Innovation Fellowship FAQs

Is there a cost to participate? 

There is no cost to participate at this time. 

Will I get paid to participate?

There is no stipend or payment for participation at this time.

Who are the facilitators sharing their hard-won design- and innovation-related wisdom with the next group of IFs?

The Works in Progress Studio is facilitated by Mira Azarm. Becoming a Design Thinker is facilitated by Erica Estrada-Liou and Brooke Smith. You can find their bios here.

Do I need to know much about innovation or consider myself "creative" to participate? Do I need prior experience with design thinking?

The answer to all of these questions is no! Many of us lose confidence in our creative abilities as we get older. You are creative. Trust us. Our goal is to bring it back into your life in a relevant and meaningful way.

Becoming a Design Thinker does not have a design thinking requirement. That doesn't mean you have to be a complete beginner: We've been told it's enjoyable to students at multiple levels of understanding and experience.

In the Works in Progress Studio, it's helpful, but not required, to have a basic awareness and understanding of design thinking, human-centered design, and/or UX/UI concepts. If you're not sure how you feel about this, we can work with with you to determine if you have enough experience to feel comfortable jumping in.

Which session should I join (i.e. Fall vs. Spring, BADT vs. WiPS)?

You can ultimately do both! If you have to choose, it's most important to consider your time commitments, learning goals, and how you want to feel during your experience.

• Becoming a Design Thinker (BADT) is currently only offered in the Spring. This is a space for you to nurture and cultivate your design thinking and collaboration skills and mindsets. Each week, you'll work with your team to apply a specific mindset, behavior, tool, or method to a design problem. The goal isn’t finding the “right” solution, it’s to leverage everyone’s perspectives to explore a problem from a human-centered perspective. The biggest takeaway from this experience is what you learn, not the outcome of the design project. There will be about 1 hour of outside work between the in-person sessions, which everyone is expected to complete prior to each session. . Past IFs have described the experience as stress-relieving, invigorating, and fun.
• The Works in Progress Studio (WiPS) is typically offered in the Fall and Spring. You can use the studio to dig deeper into specific project(s) that you're working on by using the tools, methods, etc. outlined in the in person sessions. You decide how much time you'll spend outside of the learning community sessions in 1:1s and fieldwork, knowing that you're ultimately responsible for meeting your own project milestones and deliverables. The learning community is supportive and provides a scaffold of accountability to help you move your work in productive — and intriguing — directions.

Whichever one(s) you join, you will need to attend all in-person meetings as specified in the curriculum.

What kind of projects should I/can I work on in the Works in Progress Studio?

It's a real-world (i.e. work-related or school-related) project or projects currently in progress that you're curious about exploring further. It can be something you've already started and are super excited to spend time on; something you feel stuck on; something you've been assigned to that you're hoping for inspiration on; or a series of small things that you're simply looking to dedicate some time, space, and new perspectives on.

A high-pressure project with a tight turnaround, picky client, and/or a solution already in mind is not an ideal one in this setting.

In the first couple weeks of the studio, we'll help you begin framing design problems; we can also help you brainstorm project ideas that would be suitable before the program starts if you'd find that helpful. 

Where did the Design Thinking Project Studio (DTPS) go?

The Work in Progress Studio (WiPS) is an updated incarnation of the Design Thinking Project Studio (DTPS) with the same essential structure and content. Even if you've previously participated in DTPS, you're welcome to join the WiPS, where you will benefit from getting reintroduced to design and innovation tools and methods, the flexibility to work on multiple projects at various stages, a different combination of Innovation Fellows in the learning community for support and accountability, and ongoing 1:1 coaching.

Meet past Innovation Fellows

Is there a way to attend the BADT in-person meetings or WiPS learning community sessions virtually?

Unfortunately, no. In AIE, we design learning experiences with great intention, whether in-person, virtual, hybrid, or asynchronous. The Innovation Fellowship in-person meetings are designed specifically to be in-person, meaning there's no comparable way to attend or "make up" any sessions that will be missed in some other format. 

If you know you will miss multiple sessions due to circumstances such as travel, work/school obligations, distance from UMD's campus, and/or personal preference, we want to be clear from the get-go that you are unlikely to get much value out of the Innovation Fellowship experience as it is currently designed.

How do I sign up and/or get more info?

Email mazarm@umd.edu with questions you have and/or to set up a time to discuss your goals, interests, and participation in upcoming IF offerings.