Design Archives

About This Course:

In the course, we will examine the concept of IoT. We will look at the ‘things’ that make up the Internet of Things, including how those components are connected together, how they communicate, and how they value add to the data generated. We will also examine cybersecurity and privacy issues, and highlight how IoT can optimize processes and improve efficiencies in your business.

What You’ll Learn:

Gain a deep appreciation of the IoT
Understand what constitutes an IoT design solution
Start to grow the seeds of IoT ideas within your field and area of expertise

Meet Your Instructors:

Iain Murray AM

Iain is an academic in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University, specialising in networking, embedded systems and assistive technology. He received his B.Eng(Hons) and Ph.D. in Computer Systems Engineering from Curtin in 1998, and 2008, respectively. He is a Curtin Academy Fellow and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to education in 2016.

Siavash Khaksar

Siavash is an academic in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University. He received his B.Sci in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Azad University, Science and Research branch in Fars in 2012, his M.Eng in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Embedded Systems from Curtin University in 2015, and is currently undertaking post-graduate research focusing on assistive technology and use of motion sensors and machine learning to help children with cerebral palsy. He specialises in embedded systems and digital hardware-software codesign.

About MIT Horizon:

MIT Horizon is an expansive content library built to help you explore emerging technologies. Through easy-to-understand lessons, you’ll be guided through the complexities of the latest technologies and simplified expert-level concepts. Designed for both technical and non-technical learners, you can examine bite-size content that can lead to maximum career outcomes.

For a limited time, gain access to the complete MIT Horizon library.

Register today for exclusive entry.

About This Course:

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding at a rapid rate, and it is becoming increasingly important for professionals to understand what it is, how it works, and how to harness its power to improve your business.

In this course we will focus on how the IoT works. You will learn about IoT networks and explore how ‘things’ connect to it, including whether the connection and processing is local (fog) or remote (cloud).

We will explore data networks, connection types, layer models and analyze IoT protocols and standards.

You’ll also learn how to evaluate different infrastructure components and network systems, and how to go about designing a basic network for your own IoT ideas.

What You’ll Learn:

Understand the component parts of an IoT network and its connections
Evaluate different infrastructure components and network systems
Analyse protocols and determine best fit for different IoT applications
Design the basic network for your own IoT ideas

Meet Your Instructors:

Iain Murray AM

Iain is an academic in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University, specialising in networking, embedded systems and assistive technology. He received his B.Eng(Hons) and Ph.D. in Computer Systems Engineering from Curtin in 1998, and 2008, respectively. He is a Curtin Academy Fellow and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to education in 2016.

Siavash Khaksar

Siavash is an academic in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University. He received his B.Sci in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Azad University, Science and Research branch in Fars in 2012, his M.Eng in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Embedded Systems from Curtin University in 2015, and is currently undertaking post-graduate research focusing on assistive technology and use of motion sensors and machine learning to help children with cerebral palsy. He specialises in embedded systems and digital hardware-software codesign.

Nazanin Mohammadi

Nazanin Mohammadi is a computer network and IT specialist in educational environments. She has been developing and delivering materials for computer systems and networking laboratories in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Curtin for the past 10 years. In 2015, Nazanin received the Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award in Innovation for design and implementation of the remote collaborative engineering laboratory environment. She is also amongst a few certified Cisco Networking Academy Instructor trainers in Australia. Nazanin is actively engaged in developing new pedagogies in teaching science and engineering courses as part of her PhD research.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

About This Course:

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding at a rapid rate, and it is becoming increasingly important for professionals to understand what it is, how it works, and how to harness its power to improve business. This introductory course will enable learners to leverage their business and/or technical knowledge across IoT-related functions in the workplace.

In the course, we will examine the concept of IoT. We will look at the ‘things’ that make up the Internet of Things, including how those components are connected together, how they communicate, and how they value add to the data generated. We will also examine cybersecurity and privacy issues, and highlight how IoT can optimize processes and improve efficiencies in your business.

