Designing the Future
Learn contemporary design approaches that you can use to work through problems in the world around you.
- Duration5 weeks
- Weekly study2 hours
- CertificatesAvailable
Designing the Future
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Learn how to apply design thinking to modern problems
Modern life often seems increasingly complex, so it’s no surprise that big companies and communities alike are turning to a new source of inspiration: design. Using design thinking to find new and interesting ways to work through complex issues, designers are helping companies understand customer relations and communities solve local problems. Could design improve your life? Find out with an introduction to different design approaches, and how to apply them, taught by world leaders in the field.
What topics will you cover?
How design operates in contemporary society, and can be used to develop innovative approaches and solutions to a range of issues
Current industry trends, technological developments and their effect upon design
Communication skills to present experience centred design projects
Four design lenses and their associated techniques:
- Strategic design, which situates design within a broad context of policy, regulation, culture and economy
- Service design, which is used by designers to deal with complexity within an organisation or community
- Transdisciplinary design, which brings together people from diverse disciplines in order to create solutions that have technical, aesthetic and social elements
- Transition design, which addresses the need for multi-level, multi-stage change
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Critically discuss how design operates in contemporary society.
- Demonstrate how design can be used to develop innovative approaches and solutions.
- Apply a range of communication skills to present human-centred design projects.
- Reflect upon current industry trends, technological developments and their effect upon design.
Who is the course for?
The course is suitable for both designers and non-designers. You don’t need previous experience in design to be able see how design is used to shape the world, but a strong interest in exploring design thinking will be useful.
Who will you learn with?
I am Program Manager for the RMIT Master of Design Futures. The Masters is an ongoing investigation into new & emerging design practices and theories based in Design Thinking and Human Centred Design
Who developed the course?
RMIT University
One of Australia’s original tertiary institutions, RMIT is a global university, with over 80,000 students, specialising in technology, design and enterprise.
- Established1887
- LocationMelbourne, Australia
- World rankingTop 230Source: QS World University Rankings 2021
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps, but you can complete them as quickly or slowly as you like
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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