Design Methods for Creative Problem-Solving and Social Innovation
Brief Course Description
Innovative Problem-Solving for Impact
In today’s world, innovative problem-solving is essential for creating breakthrough products, shaping competitive strategies, driving meaningful change, and making a sustainable impact.
This 6-credit Design Studio is designed to prepare future innovation leaders to navigate complex, ambiguous, and ill-defined challenges with confidence. Through a combination of individual and team-based projects, students will tackle real-world business, societal, and sustainability issues, applying creative problem-solving techniques in hands-on studio sessions.
A unique Service-Learning component offers students the opportunity to use their creativity for the greater good—designing solutions that address real community needs and contribute to humanity’s well-being.
Throughout the course, students will:
- Develop and adapt innovative thinking processes applicable across diverse organizations and contexts.
- Gain practical experience through individual and group design projects.
- Build a portfolio of prototypes showcasing their creativity and problem-solving skills.
Lectures will provide a comprehensive overview of design principles and their real-world applications, while studio time will focus on research, ideation, and prototyping. Students will explore user needs, analyze existing products and services, and design improvements that make a tangible difference.
All students in the program are required to complete this course in their first semester.
Student Sharing and Activities
Design Thinking in Action: Real-World Impact
SEIM students bring creativity to life through Design Sprints that apply Design Thinking to solve real challenges.
One project reimagined the Lingnan canteen experience. Students interviewed staff and peers, identified pain points, and proposed bold solutions—like 24/7 robotic self-heating devices for anytime dining and a customizable stir-fry stationfor global tastes.
Prototyping with stakeholders is central to the process. Students co-created and tested ideas, gaining hands-on experience in Participatory Design, where real users shape real solutions.
Another studio challenge explored “Life Beyond the Pay Cheque” by redesigning retirement. Through storytelling with elderly participants, students developed innovations such as apps connecting active seniors and smart fall-prevention devices linked to healthcare services.