What You’ll Learn:

Gain a deep appreciation of the IoT
Understand what constitutes an IoT design solution
Start to grow the seeds of IoT ideas within your field and area of expertise

Meet Your Instructors:

Iain Murray AM

Iain is an academic in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University, specialising in networking, embedded systems and assistive technology. He received his B.Eng(Hons) and Ph.D. in Computer Systems Engineering from Curtin in 1998, and 2008, respectively. He is a Curtin Academy Fellow and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to education in 2016.

Siavash Khaksar

Siavash is an academic in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University. He received his B.Sci in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Azad University, Science and Research branch in Fars in 2012, his M.Eng in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Embedded Systems from Curtin University in 2015, and is currently undertaking post-graduate research focusing on assistive technology and use of motion sensors and machine learning to help children with cerebral palsy. He specialises in embedded systems and digital hardware-software codesign.

About This Course:

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to grow so will the number of privacy and security concerns and issues. As a professional working in the field, it is essential to understand the potential security risks and how to best mitigate them.

In this course, you will learn about security and privacy issues in IoT environments. We’ll explore the organizational risks posed by IoT networks, and the principles of IoT device vulnerabilities. We’ll also look at software and hardware IoT Applications for industry.

With billions of devices tracking our every move, privacy is a critical issue. We will explore and discuss the social and commercial implications the IoT brings to society.

What You’ll Learn:

Identify and analyse IoT security and privacy risks
Concept design for secure hardware and software
Analyse the social and privacy impacts of the IoT.

Meet Your Instructors:

Iain Murray AM

Iain is an academic in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University, specialising in networking, embedded systems and assistive technology. He received his B.Eng(Hons) and Ph.D. in Computer Systems Engineering from Curtin in 1998, and 2008, respectively. He is a Curtin Academy Fellow and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to education in 2016.

Nazanin Mohammadi

Nazanin Mohammadi is a computer network and IT specialist in educational environments. She has been developing and delivering materials for computer systems and networking laboratories in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Curtin for the past 10 years. In 2015, Nazanin received the Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award in Innovation for design and implementation of the remote collaborative engineering laboratory environment. She is also amongst a few certified Cisco Networking Academy Instructor trainers in Australia. Nazanin is actively engaged in developing new pedagogies in teaching science and engineering courses as part of her PhD research.

Eleanor Sandry

Eleanor is a Senior Lecturer in Internet Studies at Curtin University. Her first degree was in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University. More recently, she completed a Masters in Communication Studies followed by a PhD in Communication and Cultural Studies at the University of Western Australia. Her research uses a range of communication theories and philosophies of technology to drive analyses of human-technology interactions and relations. She is particularly interested in the ways human-robot communication, where robots need not be humanlike in form, behaviour or intelligence, can support collaboration between humans and robots to complete joint tasks in the home, at work or in social spaces.

Siavash Khaksar

Siavash is an academic in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University. He received his B.Sci in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Azad University, Science and Research branch in Fars in 2012, his M.Eng in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Embedded Systems from Curtin University in 2015, and is currently undertaking post-graduate research focusing on assistive technology and use of motion sensors and machine learning to help children with cerebral palsy. He specialises in embedded systems and digital hardware-software codesign.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

About this course

Creating prototypes puts a proposed solution into action. In this course, you will learn the value of prototypes and user testing as critical components of the design thinking process. You will examine case studies to understand the iterative process of prototyping and discover how new products and ideas can emerge as a result.

As part of the Design Thinking MicroMasters program, you will study how to analyze and implement the results of user testing to ensure your solution can fully benefit from this inclusive and innovative process. Best practices for evaluating solutions will also be covered, including surveys, user evaluations, focus groups and interviews.

