{"id":253,"date":"2020-10-29T10:32:24","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T08:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/designbits.aalto.fi\/?page_id=253"},"modified":"2025-09-09T13:58:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T11:58:13","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/designbits.aalto.fi\/en\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About Design Bits"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
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Welcome to Design Bits!<\/h1>\n
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This is an introductory online course about design for non-designers: people who are curious about what design is, how designers work, and how to work with designers. Through seven chapters, we explain the basic definitions of design, introduce models for understanding the design process, and demonstrate the value of design in industry and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We introduce 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 for deepening your design studies at Aalto University.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n \n

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Course goals<\/h1>\n
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After taking this course, the student:<\/p>\n\n\n \n

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\n Understands the value of design and its main approaches to sustainability, collaboration, innovation and management. <\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Knows about the different design fields and understands design\u2019s possible application to different areas. <\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Understands the importance of the user\u2019s perspective and knows design tools that help including users in projects. <\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Can describe the design thinking process, its phases and its most relevant tools and methods. <\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/figure>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n \n
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Important details<\/h1>\n
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\n The course has 7 chapters. Each chapter has multiple-choice questions, open-ended activities, and reflections on the topic. <\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Design Bits is a 2-credit course from Aalto University. <\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Readings and online materials: 40h + Activities & Reflections: 14h. Total: 54h <\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/figure>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n \n
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How to navigate the course<\/h1>\n
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We have two foundation chapters<\/strong> where you should start from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CH01 \u2013 Design relevance
CH02 \u2013 Design basics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After you are done with those, you will proceed to the section where we present the Four Pillars of design<\/strong>. You can take the following chapters in the order you prefer, but you must take them all to finish the course:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CH03 \u2013 Pillar Sustainability
CH04 \u2013 Pillar Collaboration
CH05 \u2013 Pillar Innovation
CH06 \u2013 Pillar Management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we have the summary section<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CH07 \u2013 Wrapping up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last chapter is all about good design, where you will review the activities you\u2019ve done and also give us feedback about the course.<\/p>\n\n\n \n \"course-structure\"\n\n <\/figure>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n \n

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How to complete the course and get the credits:<\/h1>\n
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Getting 2 ECTS credits as an Aalto student<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n