Ideation, Research, and Prototyping

This unit builds on foundational design thinking concepts to expand students’ ability to generate diverse ideas, research user needs, and create and test early prototypes. Students will practice facilitation, documentation, and rapid iteration techniques that prepare them to refine solutions in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze user needs and identify knowledge gaps by synthesizing observations, interviews, and lead-user insights into clear target-user requirements.
• Apply multiple ideation techniques (e.g., brainstorming, random-word stimulation, lead-user engagement) and team diversity to generate and prioritize a portfolio of concept variations.
• Demonstrate planning and facilitation skills by designing and running a prototype workshop with defined roles, task sequences, and accurate documentation to produce low-fidelity prototypes.
• Evaluate prototypes using structured tests (in-person interviews and online studies), record findings through proper note-taking, and iterate designs based on user feedback and project constraints.