Design and Innovation

The goal of this advanced studio is for students to have the time and resources to create powerful, innovative solutions to 21st-century problems. The course is composed of one or multiple long-term projects of the student’s choosing. As a studio class meeting with the Advanced Innovation Tech class, we will work independently and share our progress with the class each week. Students are expected to compete in design competitions and serve as mentors and ambassadors for the Design & Innovation program.

The goal of this advanced studio is for students to have the time and resources to create powerful, innovative solutions to 21st-century problems. The course is composed of one or multiple long-term projects of the student’s choosing. As a studio class meeting with the Advanced Design Thinking class, we will work independently and share our progress with the class each week. Students are expected to compete in design competitions and serve as mentors and ambassadors for the Design & Innovation program. We will also discuss special topics in technology (diversity in tech, cognitive factors, accessibility and student topics TBD) every few weeks.

Prerequisite: None 

In this hands-on class, students will apply concepts to projects related to various disciplines in engineering. Units on environmental engineering will tackle the locally important topic of wastewater treatment; electrical engineering will focus on advanced circuits and custom PCBs to create novel products; mechanical engineering will explore topics in modern robotics; musical engineering will use advanced techniques to create instruments such as electric guitars. Students will utilize the tools and equipment of the Innovation Lab to create their projects as needed. Regardless of the unit, students will focus on precision, usability and sound design. The last unit of the course will require students to pursue long-term independent projects focusing on one of the areas of the course.

In this hands-on class, students will apply concepts to projects related to various disciplines in engineering. Units on environmental engineering will tackle the locally important topic of wastewater treatment; electrical engineering will focus on advanced circuits and custom PCBs to create novel products; mechanical engineering will explore topics in modern robotics; musical engineering will use advanced techniques to create instruments such as electric guitars. Students will utilize the tools and equipment of the Innovation Lab to create their projects as needed. Regardless of the unit, students will focus on precision, usability, and sound design. The last unit of the course will require students to pursue long-term independent projects focusing on one of the areas of the course.

The Honors course has additional expectations - students will be required to enter a national design contest, have additional homework assignments and will pitch final projects to the Torrey Explorers Fund.

This course will teach students a modern, human-centered design process and culminate in a long-term project that will be ready for implementation beyond the school’s walls. Projects can range from a start-up company to an art installation to a community-service project—the possibilities are endless. This process is based on modern design principles, supported by social science, and is used at tech companies including Uber, Twitter and Instagram. Students will first identify important 21st-century problems that are ripe for innovation by going out into the world and observing human behavior. Students will have the option to work with this year’s partnered company on their project (previous partners have included CamelBak and Ottobock) and may travel to the company headquarters to present their final product to the design team. In addition to this project, there will be biweekly classes dedicated to special topics in design (diversity in technology, cognitive factors, accessibility and student topics TBD) and technical skill building (2D/3D modeling and sensors).

The goal of this course is for students to master modern technologies to create powerful, innovative solutions to 21st-century problems. Students will study wearable electronics, 3D modeling and printing, laser cutting, sensors and data, and human-computer interaction. The course will initially be composed of several small student-driven projects that build essential skills, which will culminate in a long-term project of the student’s choice. This project will not only be fun and inspiring, but it will also solve a real-world problem that has been identified through research. As a studio class, students will work independently and share their progress with the class each week. Discussion on special topics in technology (diversity in technology, cognitive factors, accessibility and student topics TBD) will occur every few weeks.

Note: The Honors track will require more detailed proposal writing, a presentation to investors at the end of the year and a variety of professional-level deliverables.