UNMC Design Thinking has developed an eight-week online design thinking course for health care professionals to help bring the principles of design thinking to health care practice and health sciences education. “Design Thinking for Health Care” will be offered through the NU System’s new non-credit and micro-credential education platform, NU Advance.
The fall 2023 session will begin on Oct. 2 and the spring session will begin on Feb. 5, 2024. Tuition for the course is $2,500, with discounts available for UNMC, Nebraska Medicine and all University of Nebraska faculty, current students and staff.
The course combines the health care and design expertise of UNMC faculty and experts from around the country at some of the leading design thinking programs. Students will have the opportunity to engage directly in live online lectures with experts including:
Expert guest lecturers
- Kathryn Velcich (Segovia), PhD – Head of learning experience at the Stanford University d.school
- Doug Dietz, EdD – Retired engineer and designer for GE with 31 years experience.
- Morgan Hutchinson, MD – Academic emergency doctor and Health Design Lab faculty at Thomas Jefferson University
- Adam Royalty, PhD – Designer-in-residence at Columbia Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Design
UNMC faculty and staff
- Kati Bravo, PhD: Assistant professor and BSN program director, UNMC College of Nursing. Trained at Design Thinking Boot Camp, Stanford d.school.
- Jen Kallio, DDS: UNMC Department of Adult Restorative Dentistry, College of Dentistry. Trained at Design Thinking Boot Camp, Stanford d.school.
- Luther Mardock: Course director, assistant professor, UNMC College of Allied Health Professions. Trained at Design Thinking Teaching and Learning Studio, Stanford d.school
- T.J. Welniak, MD: Assistant professor, program director Medical Education, Technology and Innovation Fellowship, UNMC College of Medicine. Trained at Design Thinking Teaching and Learning Studio, Stanford d.school.
In addition to weekly live presentations and Q&A sessions, students will participate in design teams coached by experienced coaches. These teams will develop a health care project or concept and use the design thinking process to focus the problem, develop solutions and rapidly prototype and test products and concepts.
Design thinking, a human-centered approach to innovation and problem-solving, has seen remarkable success across industries, from technology to business. UNMC Design Thinking channels this methodology to address unique challenges facing the health care sector. By integrating empathetic understanding, ideation and rapid prototyping, participants will learn how to tackle complex health care issues with creative solutions.