This course is part of the Business Innovation and Digital Disruption Specialization

Terry Behan

Offered By

Business Innovation and Digital Disruption SpecializationParsons School of Design, The New School

About this Course

This exciting online course helps you understand design methods and how to use them to identify business opportunities. It starts by focusing on the importance of design in a changing world by examining VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) and the 4Cs (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity). It then delves into the ways opportunities for design are growing in emerging markets and the need for designers to practice their craft as artisans. This includes exploration of the Empathy and Excellence framework. After  covering these foundational concepts, the course examines the Double Diamond methodology in detail. It concludes by exploring ways to validate an opportunity by assessing risk versus value and testing your thinking with a canvas. 
To succeed in this specialization, you should be a professional with at least two to three years of experience in an organizational setting. Experience in a design role or working with designers is helpful.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

- Understand the importance of design and the responsibilities of designers
- Examine the expanding role of design and the tools helping it grow
- Analyze how design frameworks can help you find opportunities and frame problem statements
- Assess opportunities, experiences, and the use of a canvas

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Course 2 of 4 in the

Business Innovation and Digital Disruption Specialization

Intermediate Level

Professionals with at least two to three years of experience in an organizational setting. Experience in design or working with designers is helpful.

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Understand the importance of design and the responsibilities of designers
Examine the expanding role of design and the tools helping it grow
Analyze how design frameworks can help you find opportunities and frame problem statements
Assess opportunities, experiences, and the use of a canvas

Skills you will gain

Design Thinking
Portfolio Selection
Innovation
Business Model Canvas
Design And Product

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 2 of 4 in the

Business Innovation and Digital Disruption Specialization

Intermediate Level

Professionals with at least two to three years of experience in an organizational setting. Experience in design or working with designers is helpful.

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Terry Behan

Design Expert

17 Learners

2 Courses

Offered by

Parsons School of Design, The New School

For more than a century, Parsons School of Design has been inspired by the transformative potential of design. Today, the school’s groundbreaking academic programs carry forward that mission, making Parsons the number one design school in the U.S. and among the top three globally. At the heart of a comprehensive university — The New School — Parsons draws on a range of academic fields to deliver a uniquely interdisciplinary education enriched by the resources of its home in New York City and branch campus in Paris. Here, the next generation of creative leaders engage in real-world learning and develop as critical thinkers and makers grappling with the pressing issues of our time.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

7 hours to complete

Creative Problem Solving: Using Design as a Toolkit

In this week, you'll learn about the expanding role of design, and see how rigorous design can accommodate scalability. You will discuss the importance design plays in today's world, and think about why it's important to not only design, but continually redesign. You'll be introduced to the concept of VUCA: volatile, unpredictable, chaotic, and ambiguous. You will also have the chance to dive into the changing landscape of education, and see why the Four C's are critical for designers of the future. Finally, you will see what role the designer plays in preserving design ethics. This will help you to unpack the art versus the science of design.

7 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 16 min), 11 readings, 4 quizzes

5 videos

Welcome2mThe Constant Need for Design and Redesign3mGuest Speaker Interview: Nicole Cacal4mThe Responsibility of Designers: A Closer Look at Design Ethics1mThe Art Versus the Science of Design2m

11 readings

Welcome to the Course30mMeet Your Faculty10mCourse Methodology and Assessment30mKey Terms and Concepts10mGo Even Further with Parsons10mDesign as an Essential Toolkit for Innovation30mDesign and Innovation30mDesign and Making Sense of VUCA30mEthics of Design30mGoing Beyond the Basics: Education and the Four C's30mThe Four C's30m

4 practice exercises

Formative Quiz: The Importance of Design in a Changing World30mFormative Quiz: Embracing Ambiguity30mFormative Quiz: Building Stuff People Don't Want is Easy30mSummative Quiz: Creative Problem Solving: Using Design as a Toolkit30m

Week2

Week 2

5 hours to complete

Calling Skilled Practitioners: The Need as Opportunity Space Grows

In this week, you'll see that the opportunity space is expanding and find out what this means for design in emerging markets. You'll learn about six factors that are making it possible for design to solve local problems globally. We'll do this by exploring a series of case studies out of East Africa. You'll explore the different types of design tools and methodologies. In this week, one of the methodologies you'll be introduced to is the Empathy and Excellence approach.

