Program Overview

Course Overview

Course Description

The course "Design 3 - Human Centered Design & Innovation" (TPD4121) introduces fundamental knowledge in complex problem-solving in design through the use of Human-Centered Design (HCD) for the innovation of new products and services. HCD is a problem-solving approach that places real people at the center of the development process, ensuring that products and services are tailored to the needs, preferences, and pain points of the users.

Course Content

The course covers basics in design methods, focusing on critical thinking and complex problem-solving, and combines theoretical learning with project work. Key methods covered during the course include:

• Contextual inquiry
• User interviews
• Affinity mapping
• Personas and scenarios
• Ideation
• Concept development
• Prototyping
• Testing

The course focuses on impact-based design and the innovation of new products and services, embedded in the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UNSDG) by focusing on improving health and well-being and the sustainable development of inclusive and sustainable services, fostering innovation.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

Upon completing the course, students will be able to:

• Discover opportunities by viewing challenges and situations with a human-centered mindset and by framing the "right" problem that needs to be solved.
• Connect with end users and stakeholders in the field to identify problems and co-create solutions.
• Understand methods related to the HCD process, including ethnographic analysis, problem framing, affinity mapping, concept development, prototype development, and testing.
• Embrace an experimental attitude to iteratively discover and test what is valuable, feasible, and viable.
• Work effectively in teams, peer critiquing, and peer learning.

Skills

• Apply the HCD process to solve complex problems and innovate new solutions such as digital products and services.
• Use design methods and toolkits effectively.
• Develop software skills in digital prototyping and visualization tools such as Figma and Miro.

General Qualifications

• Have practical experience with HCD, critical thinking, complex problem-solving, and innovation.

Learning Methods and Activities

The pedagogy for the course is project-based learning, which is highly interactive, includes personalized mentoring, encourages peer learning, group work, and hands-on experience in solving real-life complex design problems.

• One main project will give students practical experience with the main themes, related to, but not limited to: strategic areas at NTNU, ID and SDGs.
• Regular lectures will present the theory and methods that can be directly applied to the project.
• Regular personalized mentoring and peer reviewing will guide product development.
• Mandatory lecture seminars - The course literature will be discussed in student-driven literature seminars, facilitating reverse learning and flipped classrooms.

Compulsory Assignments

• Mandatory attendance.

Evaluation

This course will be graded based 100% on project work. To submit the exam, you must have a minimum of 80% attendance. Absences must be cleared with the course coordinator. Due to the highly interactive nature of the course, students are advised to participate actively in group projects and class exercises.

Course Details

• Credits: 7.5
• Level: Intermediate course, level II
• Language of instruction: English and Norwegian
• Location: Trondheim
• Examination arrangement: Assignment
• Grade: Letter grades

Specific Conditions

• Admission to a programme of study is required: Industrial Design Engineering (MTDESIG).

Recommended Previous Knowledge

• TPD4100 Design 1 - Introduction
• TPD4102 Design 2 - Composition

Required Previous Knowledge

• The subject is open for students enrolled in the Industrial Design program.
• International exchange students (Limited seats).

Course Materials

• "The Design of Everyday Things (Revised and expanded edition)", D. Norman, 2013.
• "Universal Methods of Design" B. Marting & B Hanington, 2012, Rockport.
• Further literature will be announced at the start of the course.

Credit Reductions

Course code | Reduction | From
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TPD4122 | 7.5 sp | Autumn 2025
This course has academic overlap with the course in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject Areas

• Design Methodology
• Interaction Design
• Product development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship