Open Design from Coursera

In this introductory module to Open Design, you’ll learn how you can center equity in your design processes. You’ll learn how the iterative four mindsets of Open Design — understand, create, evaluate, and share — will guide you to meaningfully impact your community. The principles at the heart of Open Design — active inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration — are applicable to work in all fields, providing you with a reflective framework as you make important decisions.

This module provides the background on Open Design and its relationship to similar methodologies. After completing this introductory module, you should have the knowledge necessary to explain Open Design to others — and continue your Open Design journey with other learning opportunities.

What's inside

Syllabus

Getting Started with Open Design

What is design? How is it a deeply human endeavor? How can we design better products, services, and experiences in our communities? If you’re interested in helping create a more equitable and accessible world, this Center for Computational Thinking module on Open Design is for you. In this introductory module to Open Design, you’ll learn how you can center equity in your design processes. You’ll learn how the iterative four mindsets of Open Design — understand, create, evaluate, and share — will guide you to meaningfully impact your community. The principles at the heart of Open Design — active inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration — are applicable to work in all fields, providing you with a reflective framework as you make important decisions. This module provides the background on Open Design and its relationship to similar methodologies. After completing this introductory module, you should have the knowledge necessary to explain Open Design to others — and continue your Open Design journey with other learning opportunities.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores design as a deeply human endeavor, emphasizing equity and accessibility

Teaches an iterative four-step design process that guides meaningful community impact

Covers the principles of Open Design, including active inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration

Provides a foundation in Open Design and its relationship to similar methodologies

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 Open Design with these activities:

Read design books

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Expand your knowledge of design principles and practices by reading books written by experts in the field.

Browse courses on UX Design

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Identify relevant books on design from the course syllabus or online resources.
Read the books thoroughly.

Review notes and materials

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Refresh your understanding of the core concepts and principles covered in class by reviewing your notes, assignments, and other course materials.

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Gather all of your notes, assignments, and other course materials.
Review the materials thoroughly.

Design best practices

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Review common design principles and best practices to strengthen your understanding of the core concepts of design.

Browse courses on Design

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Gather examples of good and bad design.
Analyze the principles and best practices employed in the examples.

Five other activities

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Learn a prototyping software

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Gain hands-on experience by following tutorials on how to use a prototyping software to create interactive prototypes.

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Choose a prototyping software that aligns with your design goals.
Follow video tutorials or online courses to learn the basics of the software.
Create a simple prototype using the software.

Conduct user interviews

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Gain experience in gathering qualitative data by conducting user interviews to better understand user needs and motivations.

Browse courses on User Research

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Define the goals of your interview.
Create an interview guide with open-ended questions.
Recruit participants for your interviews.
Conduct the interviews and ask follow-up questions to clarify responses.

Participate in a design hackathon

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Engage in a collaborative and fast-paced environment where you can apply your design skills to solve real-world problems.

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Find an upcoming design hackathon in your area.
Form a team or join an existing one.
Brainstorm and develop a design solution within the given timeframe.
Present your solution to a panel of judges.

Write a design case study

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Demonstrate your design thinking process by writing a case study that highlights a successful design project, showcasing your ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate design ideas.

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Select a design project to document.
Outline the problem, design approach, and results of the project.
Write the case study using clear and concise language.

Design a mobile app

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Apply your design skills to a real-world project by designing a mobile app that addresses a specific user problem.

Browse courses on Mobile App Design

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Identify a problem or need that your app will address.
Conduct user research to gather insights into the target users.
Brainstorm and sketch out different design ideas.
Create a prototype of your app using a prototyping software.
Refine your design based on user feedback.

Career center

Learners who complete Open Design will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

User Experience Researcher

User Experience Researchers design and research products and services to ensure that they are usable, accessible, and enjoyable for users. This course would be helpful for User Experience Researchers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which are essential for creating user-centered products and services. Additionally, the course would provide User Experience Researchers with experience in using the iterative four mindsets of Open Design — understand, create, evaluate, and share.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Researcher

Service Designer

Service Designers design and develop services that meet the needs of users. This course would be helpful for Service Designers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which are essential for creating user-centered services.

See salaries and explore the career path for Service Designer

Interaction Designer

Interaction Designers design the interactions between users and products and services. This course would be helpful for Interaction Designers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which are essential for creating user-centered interactions. Additionally, the course would provide Interaction Designers with experience in using the iterative four mindsets of Open Design — understand, create, evaluate, and share.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Product Designer

Product Designers design and develop products that meet the needs of users. This course would be helpful for Product Designers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which are essential for creating user-centered products. Additionally, the course would provide Product Designers with experience in using the iterative four mindsets of Open Design — understand, create, evaluate, and share.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Information Architect

Information Architects design and organize the information in websites, software, and other products and services. This course would be helpful for Information Architects because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which are essential for creating user-centered information architectures. Additionally, the course would provide Information Architects with experience in using the iterative four mindsets of Open Design — understand, create, evaluate, and share.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

Design Researcher

Design Researchers research and evaluate user needs and experiences to inform the design of products and services. This course would be helpful for Design Researchers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which are essential for conducting user-centered research. Additionally, the course would provide Design Researchers with experience in using the iterative four mindsets of Open Design — understand, create, evaluate, and share.

See salaries and explore the career path for Design Researcher

Design Strategist

Design Strategists develop and implement design strategies for organizations. This course would be helpful for Design Strategists because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which are essential for creating user-centered design strategies.

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Design Manager

Design Managers lead and manage design teams. This course would be helpful for Design Managers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which are essential for creating a user-centered design culture. Additionally, the course would provide Design Managers with experience in using the iterative four mindsets of Open Design — understand, create, evaluate, and share.

See salaries and explore the career path for Design Manager

Founder

Founders start and lead their own businesses and organizations. This course would be helpful for Founders because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which are essential for creating innovative products, services, and organizations. Additionally, the course would provide Founders with experience in using the iterative four mindsets of Open Design — understand, create, evaluate, and share.

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Engineering Manager

Engineering Managers lead and manage engineering teams. This course may be helpful for Engineering Managers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which can be used to improve the design and development of engineering products and services.

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Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers plan, develop, and implement marketing campaigns for products and services. This course may be helpful for Marketing Managers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which can be used to create more effective marketing campaigns.

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Project Manager

Project Managers plan, execute, and close projects. This course may be helpful for Project Managers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which can help them to manage projects more effectively.

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Data Analyst

Data Analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to provide insights for decision-making. This course may be helpful for Data Analysts because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which can help them to collect and analyze data more effectively.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and test software applications. This course may be helpful for Software Engineers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which can help them to design and develop more user-friendly software applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Content Writer

Content Writers create and edit written content for websites, blogs, and other marketing materials. This course may be helpful for Content Writers because it would provide them with a foundation in the principles of Open Design, which can help them to create more effective content.

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Open Design

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