Programs
IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Course
This 10-week course provides participants with a practical framework for problem solving and connects participant teams with local external partners, giving them the opportunity to apply their learning to socially impactful organizations.
Introduction to UX Design
This year-long program commences with foundational learning during the initial semester, followed by practical project-based application in the subsequent semester. While is it ideally tailored for 2nd and 3rd year students, 1st-year and 4th-vear students are also encouraged to participate.
Industry Collaboration Program
The program takes the clients through the design thinking process starting with finding the right problem through empathy and clearly defining the problem and moves onto ideation sessions including brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and iteration for rapid learning and improvement.
Internal Consulting Program
Elevate your capacity for innovation through our internal consulting program, open to all Vanderbilt staff departments and faculty groups. As participants engage with our program, they embark on an enlightening journey that seamlessly bridges the worlds of design thinking and practical application.
Vanderbilt Innovation Fellowship
The Innovation Fellowship Program at Vanderbilt University is a pioneering educational initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of innovators and problem solvers. This program offers students a unique immersive learning experience that integrates real-world innovation frameworks with hands-on application. Through a meticulously crafted digital workbook, students explore a variety of innovation methodologies and apply them to actual projects sourced from across campus departments and industry collaborators.
Innovation Challenges
50x50x50 (50 Ideas to Solutions)
In honor of Vanderbilt’s Sesquicentennial and inspired by the university’s “Dare to Grow” motto, “50 Ideas, 50 Solutions in 50 Days” was created to introduce staff to the design thinking process. David A. Owens, Evans Family Executive Director of the Wond’ry, guided teams to envision and create potential solutions. Senior leaders, including Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, stopped into each session to hear from Vanderbilt staff and to provide feedback into their topics and solutions. Groups have started to tackle issues identified as part of the initiative.
Commodore Cup (2023 Theme: Sustainability)
As part of the sesquicentennial celebration, the Office of the Chancellor launched a grant program to support activities and projects that engage with the university’s history, look ahead to its future, and explore what makes Vanderbilt distinctive and unique, and the Wond’ry was awarded one of these grants to produce an innovation challenge, which led to the creation of the Commodore Cup. The 2023 theme was sustainability.
Innovation Resources
Grow your innovation capabilities by tapping into this collection of resources that is curated to help you expand your knowledge of design thinking and to assist you with creative problem solving.
Get Involved
If you are interested in participating in any of our available programs, fill out our interest form below.