Design Thinking Minor

student editing an image on computer

Overview

Design Thinking Minor

The Design Thinking minor is an interdisciplinary program that will strengthen students’ technical, creative, and management skills as they prepare to become design managers, innovation specialists, and creative leaders at companies. Classes will prepare students to holistically and empathetically consider challenges in people’s lives and how design could be used to solve a problem through new products and/or systems.

Students will use various visual communication techniques and software to generate designs and prototypes.

Students will learn to evaluate a problem from various interdisciplinary approaches individually and in groups in anticipation for leading businesses towards creative and innovative solutions.

Students will develop an understanding of human behavior as it is affected by societal or environmental issues, and use that knowledge to compassionately design products, services, or systems that aim to improve lives and/or dissolve issues.

For this minor, a minimum of 22 credit hours is required, with at least 3 credits earned in courses numbered 300 or above from each of the categories: Business, Design, and Social Sciences. Students wishing to complete this minor must have their programs approved by their advisor and the Design Thinking Minor Coordinator, Jessa Wilcoxen.

Design thinking involves an approach to innovation and problem solving that takes into account the needs of people, the possibilities of technology and requirements for business success. ~ Tim Brown, IDEO