Design for Divergence:

Problem Solving + Creativity

Design Thinking
ART 310
Spring 2015

Mondays + Wednesdays
9:0010:50 am
A+D 107

Course Materials
A More Beautiful Question, W. Berger
Universal Methods of Design, B. Martin + B. Hanington
Compass will be used for additional readings, videos,
supplementary content, posting projects, grades, and
as a space for sharing ideas.
About the Course
Divergent thinking is the ability to make lots of ideas. This
class will cover techniques for coming up with new, novel and
useful ideasbasic creative abilityand how to implement
these ideas through empathy for a problemdesign thinking.
This course will explore the methods and processes of
creativity as made manifest through design thinking. Through
learning techniques to enhance creative skill development,
students will understand the role of questioning, creativity,
idea generation, and problem solving in daily life, across
disciplines, and in the global context. We will look at design
challenges through the lens of interaction: how interactions
are designed, manipulated, impact daily life, and how
ideas are a method of interaction.
Challenge-based design projects will explore how to
articulate problems encountered within universal facets of
life, and to arrive at a novel, needed and elegant solution
through design strategies. The idea generation process
will explore parallel interactions such as games and play,
cultivating empathy, and sensory perception engagement.
This course satisfies the General Education criteria for a
Literature + the Arts course.

Instructor
Mrit McCluske
marit@illinois.edu
Art + Design 131
Office Hours
By Appointment
Teaching Assistants
Magic Ma
sizema2@illinois.edu
Sylvia Ding
jieding2@illinois.edu

Structure
This course will utilize a variety of methods to explore the
intersection of design, creativity and interaction:
Lectures + case study discussion
In-class exercises
Creative design challenges
Research study
Readings/multimedia content
Quizzes
Objectives
This course aims to:
Explore how to design effective questions to identify,
define, and solve problems
Promote the development of individual creativity and
foster divergent methods of thinking
Provide a framework of tools, strategies, and
methodologies for solving problems in novel and
needed ways that can be applied across disciplines
Explore challenges encountered across personal,
social, and global spheres through the lens of interaction
Student Outcomes
At the end of this class, students will:
Understand what makes an idea new, novel and useful
Understand how empathy, interaction, perception and
play can affect creative skill and idea generation
Be able to apply various design research methods and
strategies to tangible problems across disciplines

Evaluation Opportunities
7 Quizzes @ 10 points each (35% total grade)
1 Innovation Research Team Challenge @ 10 points (5%)
4 Creative Design Challenges @ 30 points each (60%)
Total: 200 points = 100%
Extra credit opportunity: each Creative Design Challenge (CDC) will be presented in small interdisciplinary peer

groups. Each project voted best of in the group will earn +3 points. All best of projects will be presented on

the final day. The project voted top design challenge by the entire class will earn +6 points.
Evaluation Content
Quizzes Book, article, audio and video assignments; lecture and class exercise content
Innovation Research Team Challenge Teams based on aligned interest areas will research, analyze and predict the
process of an existing innovation and its future within that field. Teams will engage in a short, interactive presentation.
Creative Design Challenges
Each challenge will involve a given prompt with a specific set of constraints to work within. Your task will be to follow
the design methods structure to question, ideate, and implement. Each challenge will incorporate the research, testing
and iteration methods found in Universal Methods of Design. Each challenge project will consist of:

Written post to compass, about 300 words stating your design problem, challenge question, research methods

and techniques used and how they were applied, the iteration and implementation process, and the outcome.

Project prototype or visual mockup, presented in class to peer groups.
Documentation of implementation/prototype usage posted to compass.
Challenge #1: Food, Clothing, Shelter (human factors and interaction)

When faced with an extreme constraint, financial, material access, or product waste, how could you adapt?

