1. CoLABorations:
Creative Entrepreneurship and
Design Thinking through Cross
Campus Partnerships
Jennifer A. Reis
Arts Entrepreneurship Minor Program
Morehead State University
Morehead Kentucky

2. CoLABorations: Creative
Entrepreneurship and Design
Thinking through Cross Campus
Partnerships
Innovate: Intro to Creativity and Design
a course focused on
creative ideation across disciplines within a marketplace context
“Amazing products and inventions were created in a
classroom with only 40 students. Could you imagine if
every college student had to take this class? The world
would change!”
student testimonial

3. CoLABorations
- Prologue: The Context
- Ch. 1: The Charge
- Ch. 2: The Course
- Ch. 3: Lessons Learned
- Epilogue: Student Testimonials

4. Prologue: The Context
Support for STEM, Not So Much for Art & Design
Applied Engineering and Technology Studios
(industrial 3D printers, CNC routers, welding
studio and wood shop – oh my!)
Semi Barren Sculpture Studio

5. Prologue: The Context
STEM Craft Academy established Fall 2015
A residential dual credit high school with a curricular focus of
Regional Engagement + Entrepreneurship + Art/Design

6. Chapter I: The Charge
- Serve on the “Craft Academy Curriculum Committee” as “art/design”
faculty.
- Develop a 200 level course to satisfy “Art and Design” component of
curriculum that would be relevant to STEM students of high school age.
- AND a mixed bag of actual art and design majors plus a number of
Engineering Technology students as well.
- Teach it to 40 people. Somewhere.
- Find an engineering faculty willing to engage in a team teaching
experiment.
- Find an administrator willing (and enthusiastic!) to invite the “art” people in.
- Embed the course within a different curricular culture – and change
student thinking.

7. Chapter I: The Charge
- Develop a course named “Innovate: Intro to Creativity and Design”
- That would be team taught with Dr. Nilesh Joshi         
- In the *brand new* 21st Century Center for Manufacturing Systems @ MSU
- To develop a relationship of collaboration between disciplines, cultures & facilities
- To pattern in our students
- DESIGN THINKING
- EMPATHY TO A REGIONAL TARGET AUDIENCE
- ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILL SETS
- COLLABORATIVE IDEATION METHODS
- PITCHING ABILITIES
- To make the connection that WE ARE ALL MAKERS WITHIN A MARKETPLACE

8. Chapter 2: The Course
Course: “Innovate: Intro to Creativity and Design”
40 students in a computer lab. 50% STEM (high school), 30% A&D, 20% STEM (college)
Personnel: Jennifer Reis, Instructor of Record and Curricular Leader
Dr. Nilesh Joshi, CAD/3D Printing Professor
Cody Garcia, teaching assistant for SolidWorks and 3D Print Tech Support

9. Chapter 2: The Course
Project Based Learning - Student Learner Outcomes:
- UTILIZATION OF DESIGN THINKING
- INTERACTION WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILL SETS
- PARTICIPATION IN COLLABORATIVE and INDIVIDUAL
IDEATION METHODS
- EXPERIENCE IN PITCHING
- COMPETENCE IN BASIC 3D CAD MODELING
(SolidWorks)
IDEO is the exemplar
Makers is the textbook
Objectified film sets the stage

10. Chapter 2: The Course
Pre-Project Prep:
Mental/Creative Flexibility & Case
Studies
- Creativity Exercises:
Vase/Face, Blind Contour,
Exquisite Corpse
- 30 Circles Activity
- “Meet Your Maker” Research &
Presentations
- Individual Ideation Activity –
think of problem, draw a solution.
- Team Ideation Activity – think
of problems, pick a problem,
draw a solution and pitch it.
- Product/Marketplace Business
Model Canvas Case Study using
BACtrack.

11. Chapter 2: The Course
Project 1: Introduction to CAD
modeling with SolidWorks and
3D Rapid Prototyping equipment

12. Chapter 2: The Course
Project 2: Utilize Individual Design Thinking to Learn Ideation
Process (What’s the Problem?); Individual Concept Using CAD
to Create & Pitching Concept (class voted on top 10 to be
printed)

13. Chapter 2: The Course
Project 3: Team Design Thinking, Concept Using CAD to Create &
Make (multi part assembly), Project Based Research
(STEM/design/marketplace), Business Model Canvas Structured
Presentations

14. Chapter 2: The Course
Project 3: Team Design Thinking, Concept Using CAD to Create &
Make (multi part assembly), Project Based Research
(STEM/design/marketplace), Business Model Canvas Structured
Presentations

15. Chapter 2: The Course
Project 3: Team Design Thinking, Concept Using CAD to Create &
Make (multi part assembly), Project Based Research
(STEM/design/marketplace), Business Model Canvas Structured
Presentations

16. Chapter 3: Lessons Learned
Administrative Logistics:
Allies who are genuinely interested –
Asst. Dean, Faculty and Student Support.
Make sure there’s a tech person available,
committed, who actually has experience
working the equipment.
Use the pilot as a jumping off point to have
more “toy sharing” within a structured
course context – like a welding studio, wood
shop, rapid prototyping – same curricular
model, different tools/media.

17. Chapter 3: Lessons Learned
Teaching Issues:
Emphasizing broad strokes of the class: design thinking for individual and
collaborative ideation, empathy to regional community issues, entrepreneurial skill
sets.
Clarify that the class is “project based learning” over and over again. Creative
disciplines/majors are used to making as learning. Not so much for STEM. Have
lots of exemplars handy in your head for students to illustrate Design Thinking (Fit
Bit).
Loosening up STEM students with creativity exercises. Tightening empathy focus
in creation process for Art & Design students (ceramic student example).
Make the connection that WE ARE ALL MAKERS WITHIN A
MARKETPLACE regardless of the media/discipline.

18. Epilogue: Student testimonials
For me being a graphic designer I have the IDEO model into
some of my personal projects I use. It has honestly made the
“brainstorming” process a little easier because it allows me to
see what is out there in order to make my clients project different
from others out there. It also allows me to “prototype” what they
are looking for and present it to them and get their feedback in
order to make the project what they want to see.
Jeri, A&D student

19. Epilogue: Student testimonials
I think the class allowed me to see my STEM classes with a
different lens. Normally the other STEM focused classes seem
very straight forward and black and white, but I think the class
allowed me to see that there’s a lot more going into it than just
numbers and formulas. And numbers and formulas are great
technically, but there’s so much more you need to be a successful
engineer or scientist or whatever.
Lauren, STEM student

20. Epilogue: Student testimonials
I learned that entrepreneurship can begin with a broad idea that
may encompass a large market and then using the business
model canvas to map out the idea in terms of marketing and
feasibility. The BMC really allowed me to thoroughly plan and
somewhat create the idea before actually making and following
through with the processes of getting a product out into the
market.
Adam, A&D student

21. Epilogue: Student testimonials
I learned that a business is a lot just more than the advertising. In
order to effectively create a business, you must have completely
thought out everything that an investor could ask.
This class isn’t something that should be taken lightly.
Amazing products and inventions were created
in a classroom with only 40 students.
Could you imagine if every college student had to take this class?
The world would change!
Julie, STEM student

22. Questions?
Jennifer A. Reis
Arts Entrepreneurship Minor Program
Morehead State University
j.reis@moreheadstate.edu