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Become a proficient explorer of the world around you and find inspirations that may lead to human-centered design solutions: This course will introduce you to the basics of design research.
Language: English
Course information
This course will introduce you to methods in design research that will help you to discover inspirations for design solutions. We will take a task-based approach to build your competencies and skills for design research. You will learn to spot workarounds and observe potential users in their context and we will introduce you to the basic skills of conducting insightful interviews.
Learning objectives
- Learn the basics of design research and its value
- Learn the fundamentals of conducting a good interview
- Build your ability to spot workarounds and recognize design potentials
- Discover insights beyond the obvious
You'll receive a Confirmation of Participation for completing this course successfully.
Course Structure
Week 1: Welcome and Introduction to the Course and Learning Environment This is a chance for you to introduce yourself and get to know your peers with the help of an exercise.
Week 2: Introduction to Observation In this week you will watch a short video lecture on the power of careful observation. You will practice what you learned in an exercise and apply your learning to your own context with the help of an assignment that will be peer reviewed.
Week 3: Introduction to Qualitative Interviewing In this week you will watch a short video lecture on the role of qualitative interviewing and how to conduct a good interview. You will then watch examples of good and bad interviews. You will practice what you learned in an exercise and apply your learning to your own context with the help of an assignment that will be peer reviewed.
Week 4: Wrap up This week will provide a summary of what you have learned. We will talk about future steps and discuss some of the best assignment results with you.
Time Commitment
Estimated workload per week:
- week 1: max. 1 hour
- week 2: max. 2 hours
- week 3: max. 2 hours
- week 4: max. 1 hour
Target Audience
This course is best suited for those who are curious about design thinking and human-centered approaches to solving problems. No prior knowledge is required. This course is designed for individual work; it is not necessary to find a team of co-participants. Peer reviews will be allocated to your online peers.
Note
This beta version is part of a research project that investigates the potentials and challenges of teaching design thinking in an online environment. Therefore your participation in the course surveys and feedback are very valuable to us.
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Learners
Certificate Requirements
- Gain a Record of Achievement by earning at least 50% of the maximum number of points from all graded assignments.
- Gain a Confirmation of Participation by completing at least 50% of the course material.
Find out more in the certificate guidelines.
This course is offered by
Mana Taheri is a PhD candidate at the HPI-Stanford Design Thinking Research Program. Her research interests lie in the fields of e-learning and cultural diversity. In her research projects she investigates the potentials and challenges of teaching design thinking at scale and to a global audience with diverse cultural backgrounds. Mana is also a member of the teaching team at the HPI School of Design Thinking in Potsdam, Germany. She is well experienced in designing and leading workshops in various international settings, from Tehran, to Berlin, and to Havana. Mana was born and raised in Tehran, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics before moving to Berlin to complete her Master’s in Economics and Management at Humboldt University.
Karen von Schmieden is a PhD candidate in the HPI-Stanford Design Thinking Research Program and a curator and editor of ThisIsDesignThinking.net. She has worked as a journalist and in a startup for radio technology. Karen is an alumna of the HPI School of Design Thinking, where she designed human-centered solutions in projects for Charité Berlin and the Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg. She studied in Maastricht, Istanbul and Lisbon and holds an M.A. in European Studies on Society, Science and Technology. She’s a co-founder of the student-led innovation group „Maastricht Disrupt“.
Thomas Unterholzer is a researcher in the field of digitalization in learning settings at the LearningLab at University Duisburg-Essen.
Further he has been working as a freelance Design Thinking coach since 2013. Thomas has a background in adult education and digital learning and applied this knowledge in HR development, strategy consulting and academia.