About This Course

This course is the last phase of the Interaction Design and Social Entrepreneurship Project. Students will conclude their design project, producing a high-quality prototype of their product, system, or service. They will produce appropriate contextual information to present their work, and will then present it in an open forum.


Core Concepts and Ideas

This class emphasizes the following main ideas, themes, and concepts:

  • Project strategy, applied, articulating how a given design will be embedded in a financial system (or company) in order to achieve success in reality
  • Project execution, applied, concluding the long term design activities with a high fidelity and comprehensive representation of the design solution
  • Project communication, applied, through various forms of public advertising, presentation, and public relations

Outcomes and Competencies

The following outcome statements articulate the competencies, abilities, and skills a student will have as a result of completing this class. Students will...

  • Be able to describe an end-to-end design solution for a particular humanitarian and social problem or opportunity.
  • Illustrate a comprehensive understanding of interaction design in the context of social entrepreneurship.
  • Understand how to design for society and culture, and be able to clearly articulate this knowledge.
  • Be able to assemble a test group or groups to provide actual user feedback in situations that exactly mirror the user experience and anticipated user profile.
  • Be able to evaluate and modify the program based in user testing.
  • Be able to design and build a presentation (Road-Show Deck) to promote the vision of the project that demonstrates the value, market need, user demand and investment opportunity of the project

Course Schedule

Class Date In Class Out of Class
1 3/17

Introduction to project finalization and testing practices.

Review product development to date and provide critique.

Review product launch plan and provide steps necessary for a beta/v1 product launch

Guest: Shellie Shores from Texas WIC

Create project timeline

Begin final deliverable creation

Research and discover relevant organizations and individuals who have a vested interest in the success of the project.

Recruit mentors for the project

Research possible investor connections
2 3/24

Continue to revise product aesthetic, interaction design, features, functionality

Develop content drafts for Product Description (How it Works, Feature Highlights)

Initiate design presentation (Road Show Deck) for investors and interested partners

Design outline for prototype and user testing scenarios

Continue final deliverable planning and creation

Use Keynote or other presentation software to build Road Show Deck outline

Recruit mentors for the project

Research possible investor connections

Research appropriate User Testing venue and groups
3 3/31

Begin development of the prototype

Continue final deliverable planning and creation
4 4/7

Present Prototype for critique

Develop content drafts for Market Analysis & Strategy (Market Size In-Depth, Competitive Landscape, Market Plan, 18-month Gantt)

Guest: TBD

Continue to revise your deliverables as appropriate

Arrange User Testing Sessions

Revise Prototype for user test session
5 4/14

Business-case modeling

Financial projections

Develop content drafts for Financials (Projections)

Conduct User Testing

Guest: TBD

Continue to revise your deliverables as appropriate

6 4/21

Adjust the prototype design according to the feedback from users testing

Develop content drafts for Social Impact, Management & Organization (Structure, Team, Mentorship)

Guest: TBD

Continue to revise your deliverables as appropriate

7 4/28

Work in class; individual critiques

Develop final content for Executive Summary (Mission, Theory of Change, Target Market, Value Proposition, Growth Potential, Financial Model)

Finalize all content

Complete all deliverables

8 5/5

Final presentation of cohesive design solution