Due 3/24 – Post ‘Constraint Map’ to site with a reflection on the activities in module 1.

Due 3/26 – Post ‘Concept Board’ and ‘Brainstorm’ to the site with a reflection on module 2, including a description of why the ideas you selected seem interesting. (video chat check-in on modules 1 & 2)

Due 3/31 – Post ‘3 Concepts’ to the site including sketches, evaluation, and refinement using the designers hierarchy of needs.

Due 4/2 – Post ‘Prototype’ and continue to implement your solution into next week. (video chat check-in on modules 3 & 4)

Due 4/9 – Post ‘Test & Iterate’ documentation and reflection. (video chat wrap up)

***BRING LAPTOP FROM NOW ON***

TASK: read The Design Process – Stage 2 Identification and revisit the two chapters we have read before: Introduction and Inspiration.

TASK: enjoy Spring Break!

TASK: Create a tea-light holder using just white printer paper, scissors, and tape or glue. Read the full ‘Tea Light Assignment‘ assignment before starting.

TASK: Incorporate the feedback provided in class on your Market Strategy Analysis. Then share your presentation with your client to get their feedback and seek alignment. This should be a ‘live’ meeting (face-to-face or video chat). Due before class on Thursday 3/5.

TASK: post about your inspiration activity by Thursday (post it to Individual Assignments -> Unstructured Inspiration).

TASK: read Failing Forward by Maxwell (2000)

TASK: compose a one-page “failure resume” that lists the biggest failures you’ve had so far in your life. Use the format of the typical resume including dates, headings and categories, and short descriptions. (PS. Don’t save over your existing real resume, if you use that as a template!)

TASK: select one of your failures and write a 1-2 page reflection note incorporating the following questions: How did you respond to your failure? How did others respond? What did you learn from your failure? How did it impact your life subsequently, if at all? Observing from a distance, can this failure be seen as part of a larger trajectory in your life? If you had the chance to go back in time, would you erase your failure? You will turn in your failure resume and discuss your reflection, so be sure to bring printed copies to class.

TASK: plan your next inspiration practice

TASK: Read…
1) Sfumato (Smoke) from “How to Think Like Leonardo Davinci”
2) Relax – Its Only Uncertainty by Hodgson and White (pages 30 – 66)

TASK: make something out of stuff you have at home. (It should be nice enough that if you left it in a public space for an hour no one would throw it in the trash.) Please take a picture and post it to our website (Individual Assignments -> Creation). Bring it to class and be prepared to present it.

TASK: Incorporate the feedback provided in class on your Market Strategy Analysis. Then share your presentation with your client to get their feedback and seek alignment. This should be a ‘live’ meeting (face-to-face or video chat). Due before class on Thursday 3/5.

TASK: Your next inspiration post is due by class on Thursday.

TASK: based on the interviews with your clients, create a 10 minute presentation that discusses their marketing strategy (for a list of issues that have to be discussed see the template we used in class before). Please upload the PDF of your slides to our course website (Team Assignments -> Marketing Strategy Analysis–Client) before the class.

TASK: plan your next inspiration practice, your next post is due by Thursday.

TASK: read Art of Innovation – Child’s eye

TASK: read  Off the Beat and into a Museum

TASK: pick a place where you are familiar with the surroundings and exercise your child’s eye. After generally observing, take time to isolate each of your senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch). Take notes as it is happening and be prepared to discuss your insights in class.

TASK: write your next inspiration post.

NOTE: next week, on Tuesday 2/25, each team will report out on the marketing analysis of their client organization.

TASK: please reflect on connections (themes) among marketing, innovation & design that you have developed through readings, class discussions, and mind maps. Identify three themes that are personally relevant and write a three-page reflection paper (single-, or double-spaced) that conveys their significance and how they are connected. Remember to tie your connections back to the readings and add your personal reflection highlighting their significance. When deciding which three themes to include, you may wish to consider questions such as: What was surprising? What is exciting or inspiring? What is troubling?

TASK: in addition, please write a one-page note in which you reflect on your engagement in this class. Consider the following issues: How thoroughly have you read and comprehended the readings prior to coming to class? How frequent are your classroom contributions and do they move the discussion forward? How much effort and time have you dedicated to completing your homework assignments (e.g., mind maps, presentations, inspirations, group projects)? In the end, please rate your overall performance as above average, average, or below average. Then, pick one area where you think you could improve and propose a way in which you could address it. Attach this note to your three-page reflection paper, print two copies and bring them to class.

TASK: make your Inspiration post by Thursday (post it to Individual Assignments -> Unstructured Inspiration; add a subject line: Inspiration week 2).

TASK: check that all your individual mind maps and presentations have been uploaded to the website and are readable; the completeness of your posts will have an impact on your final grade.

NOTE: on Tuesday, 2/25 each team will have to give a 10-minute marketing analysis presentation of their client organization. If you are meeting your client at their business location, consider taking some photos of the business and its offering (preferably each member takes 8-10 photos).

