Design Thinking is an approach to innovation that is prevalent in both the private and public sectors. It combines practices, methods and mindsets from the design discipline to understand and tackle wicked problems, developing potential solutions from a human-centred perspective. Whether it be large incumbent organisations, or small entrepreneurial projects, design thinking provides the tools to engage with stakeholders, identify their needs and develop prototype solutions that respond to their requirements and desires.

This course draws on current literature and best practices in design thinking and is delivered through a series of workshop-based seminars that focus on addressing a live brief provided by a partner organisation. This course integrates the "Double Diamond" and evidence-based management frameworks to provide valuable tools and experience for students from a range of different backgrounds. It will equip and empower students to identify opportunities for the creation of value, lead innovation processes and participate in the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem in a diversity of roles.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of the requirements for this course, students will be able to:

1. Describe the design thinking process and the implications it can have for organisations in the public and private sectors.
2. Determine the appropriate tools to use at each stage of the design thinking process.
3. Use design thinking tools and methods to address specific aspects of a "wicked" problem.
4. Communicate the results of a design thinking process in a way that is actionable for implementation.

 

Research-Led Teaching

The course provides students with a framework to experience design thinking that has been developed over many years by entrepreneurs, practitioners and academics.

Field Trips

n/a

Additional Course Costs

Students are recommended to purchase an A4 visual diary with blank, white pages (no lines). These can be acquired at office supplies, stationery or arts and crafts stores for $5-15 dollars, depending on the type of paper. 150-200gsm is recommended.

Examination Material or equipment

There are no examinations for this course.

Required Resources

Students are recommended to bring an A4 visual diary with blank pages (no lines) for exercises, activities, and research into the major project for the course. Use of this diary will allow for collection of material to assist in completion of Assessment Task 1: Project Journal.

Recommended Resources

This course has no prescribed text. Readings in the form of articles will be available through the Wattle site.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Course Briefing / Introduction to Design Thinking	Recommended Readings: Design Council (2007). Eleven Lessons: Managing Design in Eleven Global Brands. The Design Council. London, UK, pp. 1-26. Activities: Visualisation
2	PART I DISCOVER (Weeks 2-4) Mapping the Ecosystem	Recommended Readings: Mitchell, R. K., Agle, B. R., & Wood, D. J. (1997). Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience: Defining the principle of who and what really counts. Academy of Management Review, 22(4), 853-886. Activities: Identifying Stakeholders
3	Identifying Needs	Recommended Readings: Christensen, C. M., Anthony, S. D., Berstell, G., & Nitterhouse, D. (2007). Finding the Right Job for your Product. MIT Sloan Management Review, 48(3), 38. Activities: Mapping Customer Profiles
4	Value Co-creation	Recommended Readings: Sanders, E. B. N. (2002). From User-Centered to Participatory Design Approaches. In Design and the Social Sciences (pp. 18-25). CRC Press. Activities: Assessment Task 2 Progress Updates
5	PART II DEFINE (Weeks 5-6) Vision-setting through Design Fiction	Recommended Readings: Lindley, J., & Coulton, P. (2015, July). Back to the Future: 10 years of Design Fiction. In Proceedings of the 2015 British HCI Conference (pp. 210-211). ACM. Due: Assessment Task 2
6	Managing Uncertainty	Recommended Readings: Rice, M. P., OConnor, G. C., & Pierantozzi, R. (2008). Implementing a Learning Plan to counter Project Uncertainty. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(2), 54. Activities: Assessment Task 3 Progress Updates
7	PART III DEVELOP (Weeks 7-9) Creativity & Idea Generation	Recommended Readings: Dorst, K. (2011). The Core of ‘Design Thinking’ and its Application. Design Studies, 32(6), 521-532. Activities: Hypothetical Solutions Due: Assessment Task 3
8	User Experience Design	Recommended Readings: Zomerdijk, L. G., & Voss, C. A. (2010). Service Design for Experience-centric Services. Journal of Service Research, 13(1), 67-82. Activities: Experience Mapping
9	Prototypes & Testing	Recommended Readings: Dow, S. P., Glassco, A., Kass, J., Schwarz, M., Schwartz, D. L., & Klemmer, S. R. (2010). Parallel Prototyping leads to Better Design Results, more Divergence, and Increased Self-Efficacy. Design Thinking Research (pp. 127-153). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Activities: Rapid Prototyping; Assessment Task 4 Progess Updates
10	PART IV DELIVER (Weeks 10-12) Implementation & the Business Model	Recommended Readings: Beha, F., Göritz, A., & Schildhauer, T. (2015). Business Model Innovation: The Role of Different Types of Visualizations. In ISPIM Conference Proceedings (ISPIM). Due: Assessment Task 4
11	Communicating Value	Recommended Readings: Rogers, E. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations (5th ed.). New York: Free Press. Activities: Assessment Task 5 Progress Updates
12	Presentations & Course Debriefing	Due: Assessment Task 5

Tutorial Registration

Via Wattle

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Project Journal	40 %	02/06/2020	30/03/2020	1,2,3,4
Stakeholder Map	20 %	26/03/2020	03/04/2020	1
Project Plan	10 %	23/04/2020	07/05/2020	2
Prototype Solution	20 %	14/05/2020	21/05/2020	3
Final Presentation	10 %	28/05/2020	11/06/2020	4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Due to the practical, project-based nature of the course, attendance of both seminars and tutorials is highly recommended.

