Sustainable Solutions Workshop

Applying design methods and open innovation towards sustainable solutions with impact.

Objective & Outcomes

Contemporary problems and their solutions can be defined as complex adaptive systems because they emerge from the daily behavior of seven billion people looking for better living standards when confronting the challenges and opportunities shaped by the unprecedented interconnectivity of the world economy, the global society, and the natural environment.

In this course, students will learn how to apply design methods and strategic thinking through open innovation practices for leveraging the interconnectivity of markets, technology, finance, and social networks in order to envision sustainable solutions with an impact on the local lives and well-being of communities.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to apply systems thinking and design methods to frame sustainable solutions opportunities, available map assets, and the use of capital in the development of sustainable solutions.

Typical Schedule

Session 1: Sense Making
Session 2: Sense Making
Session 3: Sense Making
Session 4: Reframing
Session 5: Reframing
Session 6: Prototyping
Session 7: Prototyping
Session 8: Prototyping
Session 9: Prototyping
Session 10: Prototyping
Session 11: Prototyping
Session 12: Envisioning
Session 13: Envisioning
Session 14: Final Presentation