Category Archives: University

Seeing Organizations – How do you teach?

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Skip Walter

Several years ago, David Socha and I wrote an article “Is Designing Software Different From Designing Other Things?” In the article I shared my Chris Alexander “Ah Hah” moment about designing better software products: “Successful software design processes include an … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Design, Human Centered Design, Innovation, Knowledge Management, Learning, organizing, Teaching, University, User Experience, Working in teams | 2 Comments

Reflecting on Effectual Entrepreneuring Pedagogy

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Skip Walter

I have the privilege of teaching a great group of Human Centered Design and Engineering graduate students at the University of Washington in the course “Designing a Human Centered Venture.” Last week in our eighth class of the quarter I … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Design, Human Centered Design, Teaching, University, User Experience, Working in teams | 5 Comments

Review of Empirical Research Through Design

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Skip Walter

Design Research is one of those quirky phrases that I have a difficult time parsing.  Does design research mean that I am doing research on design (itself a tricky word as demonstrated in an article I co-wrote on “Is designing … Continue reading →

Posted in Attenex Patterns, Content with Context, Design, Human Centered Design, University | Leave a comment

Graduate Students – Best Knowledge Transfer System

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Skip Walter

Way too many sleeps ago, Russ Ackoff shared that the best information retrieval system and best knowledge transfer system was the collection of graduate students that worked with him at Penn’s Wharton School. “Every morning when I come into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Attenex Patterns, Content with Context, Human Centered Design, Knowledge Management, Learning, Software Development, University, Wine | 4 Comments

“We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Skip Walter

The buzz around badges is heating up in the educational environment. Whenever I hear badges, I immediately think of the old western movie where the hombre exclaims “We don’t need no stinkin’ badges.” Cathy Davidson has a thoughtful post on … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Curation, Design, ebook, Human Centered Design, Innovation, Learning, Teaching, Transactive Content, University, User Experience | 3 Comments

Search and you shall receive

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Skip Walter

Sometimes we are so close to technological advances that we forget what an amazing world we’ve created for ourselves. I was reminded of this world of magic when I set out to search for my deceased uncle’s EdD dissertation. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Curation, Knowledge Management, University, User Experience | 2 Comments

Software Practice – A PaineFull Discussion

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Skip Walter

One of the joys of teaching graduate school is getting to interact with bright young HCDE PhD students. Recently, I’ve been able to spend quality time with Drew Paine, a software engineering graduate of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Drew reminded … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Design, Human Centered Design, Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Management, Learning, Software Development, Teaching, University, User Experience | 2 Comments

Know Thyself – UW Bothell Innovation Forum

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Skip Walter

In his opening remarks at the closing session of the week long Innovation Forum at UW Bothell, University of Washington President Michael Young observed “universities are great at shining the bright light of research on all aspects of the world … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation, Intellectual Capital, Learning, Teaching, University, WUKID | 2 Comments

Who’s Watching the Scientists?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Skip Walter

“Look at the top 10 images for scientists that show up on Google” presented Carrie Tzou as she introduced the session at the UW Bothell Innovation Forum Tic Talk on STEM Education. As we all had a good laugh, Carrie asked what … Continue reading →

Posted in Citizen, Health Care, Innovation, Learning, organizing, Teaching, University, User Experience, Values, WUKID | 2 Comments

Idealized Design Qualities for a University

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Skip Walter

In many ways our universities are a four hundred year old anachronism.  In the last twenty years with the expansion of the Internet for content, connections, and communications, the world of learning is in a different state.  As Brynjolfsson and … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Human Centered Design, Idealized Design, Innovation, Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Management, Learning, organizing, Teaching, University, User Experience | Leave a comment