Examination(s)

There are no examination for this course.

Assessment Task 1

Project Journal

Details of task:

Design Thinking is both a research and learning process. The purpose of this task is to capture said process so that it can be referred to and drawn from when tackling challenges in the future. This task will take the form of a reflective learning journal consisting of four parts. Each part corresponds to the other assessments in the course and are worth 10% for a total of 40%. They should highlight the process undertaken to complete the task, things that could be done differently, and the role that innovation tools and frameworks could play in course participants’ future careers. Course participants are encouraged to write each journal entry while they are working on the project to reduce effort, ensure key learnings are captured, and leaving sufficient time for reflection to occur.

Individual assessment or Group task: Individual

Word limit: See below.

Presentation requirements: 

Each part should consist of a brief, 2-3 page report that draws on work done during class, tutorials and as the student progresses on their project. Each report should include:

1. Overview of the process taken to complete the corresponding task.
2. Description of key insights and things that went well during completion of the task.
3. Description of key challenges faced and things that could have been done differently.
4. Reflection on how the tools and frameworks used could be useful in their future careers.

This assessment will take the form of a reflective journal. As such, referencing is not mandatory. Use of images of teamwork, works in process and other activities undertaken during the course is encouraged.

Submission date: The Each part must be submitted via Turnitin on the following dates:

Part 1: Stakeholder Map Reflection (10%) – 30th of March, 11:59pm.

Part 2: Project Plan Reflection (10%) – 27th of April, 11:59pm.

Part 3: Prototype Solution Reflection (10%) – 18th of May, 11:59pm.

Part 4: Communicating Value Reflection (10%) – 2nd of June, 11:59pm.

Due date for return of assessment: Marks will be provided approximately two weeks after submission. Return of Part 4 will coincide with release of final grades.

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site from the beginning of semester.

Assessment Task 2

Stakeholder Map

Details of task:

Human-centred innovation requires an understanding of the people and organisations present in a given context, with specific emphasis on the challenges and opportunities they face on a daily basis. The purpose of this assessment task is to use design thinking tools and frameworks, combined with an evidence-based approach, to gather data that will later help inform the objectives and intended outcomes of an innovation project. This task will draw from the learning plan framework, design thinking tools and the evidence-based management framework to collect data from a diverse range of sources. This data and any findings will form the basis for the major project for the course. Note that, given the iterative nature of an innovation process, this data will not need to be exhaustive but rather focus on demonstrating the ability to apply design thinking tools in research process.

Individual assessment or Group task: Individual

World limit: See below.

Presentation requirements: 

 5-8 slides, including:

1. Brief description of the context.
2. Identifying key stakeholders and their characteristics.
3. Use of design thinking tools to engage with stakeholders and describe their needs, challenges and aspirations.
4. Use of evidence from a range of sources to increase our understanding of the context. These can be in varying proportions, and should consider scholarly literature, industry reports, stakeholder input and personal experience.
5. Preliminary findings, including possible problems to be addressed through an innovation process.

Where appropriate, course participants are encouraged to use visuals such as images, diagrams and charts. Additionally, course participants will be given the opportunity to briefly share their progress during the week 4 seminar and tutorials. These brief presentations will not be assessed, but will provide the chance to receive valuable feedback to improve their work before submission.

Submission date: 26th of March, 8:59am. Reports will be submitted via Turnitin.

Due date for return of assessment: 3rd of April. Feedback will be provided via Wattle.

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site from the beginning of semester.

Assessment Task 3

Project Plan

Details of task:

Design thinking projects are characterised by high levels of uncertainty across multiple dimensions. To ensure that valuable outcomes are achieved for its many stakeholders, it is important to define a specific issue to be addressed. The purpose of this task is to draw upon the lessons gained in engaging with stakeholders to determine the specific aspect of a complex problem that the team will aim to solve, including high level timeline and key tasks to be undertaken. Additionally, this task will help students to define which aspects of the project they will each take responsibility for.

