Design Bits

Learning outcomes
 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.

Content
 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.

The course is self-directed and at your own pace: there are no class meeting times or live lectures. This is an elective course suitable for both BA and MA level students.

https://designbits.aalto.fi/en/

Teacher
Pirjo Kääriäinen

Study material
https://designbits.aalto.fi/en/

Online learning environment for the course & Activating Aalto ID

MyCourses online learning environment is a tool for both students and teachers for communication and managing everyday course work. You need an Aalto User ID to log in to the course's MyCourses workspace and participate in teaching. 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 IDDigital workspace of the course:
MyCourses 

More details on completing the course will be available at MyCourses closer to the start of the course.

Workload
 Independent learning based on reading and assignments.

Prerequisites
 -

Evaluation
Completed assignments. Note: Evaluation will be done and credits given in the end of each period
 

Teaching time and location

The teaching time and the location of the course can be found at Sisu information system

1. The link leads to Completion methods tab of the course page  
2. From the top of the page (Version drop-down menu), check that academic year 2024-2025 is selected  

3. From the blue bar, click Lecture and open the Groups and teaching times tab to see the teaching time and the location of the course. Exam times can be seen by clicking Exam.
    

   Exam instructions at the Open University

Registration and course fee

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

Course registration

Registration for this course starts on 5.8.2024 at 9.00  
Registration for this course ends on 6.6.2025 at 23.59
 

It is not possible to register before the registration period has started or after it has ended.

The number of participants is limited to 2112.

This course is organized by the Aalto University School of ARTS, 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 UWAS-C0011 Design Bits

Individual study arrangements

If you need individual study arrangements in order to attend a course, contact the Open University in good time, at least 14 days before the start date of the course or the examination date. Further information and instructions for applying individual study arrangements can be found here:Individual study arrangements at Open University