Harvard University

Extension School

Design Thinking
Management 5425
Course Syllabus – Spring 2019

Course Logistics
§ Web Conference Component (all web conference classes are on Tuesdays from 5:30-7:00pm ET: see session dates in
Course Outline and Sessions (end of document)
§ Mandatory On-Campus Component: Friday, May 3 – Sunday, May 5 at One Story Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The Friday session runs from 5:00pm-8:00pm, the Saturday session from 9:00am-5:00pm, and the Sunday session from
9:00am-1:00pm
§ Course website: [Link]
§ Link to Zoom classroom is posted on the course website under “Web Conference Sessions”

Teaching Team:
Gigi Kalaher (instructor)
Head of Design Strategy [Link]@[Link]
Fidelity Investments
Office Hours: After class and by appointment

Yuhgo Yamaguchi (instructor)

Vice President, Design Strategy Yuhgo_Yamaguchi@[Link]
Fidelity Investments
Office Hours: After class and by appointment

Margaret Andrews (instructor)

Managing Director Margaret@[Link]
Higher Ed Associates
Office Hours: After class and by appointment

Lucy Boyd Schachter (teaching fellow)

Principal Design Strategist [Link]@[Link]
Fidelity Investments
Office Hours: After class and by appointment

About the Course

Course Description and Overview
Design thinking is a method of applying creativity to come up with novel solutions to tough problems. It's the process of
immersing yourself in a problem space, thinking creatively around pain points and opportunity areas, then iteratively
prototyping totally new solutions. Focused on listening, user empathy, whole-brain thinking, collaboration, and
experimentation, design thinking can be applied within any team and in any field—from architecture and design to
healthcare and product development. Everything from the Swiffer to the Apple Watch has been a result of design thinking,
and the techniques and tools can also be applied to problems in the nonprofit and public sectors. The Design Thinking
course delves into the fundamentals of this creative approach by immersing you in dynamic discussions, relevant

Design Thinking – MGMT E-5425 – Spring 2019 Page 1 of 7

 readings, interesting exercises, and a team-based design challenge project. Throughout the course students learn how to
empathize with the needs and motivations of end users, come up with a large number of ideas for solving a problem,
hone in on the right value proposition, and prototype and test a new offering. This course will involve working in teams
and a level of ambiguity that is exciting to some, uncomfortable to others.

Course Format
This course will be taught in a hybrid model, with many of the class sessions taught in a live, synchronous online
classroom and an intensive – and mandatory – three-day residency on May 3-5. The Friday session runs from 5:00-
8:00pm, Saturday is from 9:00am-5:00pm, and Sunday is from 9:00am-1:00pm. To receive credit for the class, students
must be in attendance for the entirety of the on-campus sessions; no exceptions can be granted. You may not arrive late
or leave early. If you are traveling from afar, please plan accordingly, giving yourself plenty of time to make it to Cambridge
by the start of class.

Course Materials
Listed below are the required materials for the course. The Needfinding book can be purchased from many bookstores,
including the Harvard Coop and online booksellers; the Human Centered Design Toolkit and the Collective Action Toolkit
are provided through the course website (Canvas):

“101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization”: by Vijay Kumar
ISBN-10: 1118083466
ISBN-13: 978-1118083468

“HBP”: In addition to the course, we will use a number of articles, notes and cases that are available at reduced cost
through the Harvard Business Press. You may purchase the course pack by following this link:
[Link]

“Canvas”: There are a few articles available free-of-charge on the Canvas course website.

Grading
A student’s final grade in this course will be based on the following weighting:

50% Application Exercises (8 in total)

20% Design Challenge (team assignment during on-campus weekend)
10% Team Performance Evaluations
10% Reflection Paper
10% Class Participation

Grades reflect the quality of a student’s work throughout the course according to the Harvard Extension School’s grading
standards ([Link]

This is a graduate-level course and graduate-level work, which includes active participation in class discussions and
activities and high-quality written work, is expected. Much of a manager’s success depends on communication; therefore
effective written and oral communication will constitute a significant portion of a student’s grade. Written work should be
clear, logical, grammatically correct, spell-checked, persuasive, supported by examples, and backed up by citations for
any data, ideas or other content used. It should represent the student’s best effort. To do well on the writing
assignments, you will need to incorporate and apply the course readings.

Please note that all written assignments are due in the relevant course assignment folder (on the
Canvas course website) before 8:00pm on the due date, which is generally not on the same day as a
class session. The team performance evaluations are due before 8:00pm on May 8. All class and deadline
times are in Eastern Time.

