Sign up for updates. Be part of our community.

Human Centered Design Sprint

8-week course for Philadelphia high schoolers to learn how to design apps

A woman with a black shirt instructs a teenage boy wearing a lab coat with a STEM project

Human Centered Design Sprint

Students will learn and practice key design skills that are also applicable to other types of design. This program is a great fit for any student who enjoys tech, design, and mobile apps.

In this project-based course, students will identify a problem to be solved and then design a human-centered technology solution (app or otherwise) that will help solve the issue.

Curriculum Collaborator

Dave Royer

Skills & Topics

User testing, mobile app development, storyboarding, design-thinking principals, Figma, Canva

Careers highlighted

UX Designer, UI Designer

Student fit

This program is a great fit for any student who enjoys tech, design, and mobile apps.

Mentor fit

This program is a great fit for any professional who has experience in: UX Design, Mobile App or Web Design.

Past Internship sites

RightOn Education

Questions?

Learning goals:
  • A foundational understanding of sustainable and regenerative design
  • Understand product life cycles and the concept of the Circular Economy
  • A foundational understanding of design principles (conceptualization, prototyping, testing, etc)
  • Understand major biodesign themes (biomaterials, microbiology, genetic engineering, synthetic biology)
Practical take-aways:
  • Ability to visually represent concepts (sketches, renders)
  • Ability to speak confidently about the project and biodesign themes
  • Ability to communicate within a team and within the broader context of a community
  • Finished prototype/demo for portfolio
  • Certificate of completion

Student projects

FirstHand Sprints are collaborations between industry mentors and FirstHand.

Each curriculum is co-designed and co-delivered by the mentors and the FirstHand team to reflect the skills and topics of the emerging industry while centering the needs of Philadelphia students. Sprints range from 16-36 hours of instruction time, occurring outside of regular school hours.

how to participate:
  • Students are selected through an application process
  • Open to all Philadelphia high school students
Why you should participate:
  • Sprints are FREE and participating students will earn a stipend!
  • Sprints offer an opportunity for high school students to connect with credentials and internships.

Interested in being a FirstHand Mentor?

Inspire the next generation of STEM professionals by serving as a mentor to our FirstHand students. Our mentors are scientists, designers, entrepreneurs, and engineers, but we welcome mentors with all types of backgrounds and skill sets.

Find out how
A female graphic designer instructs a teenage boy and girl with their designs on their laptops