Students often discover through our program how important it is to communicate with people on the ground–the beneficiaries of any given project. Our workshops with Ciutat Meridiana in Barcelona and with Comuna 8 in Medellín have provided valuable learning experiences in this arena. Engaging with the community is easier said than done, however, which is why learning specific methods such as how to conduct interviews and surveys are vital to arriving at effective and lasting solutions.

That’s why we were pleased to hear about a new, online learning program called “Human-Centered Design for Social Innovation created by social innovation design organization IDEO.org and poverty-tackling nonprofit Acumen. The free, five-week course will introduce participants to the concepts of human-centered design to create innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions for social change. Before signing up for the course, participants must find a design team of 2-6 people, with whom they will learn the human-centered design process by applying it to a real world design challenge.

Human-centered design is about getting out there, prototyping rapidly, and iterating until we get our ideas right. As part of this course, you’ll learn interviewing skills and other design methods to give you the confidence to get out there and start doing the human-centered design process yourself.

No prior design experience necessary. The course will run from over five weeks (4 to 5 hours per week), from July 10-August 14, 2013. The deadline for registration is July 3, 2013.

Find out more about the course at PlusAcumen.org.

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