Innovation for Large Scale Problems

Update - You can download the 2025 Course Information slide deck in the downloads section. Please visit this page frequently for updated information.

This is a studio course for students whose career or interest may need them to work with large and complex problems, also known wicked problems. The course teaches students to understand the motivations of stakeholders while also gaining a deep understanding of the system. These learnings help them deliver solutions that ensure cooperation of powerful stakeholders. We address concerns such as a problem being too hard, too big, or too complex to tackle.

The course brings together concepts from design thinking and future studies to equip students with tools, techniques, and a mindset for intense problem exploration. The goal is to ideate and visualize unexpected solutions that make a meaningful difference. By analyzing the problem methodically, students develop three distinct artifacts - (i) the vision of a powerful long-term solution, (ii) a validated plan to arrive at that vision, and (iii) a meaningful starting point with immediate impact.

We use a social problem as the vehicle for learning, but make relevant analogies to situations in the workplace.

This is not a technical course, and will NOT involve any software/hardware architecture, system design, programming, or any application of AI/ML.

Problems Explored

Students explored the following problems in previous years.

2025 - TBD
2024 - Balancing Internet Accountability with Anonymity
2023 - Impact of Advances in Technology on Inclusive Growth
2022 - Abortion Rights
2021 - Political Polarization in the US
2020 - Accessible and Affordable Healthcare
2019 - Income and Equity Gap
2018 - Financial Abuse of Elders
2017 - Tackling HIV in the US

Registration

This course is available for in-person attendance only and is limited to 20 students. There is no remote section. Follow these steps to register for the course.

Incoming MSSM students in August 2025 - Submit your elective choice on the Orientation Canvas Site during orientation in July/August 2025
All other students - Register for the course in SIO. Though space may be available, all students are automatically placed on the waitlist.
After you have registered, fill out the course registration request form. Make sure you are logged in to Google with your Andrew account and click here. The form will be accepted until the spots fill up or July 15, whichever comes earlier. After July 15, open spots will be made available to non-MSSM students.
Wait for the instructor to respond to your registration request, usually within two weeks. Spots are filled on a rolling basis and will stop when the capacity of 20 students is reached.

MSSM students are given priority and cleared in order of form submission within 2 weeks. Non‑MSSM students will be cleared after August 1 based on space availability.

Downloads

All downloads require Andrew login. Files are subject to change and latest versions are available on course Canvas pages. Syllabus for Fall 2025 will be available in August.

Important

The topics that we cover in this class are often difficult, not just intellectually but emotionally as well. While I expect there to be rigorous discussion and even disagreement in the course of our class discussions, I ask that you engage in discussion with care and empathy for the other members in the classroom. Aim to disagree without becoming disagreeable. In this class we will not shy away from the uncomfortable. Critically examining and assessing our most basic assumptions and values is not just one of the tasks of philosophy but is an activity vital to living an authentic life. I urge you to have the courage to be uncomfortable in this class. In exchange for your courage, I will work to ensure a classroom environment that supports you taking these intellectual and emotional risks.