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Elizabeth Gerber, Pam Daniels, Ed Colgate, and Greg Holderfield

Today’s workplace calls for a new style of leadership to embolden and accelerate innovation. Design offers a novel way to discover market opportunities, experiment to validate concepts and mitigate risk, and deliver value to all stakeholders. This course offers hands-on experience applying human-centered design process to real-world challenges, and requires you to explore the world around you. Learn how to engage with end users, effectively frame problems, identify potential solutions, and build prototypes to test assumptions and learn what works (and doesn’t). Then dive into a range of ways large and small to bring design innovation into your organization.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Using Design Principles to Innovate and Find Opportunities
You will learn that the first step in the design process is finding opportunities. Human-centered designers do so by immersing themselves in a particular user context to identify areas of focus for design innovation.
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Exploring Ideas
How do we take the opportunities that we've uncovered and turn them into new possibilities? In this module we'll explore ideation, sketching, and storyboarding as tools to generate and communicate ideas.
Prototyping to Learn
It is easy to think of prototypes as “drafts” of the final design, but in this module we’ll teach you to think of prototypes a bit differently: as tools for learning. We will discuss approaches for maximizing the amount that you learn from prototypes, and iterating your way rapidly toward outstanding results.
Leading Design Innovation
How do you bring design innovation to your organization and sustain it over time? In this module we will learn theory and practical techniques to help you lead an organization that routinely produces innovative products, services, and systems.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Develops design process skills from ideation to prototyping
Builds a strong foundation in human-centered design principles
Applicable in both industry and academic settings
Taught by recognized instructors in the field
Offers hands-on experience through prototyping
May require additional learning for those with limited design experience

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Leadership Through Design Innovation with these activities:
Explore design principles on Google Think Insights
Build a solid understanding of the core principles of design. This will help you lay a strong foundation for the rest of the course.
Browse courses on Design Principles
Show steps
  • Visit the Google Think Insights website
  • Browse their articles and resources on design thinking and innovation
  • Take notes on the key principles and ideas
Read "Design Thinking for Innovation" by Tim Brown
Gain valuable insights into the design thinking process from one of the leading experts in the field. This book will provide you with a deeper understanding of how to apply design thinking to real-world challenges.
Show steps
  • Purchase or borrow a copy of the book
  • Read the book and take notes
  • Reflect on the key concepts and ideas
Join a study group to discuss the course material
Connect with other students and engage in meaningful discussions about the course material. This will help you deepen your understanding and get different perspectives.
Browse courses on Collaboration
Show steps
  • Find a study group or create your own
  • Meet regularly to discuss the course material
  • Share your insights and learn from others
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Create a collection of your favorite design resources
Gather a collection of resources that you can use to support your design learning journey. This will give you easy access to the tools and information you need to succeed.
Browse courses on Resources
Show steps
  • Identify the types of resources you need
  • Search for and collect resources
  • Organize your resources in a way that makes sense to you
Design a prototype to solve a problem in your daily life
Put your design skills into practice by creating a prototype that addresses a real-world problem. This will help you see how design can be used to create positive change.
Browse courses on Prototyping
Show steps
  • Identify a problem that you face in your daily life
  • Brainstorm potential solutions
  • Create a prototype of your solution
  • Test your prototype and get feedback
  • Iterate on your design based on feedback
Complete the "Human-Centered Design" course on Coursera
Explore the principles and practices of human-centered design in more depth. This course will provide you with valuable tools and techniques for designing products and services that meet the needs of users.
Browse courses on Human Centered Design
Show steps
  • Enroll in the "Human-Centered Design" course on Coursera
  • Complete the course modules and assignments
  • Apply what you learn to your own design projects
Start a personal design project that focuses on a specific problem
Take your design skills to the next level by starting your own personal project. This will allow you to apply what you've learned in the course to a real-world challenge.
Browse courses on Project Based Learning
Show steps
  • Identify a problem that you want to solve
  • Develop a design brief
  • Research and ideate solutions
  • Create a prototype
  • Test your prototype and get feedback
  • Iterate on your design based on feedback
  • Present your final design
Participate in a design competition or hackathon
Test your design skills and push yourself outside of your comfort zone by participating in a design competition or hackathon. This will give you valuable experience in working under pressure and collaborating with others.
Browse courses on Competition
Show steps
  • Find a design competition or hackathon that you're interested in
  • Register for the competition or hackathon
  • Prepare for the competition or hackathon
  • Attend the competition or hackathon
  • Submit your design
  • Wait for the results

