclusive for designers as it can help people understand and develop creative ways to solve a specific issue, generally business oriented. This course begins by introducing you to design thinking for people centered design. You will learn about the seven mindsets for designers, how there is more than aesthetics to design, and the perceived value that people place on what they see.

Next, you will learn how to examine and reflect on design problems. You will learn about the questions you should ask and how to examine a problem by looking at it from different angles.
The course then introduces you to research for design. You will learn about the main difference between market research and design research. You will learn about questions you should consider when designing and how to frame these questions for interviewing. You will also learn about a user’s mental model and what it is.

Next, you will be introduced to the storytelling approach to design. You will learn about creating storyboards to visualize your concept and how storyboards can help you with the design process. Finally, you will learn about prototyping, what it is and how it helps your design development. You will learn about paper prototyping and how helpful it is as part of the design process. 

The course then introduces you to usability testing, how it should be carried out and who should be your usability testers. You will learn about debriefing and recording the results of your usability tests. You will also learn about what design freedom is and who should evaluate your design. Finally, you will learn about prototype fidelity and how it changes as the design progresses. You will learn about pitching your design and what a design rational is.