The course structures an innovation process for students to enter the Design for San Diego challenge. Students will form teams to conduct user research, sketch ideas, and produce a minimal viable prototype for a civic problem related to making San Diego a more sustainable city. Teams will also produce visual materials to pitch their concept and enter the D4SD design challenge to compete with other teams from the city.

Assignments due each week will guide students through key stages of design and innovation. By the end of the quarter, teams will produce a video pitch, prototype, and poster that describes their proposal for how to improve San Diego.

What's due at the end of each week?

1. Search the web to explore a problem space (individual)
2. Find and discuss data relevant to problem areas (individual)
3. Conduct and report on field research (pairs)
4. Write a problem report (pairs)
5. Create Conceptual Storyboards for Feedback (teams)
6. Conduct Speed-dating feedback and submit preliminary proposals (teams)
7. Prototypes and testing strategies (teams)
8. Moodboards, style guides, video scripts (teams)
9. Posters, portfolio pages, videos, and implementation plans (teams)
10. Iterate and refine!
11. Final team project submissions due on March 17th