Description:

At the Segal Design Institute, physical distance does not hinder our human centered approach to problem solving. We proudly carry on Northwestern Engineering's flagship course Design Thinking & Communication (DTC) where first year students solve real problems for real people.

As a project partner with Design Thinking and Communication (DTC), you will collaborate with teams of first-year Northwestern Engineering students to solve a design problem.

In DTC, students learn design thinking, prototyping, and communication tools while solving real problems for real people. 

While DTC project work focuses more on the design process than the final product, many student teams are able to produce partially functional prototypes within eight weeks. 

This Spring, projects should address open ended design problems that support you, your organization, or individuals you serve.

Project Proposal Deadline: March 12, 2021

Important DatesInitial Meeting (1-2 hours) – Early April
User Observation (1-2 hours) – Mid April
User Testing (1-2 hours) – Mid May
Final Presentation (1 hour) – Week of June 7

Operating Safely During the Pandemic

Our students will be distributed locally and around the world as we continue to proceed in times of the pandemic. Meetings and user-feedback sessions will be conducted remotely, by default. 

Student access to people and facilities will be greatly limited or restricted and we therefore plan to demonstrate design concepts utilizing video presentations, graphical representations, and low-fidelity physical prototypes.