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FDE I 2024 Course Outline V1-1
FDE I 2024 Course Outline V1-1
FDE I 2024
JANUARY 9th to APRIL 19th, 2024
LECTURE SESSIONS: 3 HOURS PER WEEK (TUESDAY AND THURSDAY)
DISCUSSION SESSIONS: 1 HOUR PER WEEK, 1 HOUR WITH FI
FDE TEAM: 8 FACULTY, 4 FACULTY INTERNS, 1 PROJECT COORDINATOR
PREREQUISTE: NONE
FDE FACULTY LEAD: Ms. Jewel Thompson FDE PROJECTS COORDINATOR: Suzette Zwennes
Email: jthompson@ashesi.edu.gh Email: suzette.zwennes@ashesi.edu.gh
Phone: +233 55 956 0022 Office: Office: FI office engineering building
RB110
Cohort A: Tuesday & Thursday; 11:30 am- 13:00 pm [Nutor Hall 115] Cohort B: Tuesday &Thursday; 13:15 pm- 14:45 pm [Nutor Hall 115]
Faculty (1): Ms. Jewel Thompson Faculty (1): Ms. Jewel Thompson
Email: jthompson@ashesi.edu.gh Email: jthompson@ashesi.edu.gh
Office Hours: By appointment Tues. & Thurs. 10:00-11:30am Office Hours: By appointment Tues. &Thurs. 10:00- 11:30 am
Faculty (2): Mr. Philip Asare Faculty (2): Mr. Philip Asare
Email: theodore.asare@ashesi.edu.gh Email: theodore.asare@ashesi.edu.gh
Office Hours: By Appointment Tues. and Thurs. 10:30-11:25 am Office Hours: By Appointment Tues. and Thurs. 10:30-11:25 am
Friday Discussion Session: 8:00-9:00am [Nutor Hall] Friday Discussion Session: 9:10- 10:10 am [Nutor Hall]
Faculty Intern: Katelyn Dadzie Faculty Intern: Katelyn Dadzie
Email: Katelyn.dadzie@ashesi.edu.gh Email: Katelyn.dadzie@ashesi.edu.gh
Office Location: FI Office near engineering department Office Location: FI office near engineering department
Cohort C: Tuesday & Thursday; 13:15 pm- 12:45 pm [Norton Moltusky Cohort D: Tuesday & Thursday; 15:00-16:30 pm [Norton Moltusky 207B]
207B] Faculty (1): Dr. Prince Aning
Faculty (1): Mr. Samuel Darko Email: paning@ashesi.edu.gh
Email: sdarko@ashesi.edu.gh Office Hours: By appointment, Tuesday 9:00 am-10:00am
Office Hours: By Appointment Fridays 10:00am- 12:00pm
Faculty (2): Mr. Eugene Eluerkeh Email:
Faculty (2): Mr. David Hutchful eeluerkeh@ashesi.edu.gh
Email: dhutchful@ashesi.edu.gh Office Hours: By Appointment Friday 3:00-5:00 pm
Office Hours: By Appointment Tues. and Thurs. 10:30-11:25 am
Friday Discussion Session: 8:00-9:00 am [NM 207 B]
Friday Discussion Session: 9:10-10:10am [NM 207B] Faculty Intern: Yaw Mpeani- Brantuo
Faculty Intern: Elaine Roberts
Email: elaine.roberts@ashesi.edu.gh Email: yaw.brantuo@ashesi.edu.gh
Office Location: FI office in engineering Office Location: FI office in engineering
building building
Cohort E: Tuesday & Thursday; 11:30- 13:00 pm [FabLab Cohort F: Tuesday &Thursday; 13:15-14:45pm [FabLab 203]
303] Faculty (1) Mr. Albert Bensusan
Faculty (1): Ms. Sihaam Mohammed Sayuti Email: albert.bensusan@ashesi.edu.gh
Email: sihaam.sayuti@ashesi.edu.gh Office Hours: By Appointment Thursday 8:00am- 10:00am and 3:00- 5:00pm
Office Hours: By Appointment Tuesdays 9:00-11:00 am
Faculty (2): Mr. Ray Honu Email:
Faculty (2): Dr. Keren Arthur Email: rhonu@ashesi.edu.gh
keren.arthur@ashesi.edu.gh Office Hours: By Appointment Monday 10:00 am-12:00 pm and Friday 3:00 pm-
Office Hours: By Appointment 5:00 pm
Friday Discussion Session: 8:00-9:00 am [FabLab 203] Friday Discussion Session: 9:10- 10:10 am [NM FabLab 203]
Faculty Intern: Elaine Roberts Faculty Intern: Joel Bortey
Email: elaine.roberts@ashesi.edu.gh Email: joel.bortey@ashesi.edu.gh
Office Location: FI office in engineering building Office Location: FI office in engineering building
Cohort G: Tuesday & Thursday: 13:15- 14:45 pm [Nutor Hall 216] Cohort H: Tuesday & Thursday: 15:00- 16:30pm [Nutor Hall 216]
Faculty (1): Dr. Prince Aning Faculty (1) Mr. Albert Bensusan
Email: paning@ashesi.edu.gh Email: albert.bensusan@ashesi.edu.gh
Office Hours: By appointment, Tuesday 9:00 am-10:00am Office Hours: By Appointment Thursday 8:00am- 10:00am and 3:00- 5:00pm
Faculty (2): Mr. Eugene Eluerkeh Faculty (2): Mr. David Hutchful
Email: eeluerkeh@ashesi.edu.gh Email: dhutchful@ashesi.edu.gh
Office Hours: By Appointment Friday 3:00-5:00 pm Office Hours: By Appointment Tues. and Thurs. 10:30-11:25 am
Friday Discussion: 8:00- 9:00 am [Nutor Hall 216] Friday Discussion Session: 9:10-10:10 am [Nutor Hall 216]
Faculty Intern: Yaw Mpeani- Brantuo Faculty Intern: Joel Bortey
Email: yaw.brantuo@ashesi.edu.gh Email: joel.bortey@ashesi.edu.gh
Office Location: FI Office in Engineering Building Office Location: FI Office in Engineering Building
Course Description:
This course is the first part of a yearlong course on design thinking and entrepreneurship. Due to the complexities and ambiguities in developing
viable new idea solutions that will satisfy customers, there is an increasing need to explore nuanced innovation approaches such as Design
Thinking at the front-end of the entrepreneurial process. This approach is relevant to all sectors of the economy; hence this course is mandatory for
all freshmen.
For this semester the course is focused on generating new creative ideas that are well researched, analyzed and tested. Especially when tested with
users, such ideas are believed to resonate better with the users because their perspectives and pain points are included in the research and analysis.
Students are taken through a holistic approach that involves problem space mapping, problem reframing, ethnographic research, sensemaking &
visualization, Point of View construction, ideation, prototyping and solution definition. Students will then develop and prototype their ideas and
showcase them in an exhibition.
Over the course of the semester, students are given the opportunity to present their problem exploration progress through various public
presentation exhibitions. Such exhibitions provide students with additional insights, relevant critique, and peer to peer learning. The Idea Fair
exhibition at the end of the semester will enable faculty and external stakeholders to determine whether ideas of team design concepts will
transition to the second semester to complete the business simulation in the second semester.
Learning Objectives:
1. Over the semester students will develop the research skills required to uncover the underlying issues experienced by users, through
qualitative based ethnographic research, while navigating socio-cultural constraints, ambiguity and biases.
2. Students should be able to construct testable low and high-fidelity prototypes as it enables students to learn more about how users interact
with their products/services as they are tested against real users and focus groups.
3. At the end of the semester students will generate multiple ideas by experimenting with rapid ideation activities which will enable students
to apply creativity to across disciplines.
4. Students will acquire the synthesis (sensemaking) skills needed to refine insights collected from user feedback into more tangible defined
solutions
5. Students should be able to distinguish the differences between innovation, invention, and creativity and their roles within the process of
Design Thinking and its application to problem solving, leading to the commercialization of their ideas by the end of the course.
Learning Outcomes:
1. When presented with a complex problem space students should be able to gather data, analyze data patterns, and effectively communicate
data insights through ethnographic research to support wholistic idea generation and opportunity identification surrounding their research
problem areas.
2. When working within their teams, students should be able to demonstrate creative and adaptive leadership skills through collaboration,
decision making, and personal/group accountability measures to foster healthier team dynamics and functionality, which will be evident in
their team charters.
3. Students will apply an ethical, equitable and an inclusive lens towards their opportunity exploration through the use of Design Thinking
Frameworks, causing no harm to those they are designing for and seeking to enhance their user experience.
