These were inspired by the Stanford design Insititute based on how they teach Human computer interaction. Feel free to re-use and come up with great stuff.
Group Concept Examples Readings
Designing for Active Lifestyles Physical activity is fundamental to health, reducing the risk of many chronic diseases. However, many in the US and globally fall short of meeting physical activity guidelines. People face many unique barriers to physical activity, such as physical limitations, geographic and environmental constraints, lack of resources or income, social pressures, fixed mindsets, and health beliefs, and more. Many existing health tools embrace a “one-size-fits-all” approach, assuming standard graphs and statistics will work for everyone. In this studio, we'll explore tools to address these unique barriers. How can we promote physical activity across demographics and abilities? How do we foster long-term, sustainable habits? And how do we bridge geographic and economic gaps in access to exercise? Marcus Goldman Sachs, Alexa, Light Awake, iPhone gray scale, RoundUp Alia Crum: Mindset and lifestyle choices
Unintentional Good Balancing financial wellness, social responsibilities, and environmental conservation is a goal many strive for. Yet, convenience often takes precedence over these objectives. In this studio we will address this dichotomy, focusing on practical strategies that seamlessly integrate our goals of positive change and growth into our daily lives without significant inconvenience. Unintentional Good aspires to be Marcus Goldman Sachs, Alexa, Light Awake, iPhone gray scale, RoundUp The Psychology of Laziness
Accessing Healthcare The COVID-19 pandemic revealed just how fractured our healthcare system is, providing healthcare that is not equitable nor accessible to all. The supreme court overturning Roe v. Wade has had major consequences for peoples’ access to reproductive healthcare and has raised concerns about data privacy in personal health apps. Due to increased demand for OBGYN care, patients must often wait months for care at a women's health clinic. However, concerns about long wait times and data security are issues that most Americans have, especially low-income people who often have a limited number of providers who accept medicare and/or medicaid. How can we leverage technology to create applications that will make healthcare more accessible and equitable for everyone? hers, NURX, wisp, Teladoc No refrence yet
Unlocking lifelong learing In a world changing faster than ever, lifelong learning is not just a choice but a necessity. Formal education systems generally account for just a fraction of one’s lifespan. How can we harness the potential of technology to facilitate lifelong learning journeys? This studio will explore how learning can be made accessible, engaging, and meaningful throughout one’s life while balancing technology education. Duolingo, Coursera, MasterClass 60 years of higher Ed? Really? Life-long learning in the EU
Preserving the Past New technologies allow us to preserve history more easily than ever. We can record our family’s stories for future generations to see and hear, snap pictures and share the memories with others, even visit historical sites without leaving our homes. In this studio, we will explore ways to capture and revive the past. How can we leverage digital capabilities to preserve and cherish our histories? How can we save our memories and cultures so they endure? Ancestry, Civilisations AR, 1 Second Everyday No refrences yet
Harmonious Ties: Connection Through Music To me, music has always been the lifeblood of human connection; it presents a shared language that allows us to communicate in a unique way. So how is it that, as the music world grows bigger and widens our domain for potential connection, meaningful music-based connections seem to be harder to attain? In the music industry, collaboration is key — a lead singer might have assembled a band that needs a drummer, a songwriter might need an extra pair of ears on an unreleased single, or a listener of a niche genre might want to connect with others who appreciate it. In this studio, students will be tasked with facilitating human connection through music. The target audience can range from passionate listeners to full-time musicians. How can we allow people to make harmonious ties in and through music? Smule, Bandcamp, Soundtrap, BandFriend, Blend No refrences yet
Threads & Trends Many people have benefited from active digital spaces that hold tons of crowdsourced knowledge. From trying to answer burning questions to having deep philosophical discussions to sharing memes, people have different motivations for participating in these online communities. What design decisions help keep these communities flourishing and alive? How can information be connected to those who need it? How can users be incentivized to share knowledge with others? In this studio, students explore how different communities within a domain could benefit from knowledge sharing. Ed Discussion, Fizz, Quora, Reddit, Stack Overflow, SkillShare Is a forum social media? A deep dive into online communities
Transportation and Mobility Technology is fundamentally reinventing the way we move from Point A to Point B. From ride-sharing to car system control applications (think Tesla) to smart navigation, mobility and transportation in the 21st century are constantly challenging and evolving our perceptions of movement. How might we continue to reinvent travel and transport as technology evolves? Uber, Waze, Zipcar, Bird, Tesla Uber, connecting digital and Physical worlds