What you’ll learn

Discuss different levels, options and tools for prototyping
Select an appropriate prototyping technique
Discuss methods of user testing and evaluation
Interpret user feedback in relation to product/process development
Evaluate an effective solution

MicroMasters® Program in Design Thinking

Design Thinking Capstone

Design Thinking Fundamentals

Design Thinking: Empathizing to Understand the Problem

Design Thinking: Ideation, Iteration and Communication

Design Thinking: Prototyping and User Testing

5 Courses 1 year 8 – 12 hours each week

Complete Program $1,345.50

Program Details

Prerequisites

Successful completion of THINK501x, THINK502x and THINK 503x

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

Meet Your Instructors

Melissa Dawson

Assistant Professor, Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology

Melissa Dawson is an Assistant Professor of Industrial Design in the College of Art & Design at RIT. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses focusing on soft product design, including bag design, functional apparel design, and soft toy design. She previously taught as an adjunct professor at RIT and University of Minnesota – St. Paul campus. She received her B.S. in Textiles & Apparel from Cornell University and an M.S. in Textile Design from Philadelphia University (now Jefferson University). Before returning to academia, Melissa spent many years working as a designer in the textile & apparel industry: designing prints and jacquard knits for Polartec LLC, infant bedding and accessories for Kids Line LLC, and prints, color palettes, and engraver files for Target Corporation. Her work experience at a textile mill, as a vendor, and at a retail company provided the invaluable opportunity to understand the soft product design industry from all sides. Melissa is an avid knitter, who also enjoys weaving, spinning, crochet, dyeing, felting, embroidery, bobbin lace, sewing, cross-stitching, and any other fiber-related activity she can get her hands on.

Jennifer Englert

Adjunct Professor, Industrial Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology Jennifer Englert, PhD, has led user experience, human factors, and user interface design projects for 20 years. She is currently a User Experience Researcher in the UX Research and Analytics group at Paychex, and an adjunct professor at RIT. She teaches the master’s-level capstone class in the Industrial Engineering department, and taught Introduction to Qualitative Policy Analysis in the Public Policy department at Rochester Institute of Technology. She has also lectured and coached student teams for RIT’s Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Dr. Englert’s work has focused on a broad range of topics, including business processes, healthcare, privacy, customer care, production printing, digital packaging, consumer imaging, space shuttle mission control, video and consumer analytics, and the future of work. She has done this work as a user interface designer and researcher at Microsoft, Apple, NASA, Kodak, Xerox, PARC, and Conduent Labs. Dr Englert is the co-author of 21 patents and over 40 book chapters and peer-reviewed papers. She has also coached two Odyssey of the Mind teams for the last 7 years. Her teams have created hand-made vehicles, props, costumes, and performances, and have advanced to the state and world tournaments multiple times. Dr. Englert received her BA in Psychology from Angelo State University, and her MS and PhD in Cognitive Engineering from The Ohio State University, where she also worked as a Visiting Scholar and Lecturer.

About this course

The capstone course, part of the Design Thinking MicroMasters program, will be a cumulative experience incorporating all aspects of the design thinking process, from end to end.

In this course, you will be asked to solve a problem using the design thinking process. You will demonstrate your understanding by submitting a final project, along with documentation to support your findings.

What you’ll learn

Throughout the capstone, you will complete the following:

Research and identify the needs of a user
Apply ideation and visualization strategies to communicate solutions
Apply feedback from user testing to revise or design new product or service possibilities

MicroMasters® Program in Design Thinking

Design Thinking Capstone

Design Thinking Fundamentals

Design Thinking: Empathizing to Understand the Problem

Design Thinking: Ideation, Iteration and Communication

Design Thinking: Prototyping and User Testing

5 Courses 1 year 8 – 12 hours each week

Complete Program $1,345.50

Program Details

Prerequisites

Successful completion of the verified track of THINK501x, THINK502x, THINK503x, and THINK504x

Meet Your Instructor

Lorraine Justice

Dean Emerita, Professor of Design at Rochester Institute of Technology Dr. Justice worked on digital media products for 10 years before joining academia. She obtained her master’s degree and PhD at The Ohio State University, where she also taught Graphic Design, Industrial Design, and Design Research courses. She was the Director of Design at Georgia Tech for six years and a co-author for the Encyclopedia of Distance Learning. After Georgia Tech, she became the Dean of the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Under her leadership, the school became one of the top four design programs in Asia. Dr. Justice is a Fellow of the Industrial Designers Society of America and has been named one of the top 40 designers by I.D. Magazine. She is an active member of the TED community and gave talks at both TEDx Hong Kong in 2009 and at TEDU in Long Beach in 2010. Currently, she serves on the editorial board for five design journals, advisory boards for universities and companies, and consults internationally for industry and government.

