Startup Studio
COGS 122 Startup Studio (Spring 2024)
Attention entrepreneurs, designers, scientists and engineers! In this course, students will learn tools and processes for innovating novel business concepts to solve problems involving the interaction between humans and technology. Students will work with an interdisciplinary team to understand unmet user needs and to create a value proposition that balances technical feasibility, financial viability, and desirability. Ultimately, student teams will prototype a novel product or service, write a business plan, and produce a video suitable for launching a crowdfunding campaign. To inform the innovation process, students will learn new techniques for leveraging social media and crowdsourcing to discover users' needs and to obtain feedback on preliminary concepts. Selected readings will cover ubiquitous computing, service design, business modeling, creativity methods, crowdsourcing, and crowdfunding.
Instructor: Prof. Steven Dow (office hours 12-1pm on Fridays in DIB 365 or zoom)
TA: Lu Sun (office hours TBD)
IAs: Bella Hardy, Cindy Peng, and Sina Radi
Lectures: Tu/Th from 11:00-12:20pm (DIB 122)
Studio: Fridays at 9-9:50pm (DIB 121)
Final showcase: Tues June 11 at 11:30am-2:30pm (DIB 122)
Learning Objectives
Students will learn how to adopt an attitude of trial and error. How to be a lean startup. How to alternate between exploration and focus. How to reframe problems and explore/refine design solutions. Students will learn to conduct productive design critiques and interviews with potential stakeholders.
Leverage the internet for research, ideation, and feedback. Students will learn how to use Web-based resources — including online collections, Web search, LLMs, Web analytics, crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, and social media — to inform and drive an innovation process. How to collect feedback online. How to conduct an A-B test.
Articulate value for a startup concept. Students will learn about innovating services and products within an existing market. They will learn how to assess and communicate a value proposition, how to conduct a competitive analysis, how to brand a startup concept, and how to pitch an idea through writing, presentations, and video.
Course Topics
Mobile information services, app design, product design
Divergent thinking, brainstorming, generating alternatives
Value propositions, business models
Needfinding, interviewing, analyzing social media
Synthesis techniques and problem framing
Storytelling, storyboarding, and video production
Prototyping/blueprinting for service design
Crowdsourcing, web analytics, A-B testing, AI tools
Course History
Startup Studio originated as a course called Mobile Service Innovation developed by Prof. Steven Dow, Prof. Jim Morris, and Prof. John Zimmerman at Carnegie Mellon University. Prof. Dow taught this course for several years CMU on the semester system and has now adopted it for UC's quarter system.
Teaching Team
Prof. Steven Dow (spdow@ucsd.edu) is Associate Professor of Cognitive Science at UC San Diego where he researches human-computer interaction, social computing, and creativity. Steven received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2015 for research on "advancing collective innovation." He was co-PI on five other National Science Foundation grants, a Google Faculty Grant, Stanford's Postdoctoral Research Award, and the Hasso Plattner Design Thinking Research Grant. Before UCSD, Steven was an Assistant Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University. He holds an MS and PhD in Human-Centered Computing from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a BS in Industrial Engineering from University of Iowa.
TA Lu Sun is a PhD candidate in Cognitive Science at UC San Diego. Her research focuses on human-AI interaction and social computing. She received her master’s degree from the HCI Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor degree in Telecommunication Engineering from China. She enjoys playing the violin and dancing. She is excited to TA this quarter and she is looking forward to meeting everyone in this fascinating class!
IA Bella Hardy is pursuing a major in Cognitive Science with a Design, and Interaction specialization, with a minor in Computer Science. I thoroughly enjoy designing and constructing websites for small businesses, and I eagerly anticipate entering the industry in the near future. In my spare time, I operate a photography business and volunteer for CSForeach, a club dedicated to providing equal opportunities to underrepresented communities in the San Diego area.
IA Cindy Peng is a 4th-year student majoring in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Design and Interaction and Business Psychology. In my free time, I enjoy painting, drawing, reading, playing piano, and hanging out with my cat (a 3 yr old Tabby shorthair). Ask me anything about research, internships w/ Startups, recommended COGS/PSYC/MGT classes, or grad school applications, and more!
IA Sina Radi is an undergraduate alumni of Cognitive Science, Design & Interaction. He has experience with multiple startups, leading large teams, having had great guidance from the Institute for the Global Entrepreneur’s NSF/MedTech. He enjoys reading about new technology news, and loves keeping up with online design communities as well as with biophilic architecture.
Past Startup Studio Projects
Spring 2024 Projects
Transform aspirations into actions with Hobbee, an app that leverages community support, progress tracking, and professional guidance to cultivate hobbies.
Roleplay financial futures with Gold Leaf. Play to learn how to make millions and be smarter with money.
Size Studio offers personalized 3D body measurements at retail stores, guaranteeing flawless fits for future online orders.
SkillNest supports intergenerational bonds through life-skill workshops hosted by seniors for younger people.
Skip the layover snooze. Pivotour offers personalized local tours from the airport and back in time for the next flight.
EdVenture is a VR learning platform where users learn skills through interactive, immersive classes taught by live instructors.
