Collaborative Innovation Minor
Innovation For People, Thriving through Diversity and Creativity
Seeking to build a strong core competency in human-centered design thinking
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Notre Dame's collaborative innovation program welcomes all students, from within the College of Arts and Letters, from business, science, engineering, and architecture. Students will encounter unique and dynamic experiences for method-based, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and learning between various academic departments, with innovation, design, and creativity as the core area of interest.
Students will be introduced to new ways to identify human-centered opportunities and problems, generate new ideas, prototype, test and develop concepts, and communicate the experiences and intent. Through the minor, you will also be exposed to additional elements, tools, and skills that professional design teams implement daily.
High Career Relevance
The design management institute identified that Design-driven companies outperform the S&P 500 by 219%. Organizations across the globe have invested in design thinking teams, methods, and mindsets as a core capability to innovate across their businesses, communities, and causes.
The following are a selection of organizations that have embraced Design Thinking as a core competency
IBM | SAP | Deloitte | PepsiCo | Intuit |
Fidelity | Stryker | Ford | Capital One | Marriott |
LEGO Group | Gates Foundation | Cleveland Clinic | Liberty Mutual | BCBS |
Design Matters - Human-Centered Design Thinking
The gateway course, Design Matters: An Introduction to Design Thinking consists of a hybrid seminar course with lectures and case studies followed by hands-on exercises, discussions, and practical applications of design thinking methodologies in the form of team projects.
Design Thinking is a dynamic, iterative approach to creativity and innovation that begins with human needs and desires. The approach has been widely adopted by businesses and organizations globally. Design Thinking originated from the mindset and methods used by designers to identify and solve problems through establishing empathy and making to learn.
Creativity, Critical-Thinking, Collaboration, Communication & Curiosity
The mindset and skills amplified throughout the minor (curiosity creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and complex problem solving ) are amongst those that have been identified as critical to flourishing by the World Economic Forum, in a time of constant change, where Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) influences and outcomes are rapidly encompassing all areas of our daily lives.
Multi-disciplinary Capstone Experience
The Minor culminates in the capstone course Collaborative Design & Development, bringing the minor’s various student disciplines together in fruitful collaboration with design majors.
The Capstone emulates a real-world consulting experience. Interdisciplinary student teams will be challenged by industry or community partners to address meaningful areas of interest. Each student will apply their own expertise derived from their major and their Collaborative Innovation Minor path. The diverse perspectives and blended capabilities serve as a catalyst for Human-Centered innovation.
Required Courses and Components
Declaration of the Minor will require enrollment in or completion of any design course.
Students may contact the department Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Innovation Minor’s Director for information, or declare the Minor in the department office.
Completion of the Collaborative Innovation Minor will require 15 credit hours.
Design majors will not be permitted to declare in the Minor, however, they may register for the Capstone Course with approval
Students can choose their learning paths within the 5-course sequence while aligning to prerequisite requirements - not all classes have to be taken in the sequence shown
1. GATEWAY DESN 20203 – Design Matters & DESN 21203 D Think Lab |
2. INSPIRATION Select one of the following: DESN 30210 - Design Research Practices DESN 20205 - The Anthropology of Your Stuff |
3. IDEATION DESN 20200- ID: Rapid Visualization NOTE: Rapid Visualization is a prerequisite for ID1: Intro to Product Development and suggested for Digital Solid Modeling* *Consult the teaching professor for considerations |
4. IMPLEMENTATION** Select one of the following: DESN 20201 - ID 1: Intro to Design Studio / Product Development* DESN 30140 - VCD 7: Interaction Design |
5. CAPSTONE DESN 40201 - Collaborative Design & Development **Alternate courses may be considered if they meet the requirement of the minor - Consult the Director of the Collaborative Innovation Minor |
Advising
Advising will be conducted by the Director of the Collaborative Innovation Minor program in consultation with the department’s DUS.
Learn More
For more information, contact Ann-Marie Conrado, Director of Collaborative Innovation Minor.
TESTIMONIAL
The Minor pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to be more creative and empathetic in all aspects of my life/career!"
- Sydnye Nosbusch, University of Notre Dame 2020, Neuroscience & Behavior | Collaborative Innovation
TESTIMONIAL
“ Design Matters is by far the best class I have taken at Notre Dame so far”
- Megan Rogers,
Degree: BA, Business Admin. , Mendoza
TESTIMONIAL
"The Collaborative Innovation Minor provided me with real-world tangible experiences that will make me successful in my future"
- Abigail Dolan, Class of 2020