Lecturers:

  • Stéphanie Missonier
  • Marius Aeberli

Summary
The course brings together EPFL students through a participatory design approach and reflective practice involving interdisciplinary collaboration. Students develop a prototype of an object, product, service or experience.
Content
After an introduction covering ideation and prototyping techniques, interdisciplinary collaborative practices and the basics of communication tools and mechanisms, the course will cover various aspects related to prototyping approaches as well as the valuation of steps. The course focuses on the practice and production of a physical or virtual prototype, reflection on interdisciplinary teamwork and the valorization of prototyping steps. Each session includes 20 to 30 minutes of theoretical introduction and 60 to 70 minutes of workshop work.
  • Week 01: Why create? Creativity, design and innovation. The myths of creativity
  • Week 02: Where to create and for whom? The importance of interdisciplinarity in the creative process in a complex environment. Introduction to design thinking. Creation of working groups.
  • Week 03: How to create? Development through dynamic learning. Multiply, fail and learn. Introduction to ideation and prototyping methods.
  • Week 04: What to create? Accelerate prototyping through modularity and open source. Introduction through two case studies.
  • Week 05: Prototyping and reflexivity – workshop work and individual group follow-up
  • Week 06: Prototyping and reflexivity – workshop work and individual group follow-up
  • Week 07: Presentation of the general concept and the intermediate prototype. Individual reflexive work.
  • Week 08: With whom to create? Extend prototyping beyond organizational boundaries. Consider innovation in a dynamic partnership ecosystem integrating competition, cooperation and cooperation.
  • Week 09: How to protect yourself? Reconciling openness and competition. Introduction to valuation and communication channels and tools.
  • Week 10: Prototyping, valorization and reflexivity – workshop work and individual group follow-up.
  • Week 11: Prototyping, valorization and reflexivity – workshop work and individual group follow-up.
  • Week 12: Prototyping, valorization and reflexivity – workshop work and individual group follow-up.
  • Week 13: Prototyping, valorization and reflexivity – workshop work and individual group follow-up.
  • Week 14: Presentation of the final prototype and implementation of the valorisation strategy. Reflexive work in group.