Design Bootcamp uses artificial intelligence for user-centered innovation

(CONNECT) A total of 23 students of the CAS Digital Product Design Management with AI at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (HWZ) have taken on the challenge of developing "user-centered innovation in fast motion" in the Product Design Bootcamp learning format, the HWZ reports in a press release. At the boot camp, interdisciplinary teams worked for a total of 72 hours to identify a user problem and develop a functional prototype to solve it using the right methods, team spirit and artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

On the first day of the boot camp, the students took part in the Discovery Day at Digicomp. Here, the Double Diamond design process model and the design thinking process were used to explore and evaluate user problems and to form initial hypotheses for a possible solution.

The second day was about developing applications from these hypotheses. AI platforms, visual tools and low-code could be used for this. Finally, on the third day, the solutions developed were presented to a panel of experts.

"The boot camp shows how much can be achieved in a very short space of time," said Ralph Hutter, head of the course, in the press release. "Not only thanks to AI, but above all when committed teams, a creative atmosphere and the right tools come together." The HWZ announced its collaboration with the start-up support program Launch Control back in January. "We are now looking forward to seeing how many projects from the boot camp find their way into reality with the help of Launch Control," the press release states. ce/hs