Programs | One Year Immersive | Quarter 2 | IDSE 202

Designing Structures & Systems

IDSE 202
Designing Structures & Systems

Course Overview

The application of design is continually expanding to broader and more complex systems of people, environments, processes and tools. In Designing Structures & Systems you will learn tools and methods to holistically understand a system and its intricacies (digital, physical, or both) and identify opportunities to create a more idealized future state. You will evaluate, analyze, and make tangible representations of physical, digital, and cultural components and processes that articulate their relationships and impact on outcomes.

Outcomes and Competencies

The following outcome statements articulate the competencies, abilities, and skills a student will have as a result of completing this class. Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

  • Visualize the way a person experiences a product, system, or service

  • Identify and highlight opportunities to improve existing design/person touchpoints

  • Propose improvements or innovations in experiences through the use of stories and narrative

  • Sketch new ideas and describe the value of these new ideas

  • Propose ideas in a persuasive and highly visual manner

Course Schedule

Class 1

In Class

Introduction to Experience & Service Slices

  • Syllabus Review & Course Goals

  • Introduction to Experience

  • Introduction to Service Slices

  • Discuss Assignment 1

Activities

  • Service Slicing - Service Slicing - Use a transcript from Q1 as a class

Out of Class

  • Assignment 1, Part 1 - Identify at least one local service you can use – document your journey (photos, sequence, touch-points, start & end)

Class 2

In Class

In-Class Working Session

Activities

  • Class time reserved for conducting service research

Out of Class

  • Finish service research

Class 3

In Class

Journey Mapping

  • Discussion: Service Research

  • Introduction to Customer Journey Mapping

Activities

  • Continue service slice modeling

  • Service mapping - Use data from service research (round robin)

Out of Class

Activities

  • Service Slicing - Service Slicing - Use a transcript from Q1 as a class

Reading

  • [Article] Tools for Systems Thinkers: Systems Mapping by Leyla Acaroglu

  • [Excerpt] Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers Ch. 1. The Shortcomings of User-Centered Design

Class 4

In Class

Systems Thinking & Critique

  • Discussion on reading

  • Understanding Critique

Activities

  • Continue mapping service slices - pair up and critique

Out of Class

Activities

  • Continue Service Slices Mapping

  • Begin Digitizing Service Slices Map, Prepare Presentation

Class 5

In Class

Working Session

Activities

  • Run a critique using in-progress service slices for peers and instructor

Out of Class

Activities

  • Finalize presentation for Assignment 1

Class 6

In Class

⏰ Assignment 1 Due: Service Slices Presentation

Discussions

  • Introduce Assignment 2

Out of Class

Activities

  • Begin Journey Mapping

Class 7

In Class

In-Class Working Session

Discussions

  • How-to Present Complex Artifacts

Activities

  • Peer critique in-progress journey maps

Out of Class

Activities

  • Gather additional research data as needed

  • Continue Journey Mapping

Class 8

In Class

In-Class Working Session

1:1 time with instructor 

Out of Class

Activities

  • Finalize Customer Journey Mapping assignment

Class 9

In Class

⏰ Assignment 2 Due: Journey Map Presentation

Discussions

  • Design Criteria

  • Introduce Final Assignment

Out of Class

Activities

  • Create Design Criteria definition

Reading

  • [Excerpt] Orchestrating Experiences Ch. 6 Defining Experience Principles

  • [Excerpt] Orchestrating Experiences Ch. 9 Crafting a Tangible Vision

Class 10

In Class

Experience Vision

Discussions

  • Review reading

  • Introduce Vignettes & Value

Activities

  • In-Class Working Session

  • Instructor 1:1s

Out of Class

Activities

  • Create initial Vignettes & Value Promise

Class 11

In Class

Scenarios & Storyboards 

  • Introduction to Scenarios 

  • Introduction to Storyboards

Activities

  • Peer critique in-progress vignettes

  • In-class: Value promise writing 

  • Scenario development (round robin)

Out of Class

Activities

  • Continue vignette ideation 

  • Write scenarios

Class 12

In Class

In-Class Working Session

Activities

  • Individual storyboard development 

Out of Class

Activities

  • Create storyboards

Class 13

In Class

Critique

  • Critique: In-progress storyboards

  • Instructor 1:1s

Out of Class

Activities

  • Finalize Scenarios, Storyboards, Vignettes & Value Promise assignment

Class 14

In Class

⏰ Final Assignment Input Due: Scenarios, Storyboards, Vignettes & Value Promise

Out of Class

Activities

  • Develop final presentation

Class 15

In Class

Activities

  • Presentation Feedback Session

  • In-Class Working Session

Out of Class

Activities

  • Finalize presentation

  • Practice

Class 16

In Class

⏰ Final Assignment Due: Final presentations & critique

  • Presenting jointly with 201 Prototyping & Testing class

Out of Class

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