Design Thinking – MGMT E-5425 – Spring 2019 Page 2 of 7

Coursework/Assignments

Bio/Introduction
Post a bio and introduction on the Canvas website for your classmates to get to know you. Please make sure to include
information on where you live, where you went to school and what you’ve studied, what you do for a living, what you do
for fun, and anything else you would like to share with your classmates. In addition to posting your own bio, make sure to
read through other classmate bios and introduce yourself/comment. This bio/introduction is due before 8:00pm on Friday,
February 1st.

Application Exercises
Following several classes, students will be given an application exercise that involves using the tools discussed in class.
In the following class session, we will go over the assignment and selected students will be asked to present their
submission to the rest of the class. Completing application exercises as a team is allowed, but not required, and teams
can vary week-to-week; each member of a team will receive the same grade on collaborative work.

Design Challenge (Team Assignment)

During the on-campus weekend, students will be organized into groups and do their design challenge project as a team.
More information on the challenge will be available during the on-campus weekend.

Team Performance Feedback/Evaluation

Each student will fill out a performance evaluation on each of his or her design challenge teammates.
Evaluations must be completed before 8:00pm on May 8th and there is a penalty for not completing a team
performance evaluation for each of your teammates before the deadline.

Class Participation
This course covers a significant amount of content and much of the learning comes from in-class exercises and
discussion. Therefore, students are expected to attend all class sessions, complete all assigned readings and come
prepared and ready to participate. Attendance will be taken and participation will be evaluated at each class session. You
may miss one online class session without penalty, but all other absences will result in a zero score for class participation
for that session. Please notify both instructors (via email) prior to the start of class if you will not be in attendance.
Participation in all on-campus sessions in their entirety is mandatory, and students may not be late or leave early for any
of these sessions. Failure to be in attendance for the entirety of the on-campus session will result in removal from the
class. Pre-class survey participation, as well as posting your online bio/introduction (above) will count toward the class
participation grade.

Academic Integrity
Common sense warning: Just as ethics and integrity are important in management practice, academic integrity is
important in this course. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the Harvard’s policies on academic integrity,
which can be found at [Link] Other resources
include, The Harvard Guide to Using Sources ([Link] Plagiarism and the Proper
Use of Sources ([Link]
sources), including two very good online tutorials on what constitutes plagiarism. You are responsible for understanding
Harvard Extension School policies on academic integrity ([Link]/resources-policies/student-
conduct/academic-integrity) and how to use sources responsibly. Not knowing the rules, misunderstanding the rules,
running out of time, submitting the wrong draft, or being overwhelmed with multiple demands are not acceptable excuses.
There are no excuses for failure to uphold academic integrity. To support your learning about academic citation rules,
please visit the Harvard Extension School Tips to Avoid Plagiarism ([Link]/resources-
policies/resources/tips-avoid-plagiarism), where you’ll find links to the Harvard Guide to Using Sources and two free
online 15-minute tutorials to test your knowledge of academic citation policy. The tutorials are anonymous open-learning
tools. We highly recommend the online tutorials. Please visit and use these sites to avoid any unintentional errors. It is

Design Thinking – MGMT E-5425 – Spring 2019 Page 3 of 7

 important to understand the standards to which you will be held; ignorance of the standards will not be considered an
excuse for violating them.

Additional Information
Deadlines. All assignments must be submitted to the correct assignment folder on the Canvas course website by the
specified day and time and late submissions will not be accepted. If you experience any problems uploading your
assignment to the drop box, you should email the document to the instructors. Please note that, if you email the
assignment because you cannot upload it, the email and the relevant attachment must be received on or before the
assignment deadline to be accepted. If you are absent the day an assignment is due, the assignment is still due at the
specified day and time. True medical or family emergencies will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Professional Conduct. Professional behavior is expected throughout the class. This means respectful communication
both inside and outside of class. During discussions, civil discourse should be maintained at all times and comments
should be aimed at moving the discussion forward. This does not mean that students must always agree with others
since reasoned, respectful dissention may be part of the discovery process and lead to previously unconsidered options.

Disability Services: The Extension School is committed to providing an accessible academic community. The Accessibility
Office offers a variety of accommodations and services to students with documented disabilities. Please visit
[Link]/resources-policies/resources/disability-services-accessibility for more information.

