The CU Denver College of Engineering, Design and Computing piloted a new first-year design course designed for undergraduate engineering students in the fall semester of 2019. The course comes out of the college’s vision to transform engineering education by integrating modern design thinking, design innovation, and cutting-edge technology across engineering disciplines. The course was led by professors Kristin Wood, Kate Goodman, and Maryam Darbeheshti. Twenty-six students participated in the course, which was integrated into the college’s Engineering Learning Community, led by Darbeheshti.

The first-year design course focused on design innovation, with teams of three to four students completing two project sprints through four phases of design innovation: discover, define, develop, and deliver. The focus of the projects was healthcare and urban systems. The students ultimately produced two sets of concept prototypes, user testing results, an experiential wall, and an end-of-term design exhibition. Throughout the course students developed essential skillsets and mindsets of innovation, entrepreneurship, and methodologies in design, including teamwork and workflow organization, team building and leadership, visual communications, graphic and analytical representation, and fabrication techniques.

The college plans to make this course available to all first-year engineering students beginning fall 2020, providing a distinctive first-year engineering learning experience, where all students develop skillsets and mindsets in human- and user-centered design innovation.