Haverford Innovation Platform Events!

Workshop 2: Design Thinking – Philadelphia: A Workshop Series in Problem-Solving and Design

Mi3, lead by Professor Mudd, Swarthmore’s Lang Center, and SC’s HIP will hold a 4-session workshop series on Design Thinking for students on Haverford and Swarthmore campuses.

Dates and times for Events:

Thursday, October 20, 6:00 - 8:15 PM (Haverford)
Thursday, October 27, 6:00 - 8:15 PM (Haverford)
Thursday, November 3, 6:00 - 8:15 PM (Swarthmore)
Sunday, November 13, 1:00 - 2:30 Pitch Event (Swarthmore)

Instructors: David Castro (HC ‘83, CEO of i-Lead), and Nick Torres (PSIJ & Fels Institute, UPenn)

Sponsors: Haverford Mi3, Swarthmore Lang Center and the Haverford Innovation Platform (HIP)

Content Summary: Students will be addressing real world issues and through learning about and implementing the approaches of social entrepreneurs in the Philadelphia region.

Session 1

3 social entrepreneurs will give short TED style talks with Q&A period on education, public health, civic engagement, environment/sustainability, workforce development. This will serve as an Introduction to Design Thinking Methodology.


Session 2

Groups sort into project teams that focus on actual thematics active in the Philadelphia region. Planning will take place to generate information and build empathy via interviews.

Between sessions 2 and 3 there will be an opportunity for field work, phone interviews, and site visits.


Session 3

Intensive design thinking session, students work through methodology informed by interviews/field work


Session 4

Teams of 3-4 students present the results of their design thinking work and make their “pitch” (8-10 possible teams) Social entrepreneurs will be invited back to the pitch event. Practitioners and scholars will judge (4 or 5). A Social Entrepreneurship conference attendance will be the prize (Ashoka U, Unite for Sight)