The d.studio at UBC is a design-centered learning space and place. As the workplace and general societal environment becomes more unpredictable, organizations will demand knowledge workers who are capable of making the most of the opportunity. Participating in the global knowledge economy will increasingly mean being comfortable and engaging with culturally diverse teams. The d.studio courses challenge cross-disciplinary teams of undergraduate students to explore and discover relevant problems, and propose innovative solutions that create economic, social, political, technological and environmental value using strategic design.
The Strategic Design Method (SDM) comprises three iterative stages of “ASK.TRY.DO.” and engages learners to develop empathy, research, making, testing, refining and implementation skills. The SDM integrates design thinking with systems thinking and strategic action. The active and experiential learning curriculum introduces proven design processes and tools for thinking, managing and solving today’s diverse workplace challenges and large, wicked problems.