Design Thinking is a human-centric, interdisciplinary approach towards innovation that aims to help companies and startups change and innovate. This course introduces Design Thinking (similar to the IDEO approach - www.ideo.com) and its application to developing new "things" (i.e. products, services, experiences and business models). The course is divided into four main aspects, all interconnected but separately emphasized: (1) design methodologies (e.g. ethnographic research, brainstorming, prototyping), (2) the "thing" to be designed (3) attitudes and behaviors and (4) design contexts. Design contexts refer to the broader emerging context for designs and business, specifically, society (including different cultures and the poor), and the physical environment. Learning will be primarily experiential in nature - through class discussion, group exercises, and a team project. Guest speakers with practical experience in Design Thinking may be invited as well.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Apply design methodologies to designs "things".
- Develop an understanding of how businesses can be "designed" using the same design methodologies in order to implement the designed "things".
- Develop an appreciation of how to create designs for broader and varying contexts, that is, to be sensitive to human, societal needs and the physical environment.
Students investigated on whether *SCAPE was engaging youths in the right way and if their curated programmes and events resonate with the youths, including finding ways to attract youths to better utilise the space
Students proposed strategies to redesign community club spaces, programmes and courses to ensure that they are relevant and effective to their various target audience (young working adults, students, residents and families). In addition, students investigated and proposed ideas on how to redesign the estate's hawker centre to be clean, sustainable and environmentally friendly for residents with the aim to strengthen familial and communal bonds around traditional and healthy food.
Students proposed innovative ideas on how to increase spend and footfall of airside retail at Changi Airport Terminal 4.
Students suggested ideas to improve the hotel's customer journey touchpoints and experience, with a focus on the pre-arrival, arrival, departure and post-departure touchpoints.
With the aim to increase tourist arrivals from Singapore to a particular Asian city, students designed innovative approaches and strategies on how to improve the appeal of that city as a tourist destination for Singaporeans.
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