2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Undergraduate major in Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
System Design Project
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Takumi Ohashi / Shigeki Saito / Kazuaki Inaba / Yuki Taoka
- Class Format
- Experiment (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-8 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- TSE.C202
- Number of credits
- 001
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 24, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
System design is a holistic approach and process for designing and developing user-centered systems that solve complex and ambiguous problems while considering stakeholders' needs. This course emphasizes its importance as a critical component of the design thinking process. Through lectures, exercises, and real-world projects, students will learn how to design user-centered systems that solve complex and ambiguous problems while addressing stakeholder needs. The course covers core system design topics, including user empathy, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, user testing, and stakeholder analysis. Students will leave with a fundamental understanding of how to design systems. The course inspires students to continue exploring design thinking and provides a foundation for further learning and development in this exciting field.
Course description and aims
1. Develop a basic understanding of user-centered design.
2. Learn how to define complex problems, ideate potential solutions, create prototypes, and conduct user testing to solve problems effectively.
3. Understand the importance of system design in the design thinking process.
4. Gain knowledge and skills related to stakeholder analysis and how to consider their needs in the design process.
Keywords
System design; Stakeholder analysis; User empathy; Problem definition; Ideation; Prototyping; User testing; Iterative process; User-centered design
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
In this course, students will work in teams to design a user-centered system that solves a complex problem. The course, held at Design Factory on the 3rd floor, 5th building, Ishikawadai area, will involve lectures, exercises, and real-world projects. Students will apply the design thinking process, including user empathy, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, user testing, stakeholder analysis, and system design, to develop an effective solution. The course emphasizes collaboration and iteration to refine designs.
Teams will deliver a final presentation showcasing their system design and problem-solving process, highlighting user-centeredness, stakeholder analysis, and system sustainability. Additionally, students will submit a final report reflecting on their understanding of the design thinking process.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction to System Design Project Problem exploration and definition | Understand the course objectives and flow Explore and define the problems to be solved by the team |
| Class 2 | User research methodology and practice | Learn how to conduct data collection and analysis Practice user research on the campus |
| Class 3 | Ideation and prototyping | Learn how to ideate based on user research results Understand effective prototyping methodology using Design Factory facilities Practice prototyping |
| Class 4 | Prototyping and user-test | Learn how to conduct user testing effectively |
| Class 5 | Mid-term presentation Iteration and revision | Gather feedback from a wide range of sources to revise the problem definition and solution |
| Class 6 | Iteration and revision | Gather feedback from a wide range of sources to revise the problem definition and solution |
| Class 7 | Final presentation and report | Convey final ideas effectively to the audience Wrap up learning through the series of lectures |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterward (including assignments) for each class. This can be achieved by exploring online resources, engaging in online discussions with classmates and the instructor, and conducting independent research on relevant topics. In addition, students are encouraged to work collaboratively on group projects and assignments, which may require additional out-of-class study time. Students can maximize their learning and make the most of this course by dedicating sufficient time to prepare, review, and collaborate.
Textbook(s)
Non required.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Saito, Sakamoto, Takeda, Kado, Ouchi, "Introduction to Design Thinking for Engineers," Shoeisha Co. Ltd., (2017).
Other materials are provided during class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Exercises in class: 30%, Final group presentation: 30%, Report: 40%
Related courses
- TSE.C201 ： Introduction to Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
- TSE.C203 ： Transdisciplinary Design Project
- TSE.A318 ： Introduction to Design Engineering
Prerequisites
None.
Other
The syllabus may be modified as necessary.