TASK: review past notes, readings, and mind maps and compose a DRAFT (not “half-assed” version) of a mind map that integrates the key aspects of Markets, Innovation, and Design. Please bring the draft to our next class and upload a picture to Individual Assignments -> Draft Mind Map: M+I+D

TASK: remember that you’ll do an inspiration practice post once per week so plan your inspiration for this week; your posts will always be due on Thursdays.

NOTE: on Tuesday, 2/25 each team will have to report out on marketing analysis of their client.

TASK: brainstorm the connections and similarities between Markets, Innovation, and Design. Come to class with a list of 25 key ideas and insights that are central to our discussion about marketing, innovation, and design thus far.

TASK: practice inspiration and post a brief, but substantive reflection of your inspiration practice to the course website (Individual Assignments -> Unstructured Inspiration). Your post should address three questions: 1) What did you do?; 2) What was the outcome?; 3) How is this related to inspiration? Going forward you will do this — practice inspiration and write a reflective post — once per week. In the subject line put ‘Inspiration – Week 1.’

TASK: plan a meeting with your client. Each team will have to give a 10-minute report out on marketing strategy analysis of their organization on Feb 25th.

TASK: watch stand-alone presentation of an Iconic Design, using the 6 Ws.

TASK: individually find a design that you like and create stand-alone (automatic) presentation incorporating the 6 Ws (who, what, where, when, how, and why). It should be no longer than 1 minute. Incorporating related background music is highly recommended. Upload your video to YouTube and post the link to it in Individual Assignments -> Presentation – Design.

TASK: read from “The Design Process” book by Aspelund two chapters: Introduction and Inspiration.

TASK: plan a meeting with your client. Each team will have to give a 10-minute report out on marketing strategy analysis of their organization on Feb 25th.

READ:
1) Design: More than a cool chair;
2) Design Matters;
3) Kolko Innovation vs. Design;
4) 10 Principles For Good Design-Rams

TASK: mind map the key concepts and relationships related to the concept of design. Bring a hard copy to class and upload your image to our website.

TASK: be prepared to individually give a 120-second presentation on an important innovation from history using the 6 W’s to order your ideas. (Here’s the example presented in class; you don’t need to put ideas from the Johnson reading on the slides, but they might help you think through the 6 W’s). Upload a PDF of your slides to ‘Individual Assignments -> Presentation-Innovation.’

TASK: Read short reflection by famous designer, Dieter Rams: If I Could Do It again…

TASK: review the following website that explains Kolko’s idea of Wicked Problems: Kolko’s Wicked Problems. Follow each of the links in red font, watching each short video and reading the accompanying text.

TASK: come to class prepared to discuss how you personally reacted to the content above. Be sure to identify a Wicked Problem most meaningful to you.

TASK: each team needs to select a client and then announce it with a post to ‘News’. 1st come 1st serve!

TASK: Learn about Johnson’s innovation philosophy…

• READ: the Introduction, “Where Good Ideas Come From”, Steve Johnson
• READ: Summary, ‘Where Good Ideas Come From’ by Steven Johnson
• WATCH: TED Talk by Johnson, “Where Good Ideas Come From”.

TASK: create mind map of Johnson’s philosophy, bring it to class and upload a picture of it to Individual Assignments ->Mind Map-Innovation.

TASK: select 3 of Johnson’s 7 preconditions and get ready for a discussion on how they apply to your current situation.

TASK: each team will deliver a 5-minute presentation of an impactful marketing campaign using the format introduced last class–“Where are we now?” etc. (Presentation from class) Prepare your presentation in PowerPoint and save it as a PDF. Then post this file to the course website. Be sure to select the ‘Team Assignments’ category and then ‘Marketing Strategy Analysis.’

READ: Levitt 1975 (Marketing Myopia), Martin 1995 (Ignore Your Customer), and Phillips et al. 1990 (King Customer). Consider these questions as you are reading: 1. How are the articles and ideas they offer similar and different? 2. Is Martin (1995) really suggesting that we should ignore customers? 3. What is Marketing Myopia and what causes it? 4. As you read, note ideas or themes that strike you as interesting or counterintuitive.

TASK: mind map the core concepts and ideas related to marketing from the readings; you can also draw on knowledge of marketing from other life experiences, if possible. Please use a large sheet of paper and color markers, pens or pencils.

TASK: take a picture of your mind map and post it on the course website. Select ‘Individual Assignments’ and then ‘Mind Map-Marketing’ category. Please bring a hard copy of your map to class to be handed in.

WATCH: the rest of the Dan Pink’s talk.

WATCH: the Tim Brown video called “Tales of Creativity and Play”

WATCH: the Art21 video about David Altmejd

READ: “How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci” – Dimostrazione,  p. 76-93.

READ: read through the syllabus in detail and be prepared to ask any questions. This can be found under the Course Materials tab.

WRITE: a post about one thing you want to do in this class to try breaking personal norms in the classroom environment. Categorize post ‘Individual Assignment, Breaking Norms’.

TASK: If you are not familiar with mind mapping, please surf around the web a bit and acquaint yourself with this technique. Then, come to our first class with a mind map that shows us who you are as a person. We will use this as a way for you to introduce yourselves, so make sure you don’t put anything on the mind map you wouldn’t want everyone to know.