THE DESIGNERS OF TOMORROW FELLOWSHIP
A new kind of grad school
Today’s challenges demand a new kind of leader.
One who spends more time understanding the reality of the problems they are working on; one who co-creates solutions with the people that are going to use them; and one who is willing to commit to change at a personal level.
Our current models for education aren’t enough to prep this next generation of leaders with the experience, breadth, and new tools they need to create effective change against today’s complex, and evolving challenges.
We need to re-imagine grad school.
With our flagship program, The Designers of Tomorrow (DOT) Fellowship, we’re creating a new kind of learning experience that explores the intersection of design and social change, is grounded in real-world experience, creates the space for self-driven learning, and is accessible to more people.
It’s shifting the focus:
FROM learning in the classroom
TO learning from those closest to the challenges and gaining real world, practical experience
FROM rote learning and test based evaluation of progress
TO perspective building through group discussions, practical application, reflective writing, and self-assessment
FROM a one size fits all approach with preset timelines and course material
TO putting the pace and curriculum in the hands of the learner to customize
FROM degrees centered around depth in one discipline
TO integrating lessons from multiple disciplines
FROM traditional, prescriptive styles of leadership
TO committing to change on a personal level and moral leadership
HOW IT WORKS
12 months, 5 subjects, 3 real-world projects
Human-centered design in practice
Over the course of one year, fellows complete three 15-week design projects with social impact organizations, immersing themselves in the community they are working with. Projects will be centered around applying and practicing the human-centered design methodology – from ethnographic research to prototyping.
An interdisciplinary curriculum
The practical experience is grounded in a learning curriculum co-created with thought leaders in design, social innovation, technology, and business. Fellows get a toolkit of recommended readings, assignments, and worksheets to gain exposure across five core subjects:
human-centered design
global development theory
business model innovation
technology for impact
moral leadership
Self-directed, custom education
We know education isn’t a one size fits all. While the DOT fellowship is grounded in five core subjects, fellows set their own learning objectives against each pillar of the curriculum. Fellows will choose their own areas of depth and select assignments that best fit their learning needs (or create their own).
Build your portfolio in human-centered design & social innovation
The next cohort for the DOT Fellowship launches in September 2020. JOIN US.·
Note: While the DOT fellowship is intended to be a global, immersive experience, in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation, we’re building a flexible program that will start remotely this fall. We will iterate through the year as the situation evolves.
