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Design Thinking

Module description

Design thinking is an approach to developing innovative solutions to problems. It is widely used across a range of commercial, public, and charitable sectors. This module will introduce you to the principles of design thinking and explore how they can be used to address issues in media and communication. Through a range of activities this module aims to introduce you to key skills in design thinking: framing problems; understanding stakeholders and users; envisaging users and determining key emotional drives for users; problem solving; prototyping and testing; using feedback and dissemination strategies. There are no pre-requisites or co-requisites for this module, and no specialist knowledge, skills, or experience are required to take it.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to:

• Introduce you to the theories and practices underpinning design thinking.
• Highlight the importance of user-centred approaches to media and communication content and strategy.
• Support you in developing basic design thinking skills through practical exercises / tasks.
• Enable you to demonstrate abilities in collaboration and communication.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental aspects of design thinking
• 2. Execute a design thinking approach to a problem

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Understand the importance of user-centred approaches to media and communication
• 4. Contribute confidently to collaborative projects

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Demonstrate basic skills in problem solving that benefit all stakeholders in a partnership (UNSDG 17.17)
• 6. Communicate effectively and fluently orally and/ or in writing

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that it will cover some of the following topics:

• Problem framing
• User-centred approaches
• User experience and emotional engagement
• Solution targeted thinking
• Ideation: Divergent and convergent thinking
• Implementation and prototyping
• Feedback

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e., a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Brown, T. (2009) Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation, London: Harper Business.
• Kumar, V. (2012) 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach For Driving Innovation in your Organization, London: John Wiley.
• Kolko, J. (2015) ‘Design thinking comes of age’, Harvard Business Review, September 2015.
• Lewrick, M. (2018) The Design Thinking Playbook: Mindful Digital Transformation of Teams, Products, Services, Businesses and Ecosystems, New York: John Wiley and Sons.
• Hannington, B. And Martin, B. (2012) Universal Methods of Design: 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, And Design Effective Solutions, Beverly, MA: Rockport.
• Pressman, A. (2018) Design Thinking: A Guide to Creative Problem Solving for Everyone, London: Routledge.
• Yayici, E. (2016) Design Thinking Methodology Book, New York: Yayici.

Key words search

Design Thinking; Audiences; Users; User-Centred Methods; Media; Communication