Becoming Iron-Man With the help of assistive technology, we can do almost anything. Want to know the scientific name and properties of any plant you see? There’s an app for that. Want to know exactly which constellations you’re looking up at? There’s an app for that, too. The aid and augmentation of human abilities are able to expand the bounds of what we can do. In this studio, we will explore how we can use technology to expand our senses, possibly even giving us new ones. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Plant Identification ++, SkyView, Shazam, Capo Designing our senses The leaders discuss the most intriguing applications of AR
Simplify Your Life: Inspiring Productivity and Efficiency Technology continues to play an integral role in our daily lives. Some important practical and productive features can be muddled by the constant stream of extraneous information and distractions. As we step away from our phones, we are still bombarded with high amounts of sensory information, busy schedules, and endless to-dos to check off our lists. Even small tasks may inadvertently lead to a high energy expenditure if the path to completion is overly complicated. Amidst all of the chaos, it is important to find ways to offload the high volume of information. How might we avoid the feeling of fatigue and instead explore technology that inspires focus, personal growth, and efficiency? In this studio, we will be exploring topics in behavior change and productivity to create supportive technology that operates as a personal assistant or life coach. Fabulous, Focusmate, Nike Run Club, Slack, MyFitnessPal, Asana, Focus, clean.email No refrences yet
Art and Digital Media Art encourages self-expression, creativity, and social change, and the rise of digital culture transforms how we share ideas and aesthetic experiences that resonate with us and our communities. Our fluid digital media ecosystem offers new forms of interaction across traditional and hybrid art forms (e.g., food, games, journalism, literature, music, and visual arts) using a variety of technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, video streaming, social media, and virtual reality). How might we (re)shape the perspectives and power of content creators, curators, and consumers, increase engagement with cultural centers, and expand our understanding of our real and imagined worlds? ArchiveOfOurOwn, Goodreads, Google Arts & Culture, OpenTable, Soundcloud, Twitch, Washington Post App. Your UX Belongs in a Museum The romance of work: Gender and aspirational labour in the digital culture industries
The Virtual Learnscape: AR/VR x Education Augmented and virtual reality technologies can unlock unique, immersive learning experiences. Use AR to learn about a new animal by placing it in the room with you. Travel across space and time to gain a deeper understanding of a different society. Simulate high-risk surgeries in a low risk setting to perfect skills. AR/VR innovation in education technology has started to serve the needs of a range of learners from the casually curious to k-12 students to medical professionals – but it has just scratched the surface of its potential. In this studio, we will explore how we might design game-changing AR/VR educational experiences. osso, AR in google search, Google Expeditions, time looperr 5 Ways VR And AR Will Change The Way We Learn VR/AR for Enterprise Training and Education
Systemic Justice and Equity Extreme wealth inequality is intertwined with systemic injustice (in the form of race, gender, ethnicity, class, etc.) and can have crippling consequences in countries where wealth is necessary for access to essentials like food, shelter, healthcare, education, and legal services. This studio will examine gaps in the social security system for those living in poverty and/or facing systemic injustice. We will find tech solutions to tackle systemic issues or lessen negative outcomes for those in a harmful system, with the aim of creating an equal opportunity society. Our studio will stay cognizant of tech as a potential contributor to systemic injustice and of the potential minimization of serious issues inherent in creating a project within 10 weeks. Providers, GapJumpers, Share The Meal, Comeback, Sheboard Why I'm an architect that designs for social impact, not buildings, Design Thinker Reckons with Design Thinking
Hybrid Collaboration With the rising popularity of remote work, we are seeing an exponential increase in the need for hybrid collaboration (e.g., face-to-face and online, synchronous and asynchronous, etc.). Based on the requirements of our work, we select, combine, and make the best of different modes to achieve the optimal collaborative experience and group outcome. How might we improve group engagement and success by working with both tangible and digital materials? How might we bridge the gaps between different digital and physical collaboration methods? In this studio, we will explore and propose novel designs for hybrid collaboration experiences. Metaverse, Gather, Pesto Dynamic Land Towards Seamless Collaboration Media: From TeamWorkStation to ClearBoard
The Future of Philanthropy and Volunteering With a growing population of millennials and Gen Z adults as well as the dawn of the centimillionaire, we’re seeing signs of a changing philanthropy and volunteering landscape. Organic and creative new methods of donorship, such as bingo donation games on Instagram Stories, display how times are changing and there’s room for innovation. How might we reinvent philanthropy in the 21st century? GoFundMe, ShareTheMeal, Charity Miles, Coin Up No refrences yet
Accessible Design for Different Abilities Disability is a “mismatched interaction between the features of a person’s body and the features of the environment in which they live” (World Health Organization, 2011). In this studio, we will address this mismatch through multimodal interfaces, inclusive design thinking practices, and the implementation of accessible features to create products that are better for everyone. Together, we will explore how to build a world that better supports people such as neurodivergent students who are learning online, blind users who navigate technology with screen readers, or elders with limited mobility who are living independently. voice assistants, Be My Eyes, Seeing AI, Otter Creating an Accessible Digital Future Why Accessible Design is for Everyone
Caring From Within Especially considering the pandemic triggering a worldwide mental health crisis, users are increasingly using their devices to manage their mental wellbeing. In this studio, we will explore the intersection of technology and health to help us better manage, improve, and care for our own mental health and those around us. With the rapidly growing interest in this field and thus abundant opportunities for innovation, how might we extend help to users and empower them to care for themselves from within? Headspace, BetterHelp, Calm, Happify, Talkspace, Moodfit, MindShift CBT Why designers should care about the mental health crisis Inclusive Design for Mental Health and Well-being
Easing Life Transitions As we go through life, big transitions from one stage to another can be accompanied with feelings of discomfort and big personal growth. Whether you are moving out of home for the first time, becoming a new parent, starting your first job, or retiring, these life transitions change the fabric of your life. How can we design solutions for people going through life transitions to increase self-fulfillment, ease fears, and encourage growth? How can we help people in life transitions learn the information necessary to enter a new phase of life with confidence? No product found in this space The Linear Life Is Dead The UX of new parenthood: Why we’ve got to conceive a better way
Education Technology Technology is becoming more present in the education process from devices in the classroom to parents communicating with teachers. In this studio we will look at educational technology, and how this technology fits in the education ecosystem. We will look for ways that you can use careful design and technology to enhance traditional learning experiences or create new opportunities for learning that haven’t been possible before. ClassDojo, Khan Academy, Motion Math: Pizza!, Wonderment, Code.org Putting Education in “Educational” Apps: Lessons From the Science of Learning
Digital Wellbeing Especially during the pandemic, we spend much of our day staring at a screen. All the digital activities we engage in affect our behavior and our mental and physical health. Screen addiction is real, but not totally inevitable! There are lots of unique approaches to mitigating the harms of our digital lives. In this studio we will explore topics such as social comparison and doom scrolling and discover ways to build digital experiences that work with you, not against you. The Light Phone, Forest, Hinge: Designed to Be Deleted, Instagram Manage Your Time What it takes to put your phone away What we’ve learned about Americans’ views of technology during COVID-19
Multimodal Interfaces to Broaden Access Information seeking has become, for many people, an indispensable part of modern life, yet it always presents significant challenges for users with special needs, such as elders, blind or visually impaired users, or children. Could there be a better multi-modal system to facilitate users with special needs in the online information acquisition process? In this studio, we will explore approaches such as voice-interaction, mobile phone assistants, human-environment interaction, as well as how these could work together to better create a positive impact in the special needs communities. Voice assistants, AmazonQA, Microsoft Seeing AI app, Scratch by MIT, PainChek Scratch: Programming for All A World Without Boundaries: Interview With teamLab
Financial Literacy, Health and Resilience Financial health (personal and business) has a huge impact on reducing poverty, the gender gap and wealth inequality. Existing financial products do not meet the needs of financially underserved individuals or businesses. In addition, most financial products are neither affordable nor accessible to these groups and this impacts the health of local economies. This studio will explore how technology can help increase financial health and resiliency for both individuals and small businesses thus better addressing financial needs in the 21st century LendingClub, Mint, EveryDollar, PocketGuard, Prosper, Paypal, Square Financial inclusion, the digital divide and other thoughts on the future of money How Fintech Industry is Changing the World
Engagement in Digital/Physical Space Now more than ever online communities are blooming, but to engage with others in digital space we often must disengage from our own physical experiences. How might we bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds? How might we engage and connect more deeply with the real world through the power of technology? Airbnb Online Experiences, Ubiquity6, GooseChase, PokemonGo Uber: Connecting Digital and Physical Worlds Microsoft Mixed Reality: The Pursuit of More Personal Computing
Health and Wellness Digital health is one of the most important and fastest growing industries, especially given the new necessity of remote care. In this studio, we will explore how the intersection of health and technology can help us better understand our health and take proactive action. This area is filled with opportunities for innovation like smart devices that monitor and improve our health, solutions that enable more accessible and effective healthcare, and products that enhance our physical or mental wellbeing. Apple Health, Headspace, Strava, BetterHelp, Doctor on Demand Principles for Making Digital Healthcare More Human-Centric Forces of Change - The Future of Health
Sustainability Sustainability is a mounting global challenge, with environmental health being inextricably linked to human health. How can technology help individuals and communities engage in more sustainable living? In this studio, we will explore local and global efforts to promote the health of the environment, with an eye towards maintaining a habitable planet for future generations. We will look into applications of design and technology within sustainability, such as creating eco-friendly living spaces, reducing food waste, and promoting ethical consumerism. Too Good to Go, Olio, HappyCow, Poshmark, Think Dirty - Shop Clean, LiveGreen.io The Power of Sustainability-First Design What the Circular Economy means for Service Designers
Arts and Culture Art and culture are integral to a vibrant community, illuminating our inner selves and expanding our worldview through common values and shared experiences. In this studio, we will explore arts and culture from the lenses of the creator, curator, and consumer across a medium of your choice (e.g. visual arts, design, music, performance). We will investigate using design and technology to help creators execute on their creativity and enable people to discover content which they resonate with. Canva, last.fm, Google Arts & Culture, Goodreads, Letterboxd Museums in the digital space — some reflections on online exhibitions Is Letterboxd Becoming a Blockbuster?
Information Overload Although living in the Digital Age has its perks, having access to so much information and content online can feel confusing, distracting, overwhelming, or even paralyzing. Information overload is the difficulty in understanding an issue and effectively making decisions due to too much data. This studio seeks to understand the mental & emotional burdens related to digital media and help humans regain control over their content consumption. TrueCaller, Trello, Slack, and HootSuite. No refrences yet
Assistive Technologies and Accessibility There are many opportunities for technology to improve the lives of people with special needs. However, these communities are often underserved due to lack of awareness and failure to incorporate accessibility features into applications designed for the general public. In this studio we will explore how the intersection of design, technology, and accessibility can create a positive impact in special needs communities Microsoft Seeing AI, Be My Eyes,Tactile No refrences yet
Educational Technology Technology is becoming more present in the education process from devices in the classroom to parents communicating with teachers. In this studio we will look at educational technology, and how this technology fits in the education ecosystem. We will look for ways that you can use careful design and technology to enhance traditional learning experiences or create new opportunities for learning that haven't been possible before. ClassDojo, Khan Academy, Motion Math: Pizza!, Wonderment, Code.org. No refrences yet
Digital Democracy For a democracy to flourish, citizens need to be well-informed to meaningfully engage with each other and the larger public sphere. Though much of this occurs online today, the outcomes are still manifest in real-world political, social, and economic institutions. In this studio, we will build novel and ethical design solutions bridging technology and the public sphere. How might we leverage technological tools to enrich online knowledge-sharing, debate, trust, and participation? How can we present complex information to voters in clear and relevant ways? How can we design platforms to reach beyond cyberspace and encourage real-world organizing and voting? No refrences yet No refrences yet
Online/Local Community Digital communities continue to appear and we're spending more time online than offline. While online communities are blooming, we tend to overlook the community that exists outside the digital realm. How might we bridge the gap between the digital world and the real world? How might we engage more with the real world through the power of technology? Meetup, Eventbrite, Facebook dating, Waze Carpool, Oculus venues No refrences yet
Health and Wellness Our current healthcare system is centered around reactive responses to ailment and disease. Through our studio, we will explore how the intersection of health and technology can help us provide a more comprehensive, and ultimately proactive picture of our health. We'll be looking at how to design products that use smart devices to monitor and improve different aspects of our health. Apple Health, Headspace, My Fitness Pal, and Noom No refrences yet

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