Ideation Catalyst - ECE69500
In this course, we will teach students to unlock their creative potential and master the art of generating innovative ideas addressing important societal problems by leveraging emerging technologies. Students will explore a diverse toolbox of ideation techniques, from brainstorming to SCAMPER, and discover how to apply them effectively in real-world scenarios. We will dive into the psychology of creativity, learn to think laterally, and harness imaginative thinking to tackle complex problems. Whether an aspiring entrepreneur or more inclined to innovate within an established company (intrapreneur), this course will empower students to transform ideas into tangible solutions. The course is a combination of lectures, recitations, discussions, and activities during which students will receive critical feedback from the instructor and peers on their idea assignments. Students start with idea harvest, i.e., the generation of multiple ideas in a short problem/solution format around an important societal problem such as climate change, environment, health/wellness, aging, automation, and AI. After critical evaluation, the most promising idea will be turned into a one pager, a format targeted for a manager or CTO. The one pager is focused on answering important questions about the problem, its scale, customer needs, proposed solution, and market potential. After a second round of critical evaluation, the one pager will be turned into a longer proposal/document (six-pager) targeted to a senior VP or potential investors. Other topics discussed in this course include opportunity recognition and customer discovery, competitive analysis, customer story and press release, user interface and user experience (UI and UX), critical evaluation of ideas and red teaming.
ECE
Fall 2025
Fall 2026
Fall 2027
Spring 2026