5 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 22 min), 5 readings, 4 quizzes

5 videos

Introduction to Calling Skilled Practitioners: The Need as Opportunity Space Grows1mCase Studies: How Design is Expanding in Emerging Markets5mGuest Speaker Interview: Emiliano Chinchelli9mThe Challenge in Design: Too Many Tools But Not Enough Artisans2mThe Building Blocks of Empathy and Excellence2m

5 readings

The Opportunity Space for Design is Expanding30mEmerging Opportunities in Design30mDesign Methodologies Available in the Market30mDesign Methods and Tools30mThe Empathy and Excellence Approach30m

4 practice exercises

Formative Quiz: Design's Opportunity is Expanding30mFormative Quiz: Design's Problem: Tools But Not Enough Artisans30mFormative Quiz: Design Framework to Help Navigate the Future30mSummative Quiz: Calling Skilled Practitioners: The Need as Opportunity Space Grows30m

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Unpacking the Double Diamond Method

In this week, you'll learn about another design methodology: the Double Diamond Method. The Double Diamond Method is made up of four phases: the discover phase, the define phase, the develop phase, and the deliver phase. We'll deep dive into each of these phases to see what steps take place in each and how the four phases and the fifteen steps work together. You'll then be able to apply the Double Diamond method to enhance the design process.

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 17 min), 2 readings, 4 quizzes

5 videos

Introduction to Unpacking the Double Diamond Method1mDouble Diamond Phase 1: Discover4mDouble Diamond Phase 2: Define4mDouble Diamond Phase 3: Develop4mDouble Diamond Phase 4: Deliver2m

2 readings

Defining the Double Diamond Method30mDouble Diamond: The Full Picture30m

4 practice exercises

Formative Quiz: Double Diamond: Discover30mFormative Quiz: Double Diamond: Define and Develop30mFormative Quiz: Double Diamond: Deliver30mSummative Quiz: Unpacking the Double Diamond Method30m

Week4

Week 4

6 hours to complete

Validating an Opportunity

In this week, you'll look at how perceived risk and value are used to prioritize projects within the portfolio selection process for different types of organizations. You'll consider how to mitigate risk. You'll learn to calculate your addressable market size from the full market size. We'll introduce you to various types of canvases and explain their uses in different scenarios. You'll see why in some contexts, the lean canvas works best. Finally, you'll learn how to identify an opportunity and create a distinctive experience, and find out why creating a distinctive experience is so important.

6 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 24 min), 5 readings, 4 quizzes

5 videos

Introduction to Validating an Opportunity2mRisk, Value, and the Portfolio Selection Process4mThe Value of the Lean Canvas4mOpportunity and Crafting a Distinctive Experience5mGuest Speaker Interview: Janet Kinghorn8m

5 readings

How to Assess Market Size30mValue and Risk Testing30mThe Purpose of a Canvas30mBusiness Model Canvas30mDesign for Problem Solving30m

4 practice exercises

Formative Quiz: Risk versus Value Matrix30mFormative Quiz: Testing Your Thinking with a Canvas30mFormative Quiz: How to Craft a Distinctive Experience30mSummative Quiz: Validating an Opportunity30m

About the Business Innovation and Digital Disruption Specialization

In this specialization, participants master the basics of design thinking and its application to business development and innovation. They learn how to identify challenges and validate opportunities in order to drive commercial success using various design methodologies. Remapping the newly defined business model canvas is an important part of the specialization.

The specialization also encompasses the technical side of business modeling and strategy development. It highlights the difference between being digital and going digital and how that affects companies’ internal workings as well as end users. Participants gain an understanding of marketing fundamentals and how to leverage them to reposition their brand and their new value proposition in the market using their brand as a strategic asset.

Business Innovation and Digital Disruption

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Leveraging Design Methods to Identify Business Opportunities

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain