Ideation and Rapid Prototyping

This unit develops students’ abilities to generate, organize, and test solutions through collaborative ideation, focused research, and low‑fidelity prototyping. Students will learn techniques for opening new idea sources, planning and running workshops, documenting observations, and using interviews and online studies to iterate designs quickly.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze qualitative observations, interview findings, and research to identify and prioritize at least three target user needs and related knowledge gaps
• Apply multiple ideation techniques (e.g., brainstorming, random-word prompts, lead‑user exploration) and team diversity strategies to produce and rapidly select a portfolio of viable concepts using defined criteria
• Demonstrate planning and facilitation of a prototype activity or workshop—clarifying tasks, sequencing work, creating efficient prototypes, and maintaining structured notes
• Evaluate prototype performance through interviews and online testing, synthesize actionable feedback, and iterate designs within time‑boxed cycles to better align solutions with user needs