Northern’s SISU Innovation Institute will hold two linked events this week on consecutive days, both teaching concepts of design thinking. On Wednesday, March 16, an Introduction to Design Thinking Micro-Credential Course will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Northern Center Ballroom. On Thursday, March 17, there will be a design thinking workshop which will take place from 2 to 4 p.m., also in the Northern Center Ballroom.

Design thinking is a concept relating to user experiences and can be applied by artists, programmers, scientists and entrepreneurs alike, according to the Interaction Design Foundation.

The micro-credential course will be taught by SISU Scholar and Executive Director Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) da Vinci Center for Innovation Garret Westlake. Attendees will receive credentials from SISU and VCU for participating in the 90-minute class. Interested students are encouraged to RSVP via a survey.

The workshop, also led by Westlake, will involve exercises aimed at envisioning what NMU might be like in the future and the university’s potential in areas of the arts. Prospective participants can RSVP here.

“As you build your skills for a future career, you also have to juggle the reality that you may be getting a job that doesn’t even exist yet,” according to the NMU Event Calendar. “If this is the case, how might we envision college programs that provide the skills necessary to gain a job while also preparing students for an agile, innovative future?”