Design Thinking - SPDA3300

This highly interactive class introduces the Design Thinking framework to multi-disciplinary students such as PDA, APDA and the BAAS programs. A single business problem is explored through the semester for a deep dive into the people, the business strategy and the ability to problem solve throughout many exercises that explore Empathy for the User.

The Design Thinking framework is an iterative, non-linear process, design thinking includes activities such as context analysis, user testing, problem finding and framing, ideation and solution generating, creative thinking, sketching and drawing, prototyping, and evaluating. Core features of design thinking include the abilities to:

resolve ill-defined or 'wicked' problems
adopt solution-focused strategies (problem re-framing)
use abductive (most likely conclusion, the use of analogies) and productive reasoning
employ non-verbal, graphic/spatial modelling media, for example, sketching and prototyping.

Design Thinking Activities for UNT Marketing project

In addition to studying the Balanced Scorecard, students decided which Design Thinking Framework activities needed to be explored to help their group create solutions for the midpoint review and final presentations.

Class Activities

Wk1: Hopes and Fears photos

This is a warm-up activity for people who are new to the team or project. And helps to set expectations, uncover issues right away.

Wk3: 2-Minute Readout photos

This is the starting point for all future discussions on the project, each student participated.

Process / Student Work

Wk4: Stakeholder Maps

Both groups explored the influencers of the primary users, first time college students and those who come back for their degree.

Wk5: Research

Understanding our competitor schools and the best ideas that could influence our new website.

Wk6: Journey Map

We begin with the activities that you turned for your group work. These exercises will last over several classes as we drill down to discover the challenges of our users and their needs.

Wk7: Pain Points

The Journey Map also helps us understand the challenges that our stakeholders face when trying to use our product or service. Solving for this is our starting point for innovation!

Wk8: Big Ideas

The ideas should ALWAYS come from Pain Points as that it what you are trying to solve for.

Wk11: Personas

Personas allow us to get a deeper understanding of the design drivers we might use to help use to create experiences for our Users.

Fall 2021

Final Presentations

Activities that support the main partner project are reviewed in class to help as students assemble their final portfolio project and presentation for review with the head of the UNT Marketing group, Vincent Fisher.

Teamwork is emphasized through group projects with individual reviews by teammates and instructor. Facilitation is practiced for both online and in-person activities to demonstrate that team inteaction can work well in both environments. Stakeholders are researched and explored, Empathy and Journey Maps facilitated, Personas and Storyboards are created culminating in a final presentation to faculty.

PDA - Cohort 3

APDA/BAAS group

Syllabus