The entire sophomore class tackled a design challenge to reimagine the 21st century library to learn foundational skills in ethnographic interviewing, brainstorming solutions, and building prototypes to get early user feedback. 

Students applied their ethnographic interviewing skills to uncover an authentic need in the world that intersected a team passion and a set of abilities they possessed to deliver on the need.

Students spent three months doing design research, interviewing their user group, hosting sessions to get feedback on prototypes, and fleshing out a rough business plan. Teams advanced based on rigor of concept and commitment to the idea.

The finalists gave a 7-minute pitch to a panel of Silicon Valley VCs and seasoned entrepreneurs, including a live demo of their concept, its value proposition, analysis of the competitive landscape and proposed revenue model.