SUTD/MIT Intro to Design

The course 3.007 Introduction to Design at the Singapore University of Technology and Design is a core subject within the Freshmore curriculum that introduces students to design thinking through a hands-on, experimental, and interdisciplinary approach. It engages students in collaborative, team-based projects where they explore real-world problems while developing skills in creativity, critical thinking, prototyping, and visual communication.

The course is structured around an iterative design process—moving from exploration and problem definition to ideation, development, and testing—emphasizing continuous refinement rather than linear solutions. A key pedagogical tool is the Design Journal, in which students document their ideas, sketches, decisions, and reflections over time, fostering an understanding of design as a reflective, process-driven, and knowledge-producing activity.

Developed in close collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the course reflects a strong emphasis on project-based learning, interdisciplinarity, and the integration of technical and conceptual thinking, bridging engineering and design within a rigorous yet exploratory educational framework.