How can you change the way these things are consumed?
Challenge #2: Sensory Swap (perception, connection + interaction)

What if you had to communicate one sense via another? How can you redesign for an entirely different perception?
Challenge #3: Communication System Redesign (manipulation of behaviors of interaction)

Why do we have phones? How might communicating emotion over thoughts improve interaction?
Challenge #4: Discipline directed
Attendance
Being present and participating is an important component of the learning process of this class. Attendance, including
working in class, is required. Attendance will be taken in various forms throughout the course (quizzes, exercises, etc). Four
or more absences (for any reason) will result in a grade deduction by 10%. (e.g. A to B). More than six absences can result
in failure. Excessive tardiness (more than 15 minutes late) can also result in lowering of grade, as each tardy will count as
one third of an absence. The school of Art and Design does not excuse absences as a matter of general policy. In general,
no incompletes will be given.
Work Policies
Late work will not be accepted except in cases of dire, documented emergency. No quiz makeups will be given without
documented proof of emergency, in which case make up quizzes must be arranged and completed ASAP.
Grading Scale
A+ = 9799
A = 9396
A = 9092%,
...full B range is 8089%.
...full C range is 7079%.
...full D range is 6069%.
...full F range is 059%.

Grade Explanations
A-level = Exceeding expectations; high level of engagement in course content and discussions; work always completed on time; excellent attendance. B-level = Meeting expectations; performance embodies aspects of both A and C descriptions. C-level = Meeting
expectations at times; inconsistent; apparent engagement in course content; excellent
attendance. D-level = Below expected performance and engagement; performance
embodies aspects of both C and F descriptions. F-level = Unacceptable performance;
missing work; disconnected from course content and class discussions; poor attendance.

Schedule
Subject to change due to weather, leprechauns and other unforeseen mischief. Consult the compass site for articles and
other media supplementary to the textbooks. Methods refers to the design method number associated with a topic to be
discussed that day in Universal Methods of Design. All readings and deliverables are to be completed by the date listed.
Week

Activity/Topic

Read/Watch/Listen

Methods

2 M 1/26 Questioning + Problem Solving, Domains of Creativity

W 1/28 Divergent/Convergent, intro CDC 1, Attribute listing 1

Review Methods
Creativity Crisis

3 M 2/2 Combinatorial Creativity, Attribute listing 2

W 2/4 Creativity

Testing+Theory, Cognitive Web, Quiz
1 08,

Berger intro, ch. 1+2
12, 56

CPS METHODS

1 W 1/21 Introduction

SENSE + EMOTION

4 M 2/9
Design + Sense Engagement, Interaction Mapping 13
W 2/11
Idea Generation + Material Use, TASK

99 PI: DIY spacesuit
44

5
M 2/16
Creative Design Challenge work, iteration peer review
W 2/18Sensory

Association, Quiz 2

99 PI: The Fancy Shape

6 M
2/23
Creative Design Challenge #1 due
W 2/25
Levels of Design Appeal, Design Mixtape
Berger ch. 3 (long)

70+75
26

8 M 3/9 Behavior vs Attitude, Motivation Alternate Perceptions
W 3/11
Creative Design Challenge work, iteration review
How to Kill Creativity

9 M
3/16 Creative Design Challenge #2 due
W 3/18
Scaling Up for Social + Global Challenges, Quiz 4

Berger ch. 4
10

44+45

64+58

DESIGN + EMPATHY

7 M 3/2
Empathy + Human Factors, Gift Giving 27
W 3/4 Connective

Inquiry, Quiz 3

Really Big Questions: Giving

Break!

