MGMT 421/521S - Design Thinking for Social Innovation

Course Description

This online course will engage you in the dynamic and growing field of social innovation through direct communication with social innovators, research, analysis and practical application and processes for identifying social problems and designing appropriate, innovative solutions. In this course, you will study and apply social entrepreneurship, lean entrepreneurship, and Human-Centered Design / public interest design best practices towards a topic of your own choosing.

Whether launching a new business or working within established organizations, social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs are defining new business models that deliver social, economic and environmental value. The terms social entrepreneur, social enterprise, among others, define a growing hybrid field of innovative market-based approaches to social and environmental problems. This course will examine and apply the concepts of social entrepreneurship, social enterprise lean entrepreneurship and Human-Centered Design over a range of ownership and market orientations.

Undergraduate students, graduate students, and community members from diverse backgrounds participate in the same class, reflecting the real-world diversity and cross-sector collaboration that are hallmarks of successful social entrepreneurship.

What You Cover

Students will:

Understand foundational definitions in social innovation and social entrepreneurship and how they relate to the student's concept.
Analyze a social or environmental problem of their choice through expert interviews, secondary research, and stakeholder engagement.
Create and evaluate a proposed solution to a social or environmental problem using best practices in design.
Develop and demonstrate improved self-awareness, clarity of purpose, ability to seek and respond effectively to feedback, and empathic leadership skills.

How You Benefit

First and foremost, we hope you will use this course to help you in your personal and professional goals. By successfully completing this course, you will:

LO1: Understand foundational definitions in social innovation and social entrepreneurship and how they relate to your concept
LO2: Analyze a social or environmental problem of your choice through expert interviews, secondary research, and stakeholder engagement
LO3: Create and evaluate a proposed solution to a social or environmental problem using best practices in design
LO4: Develop and demonstrate improved self-awareness, clarity of purpose, ability to seek and respond effectively to feedback, and empathic leadership skills