About this course

Designing a successful and innovative solution requires creative ideas and their iteration. As critical phases of the design thinking process, ideation and iteration are often what distinguish design thinking from traditional or linear problem-solving approaches. This course, part of the Design Thinking MicroMasters program, will explain and provide context and instruction on essential ideation techniques such as:

Brainstorming
Mind mapping
Role playing
Storyboarding
Concept sketching
Model making
Strategic idea mapping

After ideation, the solution(s) that best address the original problem are chosen to present. This course will discuss best practices for selecting solutions and common pitfalls to avoid when communicating solutions to a client.

What you’ll learn

Discuss visualization techniques
Ideation techniques to help arrive at the best solution
How to select an appropriate visualization technique to present a solution
Best practices for communicating ideas effectively using graphic techniques

MicroMasters® Program in Design Thinking

Design Thinking Capstone

Design Thinking Fundamentals

Design Thinking: Empathizing to Understand the Problem

Design Thinking: Ideation, Iteration and Communication

Design Thinking: Prototyping and User Testing

5 Courses 1 year 8 – 12 hours each week

Complete Program $1,345.50

Program Details

Prerequisites

Successful completion of THINK501x, THINK502x

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

Meet Your Instructor

Mike Johansson

Principal Lecturer, School of Communication at Rochester Institute of Technology Mike Johansson is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Communication at Rochester Institute of Technology where he teaches courses in Advertising, Public Relations and Social Media. He was one of three faculty who jointly developed RIT’s first 9-credit critical thinking class, “The Meaning of Things in Three Objects.” The initial offering of the class in Spring 2017 displayed measurable growth in students’ critical thinking skills over the 15-week course. Prior to joining the RIT faculty in 2009, Mike spent more than 25 years in media companies in the United States and abroad. He maintains a lifelong interest in critical thinking and problem solving and includes weekly exercises in his classes to encourage creative thinking. A mentor once noted “Mike doesn’t think outside the box, he doesn’t recognize that the box ever existed.” Mike received two fellowships to the Poynter Institute and also served as a Digital Journalism fellow at University of California, Berkeley. He has a master’s degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

About this course

When you immerse yourself in the context of the user, you can uncover pain points and find opportunities for improvement or innovation not always evident to your audience.

In this course, part of the Design Thinking MicroMasters program, you will learn how to use simple research methodologies including active listening to understand your target audience and uncover their obvious or latent needs.

Emphasis will be placed on observation and interviewing as key methods to gain empathy for the user’s experience and viewpoint. Equipped with this understanding, you will be prepared to identify and define more accurately the business problem.

You will also review case studies and discuss strategies to foster productive client-stakeholder relationships, including user personification, context understanding, and empathy idea mapping (ideas that resonate with your target audience).

What you’ll learn

Recognize the user’s emotive response to context and circumstance (i.e. products, environments, and services)
Understand a holistic approach to problem solving
Plan research activities to gather and analyze data from a user’s viewpoint
Demonstrate an appreciation for creative methods to document user needs and illustrate future solution possibilities

