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CORE: An Introduction to Design Thinking

We caught up with Dr. Jenny Baechler to hear more about  MGMT 2902.03 An Introduction to Design Thinking, a core course in the Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. 

Innovation: An Introduction to Design Thinking will explore what we mean when we use the word innovation and its relevance to today’s organizations and workforce. We will devote some time to understanding barriers to creativity, the impact of these barriers on innovative pursuits and how they might be overcome. Finally, we will take an in-depth look at Design Thinking – its foundations, methods and challenges with execution. This course combines theory and application. It provides students with a hands-on practical learning experience in which they will experiment with how design thinking can be used to develop solutions to real-world problems. 

What will a student learn in this course? 

This is what we call a foundation course because it operates as an introductory course to innovation and entrepreneurship studies including the minor, the certificate and the majors that are available to our BComm and BMgmt students. 

During the first five weeks, we explore the foundations of innovation. We seek to answer the questions: what does innovation mean, why does it matter and how can students and professionals contribute to innovation projects within a workplace? We learn what it means to have a culture of innovation and how to build innovation ecosystems.

The second half of the course is all about design thinking. There are several innovative frameworks for innovative problem-solving and design thinking is one of them. Design thinking is many things – most notably it encourages problem-solvers to really focus on the lived experiences of people (users, customers, community members, etc.). That’s why we sometimes call it human-centred design. In the course, we explore the various steps of the design thinking process. We also practice methods from the design thinking toolkit – activities that can be used to solve problems by generating new, creative and impactful solutions. We also consider the design thinking mindset – what attitudes and behaviours we need to have for design thinking to be pilipiliÂþ»­ful.

Please share 1–3 specific highlights of the course that may be of interest to a student. 

What I love about this course is the opportunity to introduce several experiential learning opportunities within the curriculum. Experiential learning speaks to the idea of learning through doing and often gives us a chance to explore what classroom ideas might look like in a workplace setting. We don’t always see a lot of experiential learning in 2000-level courses, but in the case of MGMT 2902, students get several such opportunities.

The core components of the course see students work on two portfolio assignments that are intended to give them a chance to first practice their creativity and then put their design thinking abilities to work. The first portfolio invites students to sketch images, create mind maps and even participate in a cooking assignment – all of which are intended to help build each student’s creative confidence. In the second portfolio, students apply their new insights about design thinking and practice design thinking methods in their efforts to come up with solutions to a real-world problem challenge. 

As we bring the course to a close, we’ll participate in an online interactive simulation where students get an introduction to design thinking. I love the simulation because it gives students a chance to come together. They get to meet me and their classmates. I especially appreciate the enthusiasm students bring to the exercise! 

How might this course tie into a student’s existing program (major) or career plans?  

Dalhousie students go on to do so many fantastic things once they complete their degrees, and this course could support any of these exciting career paths. Students go on to work for not-for-profit organizations, hospitals, international organizations, corporations, start-ups, laboratories, technology companies, museums, theatres and governments to name just a few! I think students on any career path benefit from having a rich understanding of what innovation means in a workplace and what their role can be in helping their organization find creative solutions to pressing challenges and generate ideas that make the most of exciting opportunities. 

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