Design Thinking for Social Change (Spring 2026)
Partner
Pacific School of Religion
Learning Pillar
Theological Imagination
Rigor Level
Low
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of Course Component One, you will:
- Understand the concept, origin, and theological underpinnings of design thinking.
- Learn key human-centered design principles
- Create a personal self-reflective practice for growth and development of creative-leadership capacities.
Upon completion of Course Component Two, you will:
- Understand the design thinking and human-centered design framework for self-directed work.
- Learn key human-centered mindsets, steps, skills, and methods of design thing.
- Expand your design lens through gaining access to resources for continued learning and support in application.
Upon completion of Course Component Three, you will:
- Apply learned practices and principles to real-life leadership challenges
- Apply design thinking through your developed design lens to social marginalization.
- Expand on your personal self-reflective practices for the growth and development of your creative leadership capacities.
Upon completion of Course Component Four, you will:
- Engage learned practices and principles to real-life leadership challenges in a group setting.
- Apply design thinking through your developed design lens to social marginalization.
- Engage on your personal self-reflective practices for the growth and development of your creative leadership capacities.
- Engage all principles and practices learned throughout this course in a collaborative, group environment to, collectively, make change to an issue of social injustice.
Course Components
Design Thinking for Social Change 1: Design Lens
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Introduction to Design Thinking for Social Change
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Introduction to your Instructor
in theLi10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Guest Voices
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
The Design Lens
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Innovation
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Creative Action
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Human-Centered Design
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Design is a Theory of Change
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Design Research
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Affordance and Social Change
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Seeing the World Through a Design Lens
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
A Historical Perspective on Design Discipline
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
The Origins of Design Thinking
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Design Wisdom for the Spiritual Seeker
10 MinutesLesson Locked
Design Thinking for Social Change 2: The Mindsets, Steps, Skills and Methods
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Mindsets, Steps, Skills and Methods
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
The Steps of Design Thinking
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
The Mindsets of Design Thinking
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Praxis and Practice
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 1 - Inspire
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 2 - Define
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 3 - Ideate
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 4 - Protype
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 5 - Test
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 6 - Reflect
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
The Mindsets of Designing for Social Change
10 MinutesLesson Locked
Design Thinking for Social Change 3: The Solo Practicum
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The Solo Practicum
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Getting Started
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Feedback, Critique, and Facilitation as Design Skills
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 1 - Inspire
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 2 - Define
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 3 - Ideate
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 4 - Prototype
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 5 - Test
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Step 6 - Reflect and Pitch
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
What's Next
10 MinutesLesson Locked
Design Thinking for Social Change 4 : The Collaborative Practicum
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Collaborative Practicum
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Collaborative Skills
10 MinutesLesson Locked -
Meet Your Studio Team
10 MinutesLesson Locked
Design Thinking for Social Change (Spring 2026)
Taught by Neil Goldberg
This course is for learners registered in the full-term PSR course, Design Thinking for Social Change.
Meet Your Instructor,
Neil Goldberg
Neil Goldberg, an Adjunct Professor at Pacific School of Religion, is a designer, entrepreneur, educator, and author with a passion for seeing human centered design applied with artisanal care to every kind of artifact of the human imagination – and to bring forward design as a framework for enlivened leadership. After starting his career with furniture maker Herman Miller, he brought the people centered innovation process he practiced there to Silicon Valley where he founded the design agency Praxis, and led multi-disciplinary teams developing award winning products. As an entrepreneur he founded WorkClub, the first co-working business operating on a subscription business model. He has also created ventures in digital photography, online print fulfillment and solar power.