The document discusses Aalto University's strategy and vision of being an innovative society through breakthrough discoveries integrated with design and business thinking. It outlines the university's values of passion for exploration, courage, freedom to be creative and critical, responsibility, and integrity. The strategic objectives include research excellence, renewing society through art and creativity, educating game changers, and transforming campus into a collaboration hub. The Design Factory at Aalto aims to foster creativity through problem-based learning, open-ended design tasks, hands-on experimentation, and flexible prototyping facilities. It offers courses like Product Development Project that use real-life projects and demonstrations of results rather than exams. Assessment emphasizes creativity, critical thinking,

1. Design Thinking and
creativity @Aalto Design
Factory
Prof. Katja Hölttä-Otto
Design Factory
Aalto University

2. Aalto University Strategy
Vision - An innovative society
Breakthrough discoveries deeply integrated with design and business
thinking enable systemic solutions and accelerate innovation.
Values
• Passion for exploration
• Courage to influence and excel
• Freedom to be creative and critical
• Responsibility to accept, care and inspire
• Integrity, openness and equality
Strategic objectives
Research and innovation: Research excellence for academic and
societal impact
Art and creative practices: Renewing society by art, creativity and design
Education: Educating game changers
Campus: Transforming our campus into a unique collaboration hub
Enablers of our academic mission: Excellence in advancing and
supporting our core goals

3. Vision - An innovative society
Breakthrough discoveries deeply integrated with design and business
thinking enable systemic solutions and accelerate innovation.
Values
• Passion for exploration
• Courage to influence and excel
• Freedom to be creative and critical
• Responsibility to accept, care and inspire
• Integrity, openness and equality
Strategic objectives
Research and innovation: Research excellence for academic and
societal impact
Art and creative practices: Renewing society by art, creativity and design
Education: Educating game changers
Campus: Transforming our campus into a unique collaboration hub
Enablers of our academic mission: Excellence in advancing and
supporting our core goals
Aalto University Strategy
Freedom to be creative and critical
Art and creative practices: Renewing society by art, creativity and design

4. Design Factory

5. Fostering creativity
• Teach creativity methods (lectures, workshops, applying
to real problems)
• Problem based learning & open ended design tasks
• Encourage hands on experimenting
• Facilities to support the above
– open 24/7
– labs for all types of quick prototyping
– flexible spaces for any activity
– inspiring interior
– kitchen

6. Practical Actions
• Facilities
– For all
• Courses
– Product Development Project (PDP)
– ME310 Global Innovation Program
– Aaltonaut –interdisciplinary minor
– Etc.
• Pedagogical training

7. Facilities

8. Facilities

9. Facilities
Facilities

10. Facilities

11. Tenured Professors’
Installation Lectures
19.1.2016
Courses
Product Development Project (PDP)
ME310 Global Innovation Program
Aaltonaut minor
Methods in Early Product Development
Any course by an Aalto instructor

12. “Normal” course
learn theory
practice with homework
prove with test/exam
ME310
experience the design process
practice with real-life projects
demonstrate with results

13. Teacher/Coach
Student Team
Alumni/Mentor
Larry Leifer

17. Course assessment to support creativity
• Design projects are assessed in reviews
– Creativity of the solution
– Level of thinking in the process
– Assessed by a multi-disciplinary teaching team
– Oral & Written Report
– Thinking and process are emphasized in the
beginning in addition to divergent ideas, the emphasis moves to the
solution at the end.
• Creativity: assess the number, novelty, and variety of the
ideas
• Critical thinking: the assess well justified decisions
• Outside opinions: Project sponsors are asked to assess the
project
– A question directly about the creativity

18. Pedagogical training

19. Pedagogical training
• Teacher partner course. The course includes planning,
implementing, and evaluating a teaching experiment on your own
teaching. Student feedback is collected and utilized in the process.
Working methods are individual and group work supported with
pedagogical mentoring. Assessment is based on self-evaluation,
peer evaluation, and mentor evaluation.
• Teacher community. Come and share your experiences, ideas,
tools and skills with other teachers. Get to know each other and
maybe even create partnerships for interdisciplinary courses.
• Barn room for teachers. Meet with students and other teachers.
• Presentation skills. Want to improve the student presentations in
your course? Tailored practical workshops are available for all kinds
of presentations and presentation styles.
• Targeted workshops

20. Practical Actions
• Facilities
– For all
• Courses
– Hands on
– Open ended
– Problem based
• Pedagogical training
– Spread the message across the university, beyond Design
Factory