4. From the design sprints, assignments, business cases and exercises, the students should be able demonstrate their ability to apply the
design thinking principles across various interdisciplinary problem areas when presented with an opportunity to explore a challenge.
5. Through teamwork and other interpersonal activities, the students acquire the soft skills essential for innovating businesses/organizations
and creative leadership approaches triggered by the use of emotional intelligence.
6. Students will be able to use the research skills learned from data gathering and processing to effectively communicate stories and present
data that provides clear connections between the user’s needs, the user’s point of view (POV) and their solution through the design
thinking process.
Innovation and Action: An Ashesi student takes intellectual risks and demonstrates an entrepreneurial spirit.
At the core of this course is entrepreneurship with design thinking in the front-end. Hence creative ideas are developed and continuously tested
for innovation. The course starts from problem or customer need identification, through solution finding, pivoting, and preparation
for the commercialization of solutions. Students will be expected to come up with creative concepts, intellectually justify their assumptions
and decisions, and thereby develop the tenets of an entrepreneur.
Curiosity and Skill: An Ashesi student is inquisitive and confident, has a breadth of knowledge, and has attained a high level of mastery in
his/her chosen field.
The structure of the class is such that, students will learn how to be intellectually curious through customer research and feedback. Students will
also learn how to probe during team presentation of solutions to problems and business ideas. They will also be required to read materials
about entrepreneurship, innovation and business from leading journals.
Professionalism: An Ashesi Student should embody the competence, skill level and demeanor expected of a respectable professional.
The structure of the course is designed to enable students to practice networking etiquette and effective resource management through business
project and interactions with working professionals and leaders in industry. From successive presentations and workshops, students would be
able to develop fundamental business soft skills and communication capabilities, becoming effective communicators with an acute outlook
towards work excellence and working relations.
COURSE TEXT:
Primary Text:
Adomdza G. K & McCarthy C. (2021) Design Thinking Project Guide. Manuscript. Ashesi University
Supplementary text and material:
Other material posted on Canvas and via links shared in class.
http://www.rcsc.gov.bt/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dt-guide-book-master-copy.pdf
Norman, D. A. (2013). The design of everyday things. MIT Press
Detailed Total
Assessment Weight (%)
Scores Score
Attendance & Participation Class attendance 10 70 15%
Discussion attendance 10
Class participation 20
Master Class Seminar Attendance (3) 30
Individual Assignments Reflection Papers (3) 30 90 15%
3 Individual Assignments 50 45 10
Team Assignments Team Assignments: Opportunity Brief + Team SWOT 45 205 20%
Research & Analysis Assignment 80
Ideation and Prototype Assignment 80
In- Class Presentations (3) 100 300
Mid- Semester Assessment Mid-Semester Presentation 100 100 20%
Final Assessment Final Presentation and Case Analysis 100 160 30%
Idea Fair Report (Solution Concept) 60
Exercise: Develop
Opportunity Tweet and posts
Exercise: Do PESTLE
analysis of chosen area
Due: 23. 2. 24
The role of creativity in design thinking challenge
Presentations
5 Minutes
Research Methodology
Reframed Problem
Design Thinking Data Using analysis frameworks Construction of analysis of Individual Assignment 3:
Construction
7 Design Thinking Analysis to make sense of research frameworksanalysis
and POV Job to Be Done Report +
Feb 20/Feb 22 and Sense output: Empathy map, creation frameworks insights from masterclass.
Making Analysis Analysis of ethnographic Personas, Journey map. and POV
research output creation
Creating Point of Views Due 15. 3. 2024
Affinity mapping (POV)
Job To Be Done
Assessment
9
SPRING BREAK
Mar 4-8
Midterm Presentations Mid Term Presentations Exercise: Implement
(15-minute presentations) (15-minute presentations) feedback
10 Revision of Mid-Semester
Mar 12/14 Storytelling
Midterm Deck to be shared with
Advisors
HMW to jumpstart ideation. Presentation: 5 minutes
Ideation Techniques
Ideation and ideation
Ideation and techniques: Brainstorming, Exercise: Use at least 2
11 ideation techniques to
requirements Disney’s three rooms, Worst
Mar 19/21 Idea, get up and go out generate a minimum of 30
definition
ideas
Rules of ideation
Exercise: Select top 3 ideas
and create experience video
showing how you imagine
each of the ideas solving the
problem for the user
16
Apr 23/25
Details of Assignments and Course Experience:
Attendance & Participation: Attendance to class, to discussion sessions and all other sessions organized including master classes,
meetings with coaches and advisors, office hours with faculty, business fairs, etc. will be recorded and will contribute to final grades.