12 M 4/6 Interaction with Information + Learning, Consequences 95
W 4/8 Innovation

research work, Quiz 5

Berger ch. 5

13 M 4/13
Innovation Research Presentations

W
4/15
Designed Environment, Wayfinding

99 PI: Walk This Way

Norman, Design of Future Things

15 M 4/27 Prototype + Iteration, Method Analysis

W 4/29 Creative Design Challenge work, iteration review + refinement

16 M 5/4 Recap, Creative Design Challenge #4 due

W 5/6 Recap, best of presentations, Quiz 7

DESIGN APPLICATION

14 M 4/20 Creative Design Challenge #3 due
W 4/22
Quiz 6

GAMES, PLAY, HUMOR

11 M 3/30 Play and Creativity, Marshmallow Challenge
W 4/1
Designing through Game Theory, Gamestorming 94

Lego + Creativity

Additional Fine Print Policies

ATTENDANCE
An absence is defined as missing class entirely and/or not
being in class for more than fifteen minutes. However,
the school does recognize the need for instructors to
reasonably accommodate certain types of absences, as
described in Article 1, Part 5, Section 1-502 of the Student
Code (http://admin.illinois.edu/policy/code/). In the
interest of reasonably accommodating these particular
types of absences, students are afforded 3 instances of
absence before grade penalties apply.
+ The Program asserts that missing any instructional
time in a course is particularly detrimental to a students
learning experience, and thus accommodating absences
beyond the limits described above is deemed to be unreasonable.
+ Note that achieving a final grade of less than 100 percent (before penalties are applied) reduces the number of
absences a student may accrue before automatic failure.
+ As it is expected that students act in accordance with
the intentions of this policy, the Student Code, and their
own academic well-being, absence documentation
is neither required nor accepted for accommodated
absences. Furthermore, providing documentation will
not allow for additional accommodated absences beyond
the limits described above. Note that Emergency Dean
letters state that they [do] not excuse [the student] from
class attendance or participation policies and course
requirements outlined in syllabi.
+ In any case of absence, students are individually responsible for obtaining class material that was missed from
their peers. The instructor is not responsible for providing
this material. The student is also responsible for contacting the instructor immediately upon returning to class to
coordinate any necessary arrangements for making up
missed work.
>>>>>>>ATTENTION
Students who engage in text messaging, web browsing,
or other class-unrelated outside contact during class time
will be marked as absent, without warning. Any use of
a phone is assumed to constitute such outside contact. It
is incumbent upon the student to demonstrate that any
phone use is class-related.
TARDIES
A tardy is defined as arriving 15 minutes or more past
the official class time according to the instructors cell
phone. After fifteen minutes, you should still attend class,
though at that point you will be counted tardy. Every third
tardy equals one absence, which contributes to the total
absences.

DUE DATES AND PRESENTATIONS

We will have peer group showings with student dialogue,
with some large group presentations in teams. Students
must have work prepared for presentation on time.
Missing part of or the entire class because you had
problems completing work is subject to the tardiness
policy (below).
FEEDBACK
Feedback will be given in class during work times. During
group discussions, peer reviews, and case studies you
will be expected to give input. If the instructor spends
time publicly critiquing one students work, it is meant
as a model from which the entire class should learn. If
you desire individual attention, please set up an office
appointment.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in
scholarship. Students and faculty alike must obey rules of
honest scholarship, which means that all academic work
should result from an individuals own efforts. Intellectual
contributions from others must be consistently and
responsibly acknowledged. Academic work completed in
any other way is fraudulent.
COMMUNICATION
All official course communication will occur in class,
office hours, and/or through University of Illinois email.
Only project clarification and course questions will be
responded to over email. If there are specific questions
concerning the details of a piece that involve examining
a file, they should be addressed in class, during office
hours, or by appointment. At no point in time should a
student speak on behalf of the class. Students should
engage the instructor in discussions of their own learning
processes and not others.
DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities who need an accommodation
are responsible to contact their instructors to notify
them of this need by presenting them with a Request for
Accommodations letter. It is important to contact the
instructor within the first week of class. Accommodations
will not be made retroactively, e.g. to engage DRES in an
attempt to excuse absences ex post facto. Learn more:
http://disability.illinois.edu/
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
With the exception of grading and attendance policies,
parts of the syllabus are subject to change with advance
notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.