University of Technology Sydney

52716 Design Thinking for Social Innovation

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Communication: Digital and Social Media
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Anti-requisite(s): 54096 Design Thinking for Social Innovation

Description

This subject uses design-thinking methodologies to empower students to lead social entrepreneurship and innovation movements using interdisciplinary perspectives. It introduces students to the process of design thinking (defining the problem, empathising, ideating and innovating) using experimentation, and facilitates solutions through radical cross-boundary thinking in order to effect social change using a human-centred approach. This subject helps students develop the essential design-thinking skills of observing, interviewing, listening, empathising, team building, communicating, and analysing in order to imagine and create innovative solutions to common social issues by approaching them at a community level. Students, in teams that mimic professional roles, collaboratively develop a design solution for a real-world scenario through the process of generating, iterating, and evolving an innovative project plan that they can add to their portfolios.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

a. Apply a design thinking methodology to tackle a ‘big picture’ problem or a social justice issue in society through proposing a small but significant change at a local level.
b. Engage in radical collaboration with students from across disciplines in the School of Communication and other Faculties, and mentors from both university and industry.
c. Empathise with users/clients in a specific domain, and from this, develop a point of view towards a chosen problem
d. Actively reflect on the processes and methodologies being used and be able to identify learning needs and seek answers independently.

Content (topics)

This subject spans theoretical and intellectual insights from a number of disciplines including Communication, Design, Sociology, Anthropology, User Experience, Human Psychology, IT, and Digital Studies, all tied together through the Design Thinking approach. The subject draws heavily on Design Theory, Sensemaking Theory, Framing Theory, and Systems Theory. Content includes theoretical concepts around observations, interviews, listening, persona building, storytelling, empathy, and ethics in order to imagine and create innovative solutions to common social issues by approaching them at a community level. Students, in teams that mimic professional roles, collaboratively develop and design a solution space for a real-world problem space, using stakeholder analysis and system thinking.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Problem Definition and Empathy Mapping

Objective(s):

b, c and d

Weight: 20%
Length:

Part 1: A 5-minute group presentation in class

Part 2: A 1000-word report submitted online as a group.
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Clarity of problem formulation and accuracy in reflecting the partner’s briefing. 20 b
Evidence of human-centred approach through original ethnographic research 20 b, d
Effective problem definition through rigorous and insightful diagnosis of empathy findings 20 b, c
Evidence of individual effort within group as assessed by the tutor and with consideration of SPARKPlus 40 b
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Design Journal (individual task)

Objective(s):

a, c and d

Weight: 50%
Length:

The final word count of the journal should be approx. 1,500 plus visuals.

This equates to an average of 250 words per fortnight over 12 weeks.

Students may wish to do shorter weekly entries but they must provide evidence of continuous entries throughout the semester.
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Depth of reflection on in-class discussion, teamwork, and topics covered in class with evidence 30 a
Evidence of research, analysis and interpretation of design thinking as a methodology 20 c
Application of design thinking methodology to real-world situations and observations 30 d
Effectiveness of images, drawings, texts, photos and other layout elements to show evidence of learning 20 d
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Final Project Report and Business Proposal

Objective(s):

a, b, c and d

Weight: 30%
Length:

A 10-minute presentation in class and a 1500-word report.
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Responsiveness to feedback from users, peers, teachers, and partners 10 b, c, d
Clarity and originality of written proposal backed by original, industry and scholarly research 20 d
Professionalism and originality of verbal presentation, supported by effective audio-visual material 30 a
Evidence of individual effort within group (through reflection, tutor assessment and participation in SPARK Peer Review) 40 b
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Required texts

Recommended texts

  • Carlgren, L., Rauth, I., & Elmquist, M. (2016). Framing Design Thinking: The Concept in Idea and Enactment. Creativity and Innovation Management, 25(1), 38–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12153
  • Dorst, K. (2011). The core of “design thinking” and its application. Design Studies, 32(6), 521–532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2011.07.006
  • Johansson-Sköldberg, U., Woodilla, J. & Çetinkaya, M. 2013, 'Design Thinking: Past, Present and Possible Futures', Creativity and Innovation Management, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 121-46.
  • Johansson-Sköldberg, U., Woodilla, J., & Çetinkaya, M. (2013). Design Thinking: Past, Present and Possible Futures. Creativity and Innovation Management, 22(2), 121–146. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12023
  • Manzini, E. (2007). Design Research for Sustainable Social Innovation. Design Research Now, 233–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8472-2_14
  • Manzini, E. (2010). Small, Local, Open, and Connected: Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability, Journal of Design Strategies, 4(1), 8-11. Accessible from http://www.ut-ie.com/articles/darwin-journal.pdf
  • Ezio Manzini. (2015). Design, when everybody designs : an introduction to design for social innovation. Mit Press, Cop. (E-text available from UTS Library)
  • Narayan, B. (2018). Using a co-experience approach to improve international students’ classroom experience: A practice report from within an Australian higher education setting. Opus.lib.uts.edu.au. http://hdl.handle.net/10453/132001
  • van der Bijl-Brouwer, M., & Dorst, K. (2017). Advancing the strategic impact of human-centred design. Design Studies, 53, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2017.06.003