Career center

Learners who complete Leadership Through Design Innovation will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
User Experience (UX) Designer
UX Designers create user interfaces for websites, apps, and other digital products. They focus on making products easy to use and enjoyable. This course would be helpful for UX Designers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to create user interfaces that are both usable and engaging.
Design Researcher
Design Researchers conduct research to understand user needs. They use this research to inform the design of products and services. This course would be helpful for Design Researchers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to conduct research that is both rigorous and actionable.
Service Designer
Service Designers create and improve services. They work with customers and businesses to understand their needs and develop services that meet those needs. This course would be helpful for Service Designers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to create services that are both effective and efficient.
Interaction Designer
Interaction Designers create the way users interact with digital products. They design everything from the way users navigate a website to the way they interact with a mobile app. This course would be helpful for Interaction Designers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to create interactions that are both intuitive and enjoyable.
Design Strategist
Design Strategists develop and implement design strategies for businesses. They work with businesses to understand their goals and develop design solutions that help them achieve those goals. This course would be helpful for Design Strategists because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to develop design strategies that are both effective and efficient.
Product Manager
Product Managers lead the development and launch of new products. They work with engineers, designers, and marketers to ensure that products meet customer needs. This course would be helpful for Product Managers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to develop innovative products.
Innovation Consultant
Innovation Consultants help businesses develop and implement new ideas. They work with businesses to identify opportunities for innovation and develop strategies to bring those ideas to market. This course would be helpful for Innovation Consultants because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to develop innovative solutions to business problems.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
CEOs lead businesses and develop business strategies. They work with executives to set company goals and develop strategies to achieve those goals. This course would be helpful for CEOs because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to develop business strategies that are both effective and sustainable.
Design Educator
Design Educators teach design at universities and colleges. They help students learn about design principles and practices. This course would be helpful for Design Educators because it provides them with the latest research on human-centered design.
Business Analyst
Business Analysts help businesses understand their needs and develop solutions to meet those needs. They work with businesses to identify opportunities for improvement and develop strategies to implement those improvements. This course would be helpful for Business Analysts because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to develop solutions that are both effective and efficient.
Human Resources Manager
Human Resources Managers lead human resources teams and develop human resources strategies. They work with human resources teams to recruit, hire, and develop employees. This course would be helpful for Human Resources Managers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to develop human resources strategies that are both effective and efficient.
Marketing Manager
Marketing Managers develop and implement marketing campaigns for products and services. They work with marketing teams to create marketing materials and develop strategies to reach target audiences. This course would be helpful for Marketing Managers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to create marketing campaigns that are both effective and engaging.
Operations Manager
Operations Managers plan and execute operations for businesses. They work with operations teams to develop operations plans and timelines. This course would be helpful for Operations Managers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to plan and execute operations that are both efficient and effective.
Sales Manager
Sales Managers lead sales teams and develop sales strategies. They work with sales teams to identify sales opportunities and close deals. This course would be helpful for Sales Managers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to develop sales strategies that are both effective and persuasive.
Project Manager
Project Managers plan and execute projects. They work with project teams to develop project plans and timelines. This course would be helpful for Project Managers because it teaches them how to use human-centered design principles to plan and execute projects that are both efficient and effective.

Reading list

We've selected 21 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Leadership Through Design Innovation.
This classic work explores the principles of good design and provides practical advice on how to create products and services that are easy to use and understand.
Provides a step-by-step guide to running a design sprint. A design sprint five-day process for solving problems and testing new ideas. It valuable tool for anyone who wants to accelerate their innovation process.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of design and provides practical advice on how to apply these principles to your own work.
Provides practical advice on how to lead design teams and organizations. It covers topics such as creating a culture of innovation, managing the design process, and measuring the impact of design.
Provides a practical guide to the innovation process. It provides insights into how to generate new ideas, test them, and bring them to market. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about design thinking and how to apply it to their work.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the design thinking process, from understanding the problem to generating and testing solutions. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about design thinking and how to apply it to their work.
Provides a practical guide to building a successful product. It teaches readers how to use the lean product development process to create a product that customers love. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about design thinking and how to apply it to their work.
Provides a practical guide to building a successful startup. It teaches readers how to use the lean startup methodology to test their ideas, validate their assumptions, and iterate their products.
Provides a comprehensive guide to the design thinking process. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about design thinking and how to apply it to their work.
Classic work on the design of everyday objects. It provides insights into how to design products that are both useful and enjoyable to use. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about design thinking and how to apply it to their work.
Provides a practical guide to the value proposition design process, which process for developing and testing value propositions.
Provides a practical guide to creating a value proposition that is compelling to customers. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about design thinking and how to apply it to their work.
Provides insights into the creative process and provides practical advice on how to foster innovation within your organization.
This classic book explores the challenges that established companies face when they try to innovate. It provides insights into how to overcome these challenges and create a culture of innovation.
Provides practical advice on how to be more innovative in your work and life. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about design thinking and how to apply it to their work.
Identifies the key characteristics of successful innovators. It provides insights into how to develop these characteristics and become more innovative in your work.

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