STUDIO: RESEARCH & SYNTHESIS
Wicked Problems:
Research for societal change
Live instructor • Ten week course
Weekly office hours • Fully remote
This course is design research, applied. Individuals and teams will attempt a real-world entrepreneurial or societal endeavor grounded in the context of human needs. Students will gather data through qualitative methods of contextual research, analyze that data, and begin to identify trends, patterns, insights and opportunities for design. If you’re looking to refresh your portfolio with a project that demonstrates strategic impact through a social lens, start here!
Who should take this course?
Early to Mid-Level Researchers
Grow your ability to turn synthesized data into compelling narratives that speak to broader audiences and more effectively drive change on teams.
Product Designers
Develop a deeper understanding of user needs and behaviors, create more informed and innovative design solutions, and communicate their insights compellingly to stakeholders
Product Managers
Enhance your capacity to understand user needs, guide the development of user-centered products, communicate effectively with design and development teams
Designing Structures & Systems
NEXT COURSE BEGINS: OCTOBER 13, 2024
Upon completing this course, you will be able to understand a social problem and identify opportunities for design solutions based on research.
Format: Receive live instruction from AC4D faculty in a remote setting
Duration: 10 weeks
Time per week: 4 course hours per week, 40 course hours in total; Sundays, 6-9 PM CST
Tuition: $4,000 $2,500
Location: Remote
This course will enable you to:
Identify patterns and trends in the context of a particular large-scale social problem
Identify opportunities for interaction design solutions that can positively impact and affect human behavior on a large, social scale
Identify opportunities for business interventions based on research and synthesis
Begin to identify design constraints and parameters in which to build and prototype design solutions
Designing Structures & Systems Curriculum
Week 1: Introduction to Research
Week 2: Identifying Research Focus
Week 3: Empathy, Systems & Products
Week 4: Insights
Week 5: Synthesis & Design
Week 6: Affinity Diagramming & Grouping
Week 7: Sketching & Storyboarding
Week 8: Theories of Change
Week 9: Working Session
Week 10: Presentations & Critique