Linksphere is a crowdfunding platform that helps homeless individuals get back on their feet, while ensuring accountability and transparency for donors.
Connect globally, thrive locally. i-Hub helps international students seamlessly transition to life in a new country through cultural training and mentorship.
SummitSphere revolutionizes the conference experience by offering dynamic recommendations powered by indoor location sensing.
Pupal AI generates visual representations of complex academic papers, enhancing accessibility for students and researchers.
Spring 2023 Projects
The Bijoux Digital Locket combines elegance, technology, and heartfelt communication to help loved ones stay connected, no matter the distance.
This Clover connects locals with a curated selection of eco-conscious vendors, fostering sustainable living and encouraging active community engagement.
Jimoto, a travel planning and social networking app that brings together people, places, and endless possibilities.
Looking For Team: Your path to Esports success; the first social networking platform for Esports.
Green To Go is an online marketplace for food enterprises that provides sustainable packaging recommendations and climate score cards to better inform eco-conscious customers.
Reinventing Digital Identity with Avatire: a cross-platform, AI-powered avatar creator
PlanetPal, an AI assistant that helps people make sustainable lifestyle changes by generating personalized action plans, tracking progress over time, and visualizing the collective impact.
oowls connects families with verified gig-workers for personalized, on-demand senior care – empowering loved ones to support the health, safety, and social well-being of aging family members.
Munch is an advanced AI powered nutrition app that utilizes real-time health biometrics and pantry inventory to suggest recipes for nourishment and well-being.
Plauto: Streamline project scheduling with AI language models, enabling dynamic and personalized planning with ease.
TeamFactor helps exemplary interview candidates get discovered by employers based on automated assessments of online small group problem-solving sessions.
Optimize workouts with Activaband, the first smart wristband system that leverages AI to evaluate real-time performance and generate personalized workout plans.
Spring 2022 Projects
Leverages AI assistance to help form supportive friendships and to provide interactive, science-based, personalized lessons about mental health.
Scans websites and prototypes to identify accessibility issues in order for businesses to reach a larger customer base.
Centralizes the immigration process by providing a collection of resources, connections to immigration lawyers, and access to an online community.
Be Canny! Find places to eat out with friends or by yourself within your budget. Never be afraid of losing out on social events due to cost with our money management app.
Helps you crowdfund your healthcare and housing needs anonymously. Protect your identity, while telling your story.
Make use of deals and plan activities with our app to stay tight knit with friends.
Provides up-to-date, verified accessibility information about local businesses and public institutions.
Stay safe with WalkBuddy, a personal safety app providing instant help from crisis responders, AI-generated safe routes, and walking companions.
Set goals, learn green habits, and connect with your community to contribute to a thriving biome and witness your impact with Habit@.
Connects professionals with interviewees to help them prepare for upcoming job interviews through mock interviews and career coaching.
Collaboratively plan trips using our easy-to-use editor and meet new friends along the way.
Fall 2020 Projects
Be SAVVY. Save money by discovering fun and COVID-safe experiences with your friends or colleagues
Transforms the online grocery shopping experience to help consumers reduce food waste by tracking expiration dates and recommending recipes to avoid excess.
A free video chat and casual gaming experience that helps you meet friends and fellow gamers.
A virtual dating experience that help singles safely move towards in-person dates.
Guides junior designers in their career through online portfolio critiques and industry mentorship.
Allows businesses to better serve disabled customers and avoid lawsuits by providing resources to quickly report and solve ADA violations
Walk n’ Learn. Learn geography, history, and culture through an augmented reality walking experience that rewards exploration!
Winter 2018
Helps refugees share their hardships and hopes, and allows donors to send money directly to families in need.
Utilizes local resources to create a rapid-response network in communities by connecting those who want to help with those who need help during natural disasters.
A platform that aims to leverage the unique talents of individuals skilled in a particular field and other businesses looking to collaborate on cohesively developed products and services.
Connects patients with mental health professionals working independently to provide on-demand care.
Helps travelers plan their trips by generating custom itineraries within a set budget, which they can then order as a packaged deal.
A peer-to-peer storage solution that will allow you to find cheap, convenient storage so you don't have to lug your stuff around.
Spring 2017
Spring 2016
Spring 2015 and earlier
Connects individuals who need help learning new technologies with tech savvy mentors through community workshops.
Missing a great event because no one wants to go? Create new social connections around events! Find new friends and buy tickets for concerts, sports, and shows. Kickstarter Team Folder Video
Discover where your creativity unfolds with an app that helps creative individuals find inspiring places to innovate.
Makes travel planning fun and easy by allowing globetrotters to collaboratively discover and adopt travel itineraries from others.
Helps runners and other athletes connect with new workout partners, enter challenges together, and motivate active lifestyles.
Offers fast and cheap shipping from local retailers by opportunistically enlisting other shoppers as delivery drivers.
Allows people to pay for parking through their mobile phone. It works by scanning a QR code that would automatically pair their car to the spot until they returned....more
Has two main functions: polling and betting. The user purchases a team's season that he wishes to follow and participate in polls and bets happening throughout the game. ...more
Rwanda Headlines provides news items to cell phone users in a place where newspapers are expensive and television rare. ...more
