This course is designed to teach students how to apply UX/UI design principles to real-world sustainability challenges. Collaborating with climate tech startups in NYC, students get hands-on experience in creating sustainability solutions in domains such as energy, waste, and carbon. By the end of the course, students will have practical experience in using design thinking to address complex sustainability challenges. They will also learn how to partner with startup founders, pitch investors, and create an end-to-end UX case study that showcases their skills and achievements.

This course is intended to integrate the design skills and point of view of Parsons Communication Design students in order to create children's books for the social enterprise, DERT. The class will participate with the social venture in their efforts to create, publish and provide books and learning tools to children's literacy programs. Students will work with DERT as contributing designers to transform classic stories into marketable on-demand books that are activated as fundraising and donation products. The class will work with DERT to create books targeted to children and their families, as well as young adults. DERT’s social mission is to ensure that all children identify as readers — by having access to books and being read to on a regular basis. Reading together is vital for all children through their preschool years and beyond. DERT publishes a unique line of books and learning tools designed to engage families in reading through all stages of life. DERT is on a mission to encourage reading and learning by inspiring barbers to be literacy advocates and activating barbershops into reading friendly spaces, and as venues to encourage reading together at home. The class will also partner with the communication design firm TODA, with team members being active in the classes development of their book products, participating in class presentations and critique reviews. Beyond students' work in designing book products, the class will focus on research, process, concepting, design execution, teamwork and presentation skills.