MicroMasters® Program in Design Thinking

Design Thinking Capstone

Design Thinking Fundamentals

Design Thinking: Empathizing to Understand the Problem

Design Thinking: Ideation, Iteration and Communication

Design Thinking: Prototyping and User Testing

5 Courses 1 year 8 – 12 hours each week

Complete Program $1,345.50

Program Details

Prerequisites

Successful completion of THINK501x

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

Meet Your Instructor

Jennifer Englert

Adjunct Professor, Industrial Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology Jennifer Englert, PhD, has led user experience, human factors, and user interface design projects for 20 years. She is currently a User Experience Researcher in the UX Research and Analytics group at Paychex, and an adjunct professor at RIT. She teaches the master’s-level capstone class in the Industrial Engineering department, and taught Introduction to Qualitative Policy Analysis in the Public Policy department at Rochester Institute of Technology. She has also lectured and coached student teams for RIT’s Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Dr. Englert’s work has focused on a broad range of topics, including business processes, healthcare, privacy, customer care, production printing, digital packaging, consumer imaging, space shuttle mission control, video and consumer analytics, and the future of work. She has done this work as a user interface designer and researcher at Microsoft, Apple, NASA, Kodak, Xerox, PARC, and Conduent Labs. Dr Englert is the co-author of 21 patents and over 40 book chapters and peer-reviewed papers. She has also coached two Odyssey of the Mind teams for the last 7 years. Her teams have created hand-made vehicles, props, costumes, and performances, and have advanced to the state and world tournaments multiple times. Dr. Englert received her BA in Psychology from Angelo State University, and her MS and PhD in Cognitive Engineering from The Ohio State University, where she also worked as a Visiting Scholar and Lecturer.

About this course

This course provides an introduction to the foundational activities related to design thinking: a flexible, yet systematic process to define and solve problems. A common misconception is that design thinking requires artistry, but it is not centered on artistic principles. Design thinking is a strategy and mindset that can be applied to any industry to solve problems.

As part of the Design Thinking MicroMasters program, this course will explore methods used to evaluate problems, develop ideas, and create innovative solutions with the user in mind. Focusing on the importance of user understanding and the development of desirable, feasible, and viable ideas, this course will provide an overview of the design thinking process from end to end.

What you’ll learn

Describe the systematic process to define and solve problems
Formulate ideas for problem solving
Discuss solutions that integrate product configuration, functionality and user experience
Identify the design thinking processes and methods

MicroMasters® Program in Design Thinking

Design Thinking Capstone

Design Thinking Fundamentals

Design Thinking: Empathizing to Understand the Problem

Design Thinking: Ideation, Iteration and Communication

Design Thinking: Prototyping and User Testing

5 Courses 1 year 8 – 12 hours each week

Complete Program $1,345.50

Program Details

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

Meet Your Instructors

Dan Harel

Adjunct Professor, Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology Dan is a professional industrial and furniture designer. His 30+ years hands-on career has focused on consumer and commercial design innovation, and on research related to home and workplace of the future. At Eastman Kodak Company, Dan focused on inspiring a vision for future user experiences through design innovation, understanding consumer needs and trends and defining new strategic business opportunities for the company. He is the inventor or co-inventor of over 20 US and international patents relating to digital imaging, wireless communication networks, digital display systems and metadata. Dan’s roles at RIT include teaching advanced studio courses with focus on design thinking, user experience and multidisciplinary collaborations. He is the recipient of the Edline M. Chun Award for Outstanding Teaching and Service in the College of Imaging Arts & Sciences (2016). In addition, Dan leads the IdeaLab at the RIT’s Simone Center for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship, working with clients such as Al Sigl and Rochester Regional Health with prime focus on medical and access technology problem areas. At Studio 930 design consultancy, Dan serves as an overall project advisor to the multidisciplinary student teams and as an administrative manager ensuring student needs are met and all projects advance according to plan.

Lorraine Justice

Dean Emerita, Professor of Design at Rochester Institute of Technology Dr. Justice worked on digital media products for 10 years before joining academia. She obtained her master’s degree and PhD at The Ohio State University, where she also taught Graphic Design, Industrial Design, and Design Research courses. She was the Director of Design at Georgia Tech for six years and a co-author for the Encyclopedia of Distance Learning. After Georgia Tech, she became the Dean of the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Under her leadership, the school became one of the top four design programs in Asia. Dr. Justice is a Fellow of the Industrial Designers Society of America and has been named one of the top 40 designers by I.D. Magazine. She is an active member of the TED community and gave talks at both TEDx Hong Kong in 2009 and at TEDU in Long Beach in 2010. Currently, she serves on the editorial board for five design journals, advisory boards for universities and companies, and consults internationally for industry and government.