Digital Design & Innovation

Course Description

This course introduces students to design thinking, user-driven innovation and user experience, and business model implementation issues for IT-driven innovation. IST 437 Digital Design & Innovation (3) IT-driven innovation requires a deep understanding of the user, the context of the compute environment, and a systems approach to identifying critical system features. In addition, the IT-driven innovation must meet user needs in a commercially feasible manner. Students taking this class will work in teams to create a design concept and refine it through user analysis and prototyping. To get to a commercially feasible concept, students will analyze the competitive landscape and the ecosystem in which their concept will reside. Each team will express their concepts using the Business Model Canvas– a tool used in both educational and professional settings – to identify the value proposition and potential monetization strategies. Throughout the class, students will be introduced to tools in the IT design space through hands-on problem solving, role playing, and improvisation, among other techniques. A critical part of this course is the in-class coaching that teams will receive from the instructor, as well as guest speakers who can demonstrate the real world challenges of entrepreneurship and innovation. Frequent communication practice using techniques such as idea pitches will help students refine their ability to express their ideas more effectively.