Students should however note that there is a difference between attendance and participation. Student participation in all these gatherings
as well as participation in online will also be evaluated and will contribute towards the final grades. Introverted students should make it a point
to be heard and seen – this is key to their development!
Team Project Assignments (before and after the mid-semester break): These will include in-class exercises with instant evaluation and
project assignments. The first will be aimed at capturing the journey through the Problem Festival, reporting on the approach and
outcomes, especially the contextualization of the problems in our environment. The second will help students evaluate their journey through
the design thinking process to solve problems identified. Students will be expected to go through a rigorous ethnographic research process
to define the problem clearly, analyze the research, present findings and get feedback during presentations. Students will be introduced to the
idea of pivoting (learning and acting on feedback or new information) and they will be expected to show how new information is helping
them pivot in ways that improve their projects and assignments. Parts of the evaluations will be done on the spot in class and in the form of
team presentations. Team assignments will also be expected to be completed on shared cloud platforms like Google Docs or MS Word Online
such that individual participation and performance can be tracked and evaluated. In addition, peer evaluation of individual performance will be
conducted after each team assignment submission to ensure that all students understand the rewards and consequences of strong team
participation and free riding respectively on individual grades.
Individual Assignments: These assignments will be about the concepts students work through and reflect on individually. For instance,
the first assignment requires the student to reflect on the impending FDE experience alongside the work conducted within their teams to
understand the opportunity present within the problem space. It will also help them deal with the ambiguity that comes with taking on large
problems and having the patience to painstakingly understand all the factors relevant to the problem. Once teams are formed, the
individual assignments become reflection papers on the concepts, frameworks, teamwork, achievements, failures, lessons and so on –
focusing on submitted team assignments.
The mid-semester presentation- the midsem ester presentation requires the teams to pr esent their finding s according to their field
research and secondary research and insights from the user.
The Final End of Semester Assessments: The Final Deliverables and the Final Examination.
B. Final Presentation: The final twenty-minute presentation is final deliverable and demonstration of the student team being able to
effectively incorporate the key concepts taught throughout the course that will be reflected in their final output, which should show
significant transformation from eac h preceding week. A lack of the incorporation of feedback, real customer/user insights, appropriate
and thorough use of frameworks and the likes can result in a low grade, student teams should work throughout the semester to utilize the
resources available to them.
Students will also be paired with coaches (previous FDE students) and a business advisory team (a panel of external experts) who will provide them with
feedback to improve their projects. As a requirement of the course and fulfillment of their attendance grading meetings and engagements with such
individuals will be recorded, alongside recommendations to ensure student teams are improving their outputs. Students will also be required to book at
least two office hour sessions with their faculty throughout the semester, office hour conversations should not just focus on a discussion of grades, but
students will bring additional questions about concepts learned in the class and their own findings to enhance the overall interaction.
Lastly, the Ashesi Entrepreneurship Center serves as a key resource for all FDE students and such attendance of AEC programming, meeting with any
provided AEC mentors or coaches, or participation in an AEC competition with their FDE concept will be counted towards potential team bonus points
based upon the quality of their engagement with the center.
Considering the live person experience within the course, students will have access to onsite psychology counselors to help navigate any emotional,
mental, or potential physical challenges working with live research subjects. Students should feel comfortable meeting with the counselling CCA team to
report any discomfort experienced when conducting field research.
Rules and Expectations:
Students are expected to be on time for each class session, arriving five minutes after the start time will result in their being marked absent. More
than seven unexcused absences will result in a failure of the course.
Students are expected to dress appropriately for class. This is a business environment, so business casual is acceptable. Sleepwear, gym wear, tops
that expose the midriff, short skirts, dresses, or shorts will not be permitted in the classroom.
Students must maintain academic integrity; plagiarism of any form will not be tolerated and will result in a failing grade.
This course requires you to engage with various members of the community, be sure to be respectful and maintain high ethical standards when
working with the information individuals may disclose with you during your research.
Our course accommodates everyone, if you have any disability, please do let your faculty team know so that we can make provisions for you to
effectively engage within the course.