Topic outline

  • Lectures

    Lecture Zoom link (Meeting: ID 637 4756 9799, Password: DTEP21)

    Lectures on Tuesdays at 10:15-11:45, except exam weeks.


    Teaching team

    Course leader: Dr. Salu Ylirisku

    Assistants: Veera Ihalainen, Aleksi Zubkovski, Johan Sarpoma, Patrick Linnanen

    Emails: firstname.lastname@aalto.fi


    Course information

    Design Thinking and Electronic Prototyping is a course for learning the basics of the designerly process of crafting useful ideas in combination with project work with electronic prototypes. Students will familiarise themselves with basic programming of microcontrollers with C-language, and to use various sensors and actuators. We shall be utilising the Arduino platform.

    During the autumn 2021 the course will be held online, and participants are expected to be able to use the Zoom applicationParticipation in lectures is required.

    Weekly exercises and prototype building happens in the Sähköpaja lab (TUAS building, Maarintie 8).

    Learning outcome:

    After the course the students will be able to build interactive prototypes featuring a microcontroller and to conduct user tests with the prototypes. They also know how to communicate their ideas effectively and argue for the usefulness of their design idea. Most importantly, students will train on their skills to reflectively negotiate and verify design ideas.

    The course is organised through four main activities:

    • Lectures
    • Weekly exercises / tutoring sessions
    • Project work
    • Reflexive learning diary


    Lectures (Tue mornings 10:15-12:00)

    Lectures are organised every Tuesday morning (10:15-12:00), except during exam weeks. Lectures will elaborate tools and principles for prototype building as well as theoretical insights into design process and user testing.

    Exercises / Tutoring (Wed 14:15-16:00 or Thu 10:15-12:00)

    The students will be grouped into teams of 3-4, and they will gain support for project work during the tutoring sessions. The students are expected to participate a tutoring session once every week.

    Project Work

    Student teams will conduct a project, where they develop a 'useful design' that they demonstrate with a functioning interactive prototype. In 2021 the project topic is on wearable/carried products.

    Reflexive Learning Diary

    Students will learn to actively keep a reflexive learning diary through the course.

    Course Book

    Donald A. Norman, (2013) "The Design of Everyday Things", MIT Press, Revised and Expanded Edition