Course participants will form teams of 3-4 to complete this assessment. Each assessment is comprised of group rubric items and individual rubric items. All team members will be assessed for the group rubric items. Each team member will additionally select an equal number of individual rubric items, and will be assessed individually against these items. To ensure that students are able to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes for the course, the process used in completing group tasks will be detailed by each team member in their individual Assessment Task 1: Project Journal (see above)

Individual assessment or Group task: Group task assessed individually.

World limit: See below.

Presentation requirements: 

 8-10 slides, including:

1. Overview of the problem being addressed by the project.
2. Describe of specific area of the problem to be addressed by the team.
3. Intended outcomes for the project in terms of potential benefits to the organisation.
4. High level timeline of tasks and activities to be undertaken by the team.
5. Brief description of roles and responsibilities of each team member.

Teams are encouraged to use visuals such as diagrams and charts to communicate this information. Additionally, teams will be given the opportunity to briefly share their progress during the week 6 seminar and tutorials. These brief presentations will not be assessed, but will provide the chance to receive valuable feedback to improve their work before submission.

Submission date: 23rd of April, 8:59am via Turnitin.

Due date for return of assessment: 7th of May.

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site from the beginning of semester.

Assessment Task 4

Prototype Solution

Details of task:

Design thinking is an iterative process, with projects often requiring multiple rounds of testing to refine and adapt the project to its stakeholders’ needs, interests and requirements. For this purpose, it is important to develop simple representations, or prototypes, that allow these stakeholders to engage and interact with emerging solutions. This task aims to develop the ability to produce low fidelity prototypes early in a project, engaging key stakeholders to obtain their input and feedback.

This task will focus on providing course participants with the tools to produce prototype solutions as a way to test assumptions and reduce uncertainty.

Course participants will continue working in teams to complete this assessment. Each team member will select an equal number of rubric items. Team members will be assessed individually based on their completion of the rubric items they have selected.

Individual assessment or Group task: Group task assessed individually.

World limit: See below.

Presentation requirements: 

 8-10 slides, including:

1. Overview of the specific problem being addressed by the project.
2. Describe key areas of uncertainty to be addressed by the prototype.
3. A low fidelity prototype of the solution. This could be a system diagram, a series of interactive slides, a paper-based mock-up, a combination of these, or other forms of representation that will allow project stakeholders to provide feedback.
4. Evidence of engagement with, and feedback provided by, real stakeholders of the project.
5. Summary of learnings, including any proven hypotheses and any changes or adaptations that need to be made.

This report should be highly visual in nature, containing photos, images, diagrams and other content showing the development of the prototype and its use in engaging with stakeholders. Teams will be given the opportunity to briefly share their progress during the week 9 seminar and tutorials. These brief presentations will not be assessed, but will provide the chance to receive valuable feedback to improve their work before submission.

Submission date: 14th of May, 8:59am via Turnitin

Due date for return of assessment: 21st of May.

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site from the beginning of semester.

Assessment Task 5

Final Presentation

Details of task:

To increase the chances for success of a design thinking project, it is important to obtain approval and support from key stakeholders within the organisation. This requires clear communication of how it will contribute to the organisation. This task aims to provide a strategic approach to communicating the costs and benefits of a design thinking project in order to obtain support for its continuation. The task will focus on recognising how the project will fit within the business model of an established organisation, providing value to the key stakeholders involved. This will be the final team-based assessment. Each team member will select an equal number of rubric items. Team members will be assessed individually based on their completion of the rubric items they have selected.

Individual assessment or Group task: Group task assessed individually.

World limit: See below.

Presentation requirements: 

10 minute presentation, including:

1. Overview of the specific problem being addressed by the project.
2. High-level overview of the process that led to the proposed solution.
3. Description of the proposed solution, highlighting any feedback obtained from key stakeholders.
4. Brief description of how the solution would be implemented within the organisation’s current activities and resources.
5. Potential value to the organisation, and how this value would be measured.
6. Next steps that the team would undertake were the project to continue.

This assessment will take the form of a pitch style presentation. Although it is not necessary for every team member to deliver the pitch, each member will be required to answer one question about the project. Presentations will be recorded for marking and review purposes.

Submission date: 28th of May, during the week 12 seminar.

Due date for return of assessment: 11th of June.

Marking Criteria: A detailed rubric will be made available on the course Wattle site from the beginning of semester.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Refer to details for each assessment item. Policy regarding late submission (where applicable) is detailed below:

• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

All requests for extensions to assessment in RSM courses must be submitted to the RSM School Office with a completed application form and supporting documentation. The RSM Extension Application Form and further information on this process can be found at https://www.rsm.anu.edu.au/education/education-programs/notices-for-students/extension-application-procedure/

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

All assignments will be marked and where appropriate feedback will be provided either: in class, or in person by appointment with the course lecturer, or via the course Wattle site.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

You are allowed to resubmit your assignments before the specific deadlines where specified for each assessment item.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students