Design Thinking – MGMT E-5425 – Spring 2019 Page 4 of 7

 Course Outline and Schedule
Session Date | Time | Topic Area / Theme Read & Do Prior Deliverables
# Location to Class Session & Deadlines

Do prior to first § Class Foundations § Take mandatory pre-class survey (link will be posted under Take Pre-Class Survey
0 class session § How Class Runs ‘Announcements’ on Canvas) (due before 8:00pm on 01.27)
§ Read through course syllabus in its entirety
§ Make sure that you have a working headset for the online sessions
§ Upload your bio to Canvas

1 Tu 01.29 § Course Overview § Watch IDEO Deep Dive video Post Bio on Canvas
5:30-7:00pm § Design Thinking ([Link] ) (due before 8:00pm on 01.28)
WC Intro/Overview § HBP: “Design Thinking,” by Tim Brown, Harvard Business Review,
§ Research June 2008
§ Kumar: Introduction (page 1-13); Know People (page 94-135); Know
Context (page 52-93)

2 Tu 02.05 § Design Research § HBP: “Informing Our Intuition: Design Research for Radical Innovation,” Application Exercise #1: Interview Guide
5:30-7:00pm § Interviewing by Jane Fulton Suri, Rotman Magazine, Winter 2008 (due before 8:00pm on 02.03)
WC § Story Capture § HBP: “Why Design Thinking Works,” by Jeanne Liedtka, Harvard
Business Review, September-October 2018
§ Canvas: “Design Problem Statements – What They Are and How to
Frame Them,” by Jordan DeVos, UX Design, December 10, 2018
§ Canvas: “Empathy in User Research: Setting Aside Your Own Point of
View,” by Rob Strati, UX Design, April 18, 2018

No Class Week of
02.11

3 Tu 02.19 § Synthesis: Insights § HBP: “Re-Framing Opportunities: Design Thinking in Action,” by Jeanne Application Exercise #2: Debrief Templates
5:30-7:00pm Liedtka, Andrew King and Kevin Bennett, Rotman Magazine, Fall 2013 (due before 8:00pm on 02.17)
WC § HBP: “Design for Action,” by Tim Brown and Roger Martin, Harvard
Business Review, September 2015
§ Canvas: “Why Big Data Needs Thick Data,” by Tricia Wang, Medium,
January 20, 2016
§ Kumar: Frame Insights (page 136-193)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Design Thinking – MGMT E-5425 – Spring 2019 Page 5 of 7
 4 Tu 02.26 § Synthesis: Frameworks § HBP: “Unveiling the Magic of Design: The Role of Synthesis,” by Jon Application Exercise #3: Point of View
5:30-7:00pm Kolko, Rotman Magazine, Winter 2011 Statement
WC § HBP: “Design Can Drive Exceptional Returns for Shareholders,” by (due before 8:00pm on 02.24)
Jeneanne Rae, Harvard Business Review Web Article, April 4, 2004

5 Tu 03.05 § Opportunity Spaces § Canvas: “Design Thinking Methods: Affinity Diagrams,” by Matthew
5:30-7:00pm Weprin, Medium, November 12, 2016
WC § Kumar: Explore Concepts (page 203-245)

6 Tu 03.12 § Ideation § Kumar: Frame Solutions (page 248-283) Application Exercise #4: How Might We
5:30-7:00pm Statements
WC (due before 8:00pm on 03.10)

No Class Week of
03.18

7 Tu 03.26 § Concepting § Canvas: “How Design Thinking Transformed Airbnb From Failing
5:30-7:00pm § Types of prototypes Startup to Billion Dollar Business,” First Round
WC

§ Making prototypes § HBP: “When A Prototype Isn’t Enough Use Theatrical Tricks to Sell
8 Tu 04.02 Application Exercise #5: Idea Concept
5:30-7:00pm Your Idea,” by Andy Boynton, Harvard Business Review Web Article, Sheet
WC June 16, 2017 (due before 8:00pm on 03.31)

No Class Week of
04.08

9 Tu 04.16 § Concept testing § No readings for this session Application Exercise #6: Prototype
5:30-7:00pm (due before 8:00pm on 04.14)
WC

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Design Thinking – MGMT E-5425 – Spring 2019 Page 6 of 7
 No Class Week of
04.22

10 Tu 04.30 § Usability testing § No readings for this session Application Exercise #7: Feedback
5:30-7:00pm § Finding people Template
WC (due before 8:00pm on 04.28)

11 Fr 05.03 § Design Challenge § No readings for this session Application Exercise #8: Recruiting
5:00-8:00pm (due before 8:00pm on 05.03)
1 Story Street

12 Sa 05.04 § Design Challenge § No readings for this session

9:00am-5:00pm
1 Story Street

13 Su 05.05 § Design Challenge § No readings for this session Team Presentations

9:00am-1:00pm § Team Presentations (delivered during class; upload after class)
1 Story Street

No Class Week of
05.06

§ Reflections § No readings for this session

14 Tu 05.14 Reflections Paper
§ Wrap-Up
5:30-7:00pm (due before 8:00pm on 05.12)
WC

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Design Thinking – MGMT E-5425 – Spring 2019 Page 7 of 7