Design Bits

Study objectives
After taking this course, the student

• Understands the value of design and its main approaches to sustainability, collaboration, innovation and management.
• Knows about the different design fields and understands design’s possible application to different areas.
• Understands the importance of the user’s perspective and knows design tools that help including users in projects.
• Can describe the design thinking process, its phases and its most relevant tools and methods.

Status of the Course
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Department of Design

Study contents
This is an introductory online course for students who are curious about what design is, how designers work, and how to work with designers. In this course we explain the basic definitions of design, introduce models for understanding design processes, and show the value of design in industry and society. 

Students learn the four essential pillars of design today: sustainability, collaboration, innovation and management. Through hands-on activities and reflections at the end of each chapter, we give you a taste of some widely-used design tools, guide you in thinking like a designer and show you possibilities of deepening your design studies at Aalto University.

This is an elective course suitable for both BA and MA level students.

Responsible teacher 
PhD Paulo N. Dziobczenski, designer, researcher and educator

Online learning environment for the course & Activating Aalto ID

https://designbits.aalto.fi/en/
You can activate your Aalto User ID the day after the registration and you should activate it no later than the day before the start of the course. Instructions for activating your Aalto User ID

Evaluation
Regular attendance required. Passing the course requires attending 80% of the lessons.

Grading Scale
Pass-Fail

Teaching time and location
The course is self-directed and at your own pace: there are no class meeting times or live lectures.

Registration and course fee

Registration for Open University courses is done in Sisu-service. 

Course registration

Registration for this course starts on 7.8.2023 at 9.00  
Registration for this course ends on 9.6.2024 at 23.59

This course is organized by the Aalto University
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Department of Design

The course fee is paid upon registration for each course at a time and it is binding. Familiarize yourself with registration and payment rules as well as other guidelines for students:
Registration, payments and rulesAccess Token on Aalto University Campus

To be able to enter campus premises and classrooms you need the student access token of Aalto University. You can get the student access token from campus lobby services. The access token need to be activated with your Aalto account and password before you can use it. Please, arrive the campus well in advance before your first class so that you can make the access token work. Please, see the instructions how to get and activate the access token: How to get an access tokenOtaniemi Campus, Espoo: Campus mapFurther information
Equivalences to other courses

Individual study arrangements

If you need individual study arrangements in order to attend a course, contact the Open University office ([email protected]) in good time, at least 14 days before the start date of the course or the examination date. Further information about individual study arrangements:
Individual study arrangements at Open University