Students and professionals of all disciplines can explore insight-driven innovation for catalyzing
positive change
INDIANAPOLIS – This fall, the Herron School of Art and Design will launch its inaugural online learning program, offering a certificate in Design Thinking for Collaborative Innovation.
The new program addresses professional development needs of students whose schedules are constrained by their jobs or degree requirements, but who want to expand their skill sets and learn the fundamentals and interplay of innovation. Current graduate students of Indiana University as well as working professionals enrolled in the program will learn core skills and strategies for solving open, unscripted problems regardless of their pursued discipline or industry.
“Design Thinking is a mindset rooted in a human-centered approach that provides alternative ways of looking at problems to create meaningful impact,” said Youngbok Hong, director of Herron’s graduate programs in visual communication design. “With its transferability, Design Thinking enables us to tackle multifaceted problems within a seemingly limitless number of disciplines, industries, cultures, and environments.”
Over the years, Hong has worked with students and faculty across IUPUI and its diverse academic disciplines, proving the value in the practice of Design Thinking for numerous interdisciplinary settings. For example, graduate students working with Hong recently concluded a project related to the healthcare challenges in the face of the opioid epidemic. Hong’s collective experiences across campus helped form the curriculum for the new certificate program.
The Design Thinking for Collaborative Innovation certificate is comprised of five online courses (18 credits) that can be completed anywhere, anytime, and at any pace. All courses coincide with IUPUI’s academic calendar and are led by design professionals from around the globe who have worked for innovative companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Doblin, Samsung, and IBM.
The launch of Herron’s Design Thinking for Collaborative Innovation certificate will enable IU students, regardless of their major fields of study, to become better creative problem-solvers and prepare them to imagine, create, and actualize solutions for challenges faced in the 21st century.
Applications are now being accepted and students from a range of disciplines or experiences are welcome to apply. Learn more or choose your admissions path.
Media Contact
Whitney Yoerger
External Affairs & Content Specialist
317-278-9430
wyoerger@iupui.edu
