Capstone project in which teams of students formulate, analyze, and recommend policy options.
- Apply human-centered design (HCD) principles to analyze, design, and validate feasible policy solutions, including:
- Problem definition and framing
- Discovery and empathy
- Ideation and co-design
- Prototyping and proof-of-concept development
- Validation and testing with users and stakeholders
- Refinement and presentation
- Design and advance a policy solution that is feasible within a two-year implementation horizon that account for organizational, resource, and political realities.
- Prepare for the Georgia Tech Capstone Design Expo by:
- Understanding the Expo’s evaluation categories: creativity, utility, quality of analysis, proof of function, and presentation.
- Integrating these categories into the project design and deliverables.
- Demonstrating evidence-based validation of solution functionality.
- Communication to Non-academic Audiences
- Clearly and effectively communicate with non-academic audiences to observe and comprehend their needs, obtain feedback on hypothesized solutions, test solution proof-of concepts, and share final deliverables.
- Effectively communicate through a variety of media to present processes, intermediate outcomes, and final outputs associated with HCD solution sprints.
- Continuously revise and adapt communication strategies and products based on feedback received from instructors, clients, and stakeholders.
Required readings will be provided in Canvas.
Project Structure and Processes:
Students will work in teams to address a policy problem using a structured HCD solution sprint approach, including:
- Exploration: problem framing, mapping, narrowing, and validating.
- Ideation: brainstorming, combining and reconfiguring, proof-of-concept development.
- Solution: customer discovery, proof-of-concept refinement, evaluation, iteration.
Project Scope and Client Engagement Requirements:
- Teams will identify a policy problem in collaboration with instructors.
- The selected problem must be feasible to address within a two-year implementation horizon.
- Each team must work with a client or partner organization willing to:
- Meet regularly with the team during the semester
- Provide feedback on problem framing, prototypes, and proposed solutions
- Engage in validation activities where appropriate
In-Cass Exercises:
We will complete in-class exercises that focus on scoping and defining feasible problems, illustrating the relationship between feedback and prototype reconfiguration, giving and receiving feedback, and how HCD may apply to career preparation. Insights and lessons learned will be discussed.
Capstone Design Expo:
A significant emphasis of the course is preparation for the Georgia Tech Capstone Design Expo. Course milestones and deliverables are intentionally aligned with Expo evaluation criteria, with particular emphasis on proof of function through validated prototypes, pilots, simulations, or structured stakeholder feedback.
Teamwork and Peer Evaluations:
Teams are expected to exhibit equitable contribution to results and participation during presentations. Peer evaluations are an important component of final grades and will be used to assess individual contributions to team-based work.
Grading Policy:
Assignments/Distribution (percentage)
10 Problem Background Research / Client Identification
10 Low-Fidelity Prototype / Presentation
15 Medium-Fidelity Prototype / Presentation
25 Final Presentations and Report
15 In-class Exercises
15 Peer Evaluations (2)
10 Class Participation
Grading Scale:
Final grades will be assigned as a letter grade according to the following scale:
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F 0-59%
You are expected to attend all classes. According to Georgia Tech policy, excused absences (e.g., illness, family crises) require written documentation, which can be obtained through the Office of Student Life (see link below). Communication is a critical factor that we use to determine whether an absence is excused. If you have advance knowledge of an absence, please let us know before the event. Absences that occur without prior notification or where proper documentation is not provided will be considered unexcused. For each unexcused absence, 5 percent will be deducted from your final course grade. Please consult this link to understand our mutual expectations, rights, and responsibilities, including in instance of a medical or personal emergency. http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/policies/student-absence-regulations/
Also, attending out-of-class meetings with your teammates (and, if applicable, your instructor) is also required. Any absences will be factored into your peer evaluation and participation grades.
Finally, if you are a double major or are undertaking a minor, please check to ensure that other required courses do not conflict with scheduled task force time in both semesters which is always scheduled on Friday mornings.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
PUBP 4020: POLICY TASK FORCE II
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I understand human experiences and connections?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcomes:
- Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social or geographic relationships develop, persist or change.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Intercultural Competence
- Perspective-Taking
- Persuasion