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CS92PROD
Human-Centered Design for Social Change
CSPL 215
Spring 2017
Section: 01  

Design thinking is the way the creative mind approaches complex problem solving. Increasingly, it is at the center of innovative practices in business. Yet it can be particularly effective in addressing the human needs that are the focus of social enterprise and policy. This course will introduce a number of ways to understand how to use this method and will apply it to a number of real-world examples as teamwork in class. Invited designers who have worked in the field in the U.S. and in other countries will lead several sessions. An individual project will require fieldwork and will constitute the demonstration of mastery.

This course explores the techniques of human-centered design and design thinking for approaching social challenges ranging from election processes to subsistence challenges in impoverished rural populations. The most progressive and effective solutions to many problems are those that emerge from closely observing human patterns and then using creativity to make rapid prototypes of solutions that can be tested and refined. The result is human-centered, rather than high-level policy influences for social change. The class session will consist of (1) the presentation of methods and theories, (2) case studies to be worked on in teams either in the session or between sessions, and (3) discussions with designers who have worked on significant engagements for social change.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS CSPL
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Student Option
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None
Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74%

Last Updated on MAR-28-2024
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