Collaborative Ideation and Prototyping

This unit guides students through advanced empathy, ideation, and rapid-prototyping practices to turn user insights into testable design solutions while managing resources and stakeholder support. It builds on prior discovery and problem-framing work and prepares learners to finalize designs and implementation plans in the final unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze user and stakeholder needs using at least two observational methodologies and empathy techniques to produce a prioritized list of tasks, wishes, and problems
• Apply a variety of creativity and evaluation techniques (e.g., provocations, Walt Disney method, checklists) to generate multiple concepts and document the advantages and barriers of each
• Demonstrate prototyping and testing by producing different prototype fidelities, conducting controlled tests, recording results, and iterating designs based on test data within defined resource and budget constraints
• Evaluate project resources, budget estimates, leadership/coalition needs, and knowledge gaps to create a justified implementation plan that secures stakeholder support and prepares for final design work