Background
For the past three semesters, I have been guest lecturing at the HCI master's program of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) at the invitation of Professor Andrew Maier in his Utility and Usability course. For this class, I collaborated with Professor Maier on a 20 minute lecture, 30 minute activity, and short quiz.
Since this lecture is placed at an inflection point in the semester, the content focuses on bringing a practitioner from the field in to talk about the difference between design theory, or the way projects are practiced in the classroom, versus the reality of working within organizations to enact change through design. It describes common challenges that professional designers face, based on my own experience working in a variety of teams, offers strategies to overcome them, and provides an opportunity to practice those techniques in a safe environment.
Sample Slides
