Design Thinking and Innovation

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay via Coursera

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Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Paid Course
Languages

English
Certificate

Paid Certificate Available
Duration & workload

19 hours 17 minutes
Sessions

On-Demand
Subtitles

English

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Overview

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In a world filled with pressing challenges, Design thinking offers a methodology that can transform lives and benefit people at large. At the heart of such design thinking is empathy and concern, a powerful enabler that helps bring ideas to life. This course explains the ‘7 CONCERNS OF INNOVATION’ that is involved in the design thinking process for a new product. Emphasising the iterative nature of innovation, this course also underscores the importance of navigating potential pitfalls at critical stages to prevent failure. Through engaging case studies, witness how these concerns shape the innovation process, driving it towards impactful solutions. The "7 CONCERNS" are as follows: The CAUSE: Understanding the underlying reasons behind users' needs and challenges by empathising with them. The CONTEXT: Understanding the environment and conditions in which the product will be used, including the cultural, social, and economic factors. The COMPREHENSION: Gaining a deep understanding of users' needs, desires, and pain points through research, observations, and interviews. The CHECK: Evaluating and validating assumptions and insights gathered during the comprehension stage to ensure they accurately represent user needs. The CONCEPTION: Generating a wide range of ideas to address the problem defined, encouraging creativity and brainstorming to explore different solutions. The CRAFTING: Creating prototypes or mock-ups of the selected ideas to visualise and test them, allowing for quick iteration and refinement. The CONNECTION: Testing prototypes with users to gather feedback and insights, observing how they interact with the product and listening to their suggestions. With meticulous effort, constant user interaction, and effective collaboration, we shall learn to create solutions that truly meet those needs. By the end of this course, you are bound to become change-makers, empowered to devise brilliant and impactful solutions that enhance the lives of everyday people. Let us harness the power of Design Thinking to make a meaningful impact on the world.

Syllabus

Innovation by Design - CHAKKU'S SEVEN CONCERNS OF DESIGN THINKING FOR INNOVATION

Introducing the fundamental concepts of design thinking and the 7 Concerns for Innovation. This module will establish the foundation for understanding how design can solve complex problems by focusing on user needs and iterative innovation. Understand the principles of design thinking. Familiarize yourself with the 7 Concerns for Innovation. Recognize the importance of collaboration in the innovation process.

THE RESOLVE TO SOLVE A PROBLEM (Representing the 1st Concern: The Cause)

Every design project is initiated by a ‘need’, which becomes ‘The Cause’ of the entire journey that follows. This need may be a commercial requirement, a social necessity or a specific niggling problem with an existing product. The recognition of such a need is a key trigger for the project and it can be identified by any of the stakeholders connected to the product – a product manufacturer or marketer, a user or a product designer.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM SPACE AND THE ENVIRONMENT (Representing the 2nd Concern: The Context)

To study and understand an existing product or similar products in the market, it is critical that the environment in which the product is used, which designers like to call 'The Context' is understood comprehensively. This means that a designer must study the users and their perspectives on the product. Often, this involves several rounds of interaction and observation.

ARRIVING AT A DESIGN INSIGHT (Representing the 3rd Concern: The Comprehension)

At this stage, the designer analyses all the information gathered and methodically lists out their observations and perceptions of any notable issues in the use of the product. Such analysis results in the thorough, all-round 'Comprehension' of the product as it functions within the context of its use. The design insights thus arrived at give rise to creative ideas, and form the basis of the intervention that follows.

CREATING A PRODUCT BRIEF (Representing the 4th Concern: The Check)

‘The Check’ is an essential step in understanding what requirements the product should ultimately meet and what problems the design intervention should address. The check, which is often a document in the form of a product brief, is created from the design insights and must be approved by the client. The product brief is an important point of reference throughout the journey as concepts and prototypes are created and evaluated.

GENERATING IDEAS AND CONCEPTS (Representing the 5th Concern: The Conception)

At this stage called 'The Conception' , designer arrives at multiple ideas to come up with solutions for the problems listed using the product brief. At this crucial stage, ideas are proposed and grouped into clusters. This makes possible the consideration of multiple concepts. Finally, the team zeros in on one all-encompassing concept that best addresses all aspects of the product.

BUILDING MOCKUPS AND PROTOTYPES (Representing the 6th Concern: The Crafting)

The final concept is further refined with reference to criteria like materials available or desirable, and the conditions in which the product is to be manufactured. At this penultimate stage, the designer creates several style options according to the user profile and selects one that best addresses all the aesthetic concerns. The chosen product design is showcased by 'Crafting' small-scale mock-up models, CAD models, or working prototypes. A final version of the product that meets all conditions in the product brief is then taken up for mass production.

DELIGHTING THE USER (Representing the 7th Concern: The Connection)

The last but critically important concern is 'The Connection' the new product makes with the user. This connection or the bond between the user and the product is formed only when the user is satisfied with the product’s performance and begins to cherish it, which in turn creates an increasing demand for the product. In fact, it is the customer’s satisfaction that makes a winning project and functions as the most important criterion for innovation.