Curriculum Design Team
At iZone, we believe that creativity and problem-solving are essential tools for driving meaningful change. The Curriculum Design Team (CDT) brings this vision to life by developing dynamic learning experiences that empower students to think critically, collaborate effectively, and turn their ideas into action.
What sets CDT apart is our commitment to connection, visibility, and diversity in learning opportunities. We don’t just facilitate workshops; we craft tailored learning experiences that engage students from all disciplines, backgrounds, and skill levels. Whether through hands-on design challenges or interactive problem-solving sessions with student teams and organizations, CDT plays a pivotal role in shaping the innovation pipeline on campus.
Unlike traditional workshops, our approach provides personalized guidance to individuals and groups, helping them refine their ideas, tackle complex challenges, and bring their projects to life. We work closely with internal and external partners to bridge the gap between ideation and implementation, ensuring that every student has access to the tools, resources, and support needed to grow.
At our core, we continuously ask:
- How might we foster stronger connections with partners who share our commitment to creativity and problem-solving?
- How might we make our services more visible and accessible to students who need them most?
- How might we create more diverse learning experiences that amplify different perspectives and spark new ways of thinking?
Menu of Services:
Please review our menu of workshops to view our current offerings. To request a workshop for your team or class, complete the “Workshop Request Form.”
If you have any questions, please reach out to Samantha Monaghan, Curriculum Design Specialist, at smonaghan@library.rochester.edu.
Additional Resources:
At iZone, we believe creative problem-solving starts with the right tools. This collection of worksheets is designed to support workshops, brainstorming sessions, and other activities using creative problem-solving frameworks like Design Thinking and Systems Thinking. Each worksheet offers simple, flexible steps to help break down challenges, spark ideas, and encourage new ways of thinking.
These resources are made to be adaptable and easy to use, helping learners explore problems and design thoughtful, human-centered solutions. We hope they inspire creativity, collaboration, and confident action.
- Mastering Design Thinking
- Mastering Systems Thinking
- Brainwriting Worksheet
- Day in the Life Worksheet
- How Might We Worksheet
- Identity Pie Worksheet
- User Persona Worksheet
- Why? What’s Stopping Me? Worksheet
iZones CASC Classes:
Currently offered in Spring 2025:
CASC 160 From Ideas to Action
2.0 credit hours
Problems worth solving are usually complex, messy, and difficult to define. Design Thinking is a creative toolkit for navigating the world’s toughest challenges by stimulating curiosity and empathy-building. In this fast-paced, hands-on course, you will learn to identify real human needs, design creative solutions, and quickly bring your ideas to life with a diverse team. You’ll learn how to cultivate empathy, frame problems, and generate creative ideas, gradually building towards human-centered solutions that address problems on campus and in your own life.
CASC 161 Building Impactful Ideas
2.0 credit hours
In this action-oriented, community-facing course, you’ll work directly with community partners in the City of Rochester and Monroe County to develop solutions to a pressing local problem. With a team, you will use human-centered Systems Thinking (an innovation methodology that helps designers zoom in and out to understand the challenges they aim to address holistically) to develop and lead a workshop for community partners, teaching them how to apply human-centered Systems Thinking to find unique solutions to a community need. This experience will empower you with problem-solving tools that can be immediately applied to challenges on campus, in your communities, and beyond. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with local decision-makers.
CASC 162 Creative Confidence
2.0 credit hours
Why does “creative confidence” matter, regardless of your major or career aspirations? Creativity unlocks our capacity for innovation, problem-solving, and discovery. This course will empower you to build your creative confidence and develop your creative problem-solving practice. You will collaborate with others to explore various creative problem-solving skills and models and employ what you’ve learned to solve problems that exist in everyday life. Models include but are not limited to Creative Problem-Solving, Design Thinking, and Systems Thinking. This course can be used as a tool for self-discovery, helping us understand our creative selves and enhance our creative capacity.
CASC 164 Creative Facilitation
2.0 credit hours
Creative facilitation is the process of guiding a group through the journey of clarifying problems, generating ideas, and developing innovative solutions. To do this effectively, we need to use tools and techniques that promote open dialogue and critical thinking. In this course, students will explore the characteristics of a creative environment, as well as gain an understanding of the best practices for facilitating sessions that encourage active participation and inspire creativity for the team with which they are working, whether it's in meetings, workshops,
We are always seeking opportunities to collaborate with community partners to enrich our courses. This could include speaking in a class session, attending a student-led workshop, or sharing your expertise on a specific challenge or tool. If you are interested in getting involved, reach out to Samantha Monaghan (smonaghan@library.rochester.edu).
Testimonials
“iZone has been a valuable partner in many of my class activities centered around empathy and listening in the design process. iZone has helped our undergraduates engage in brainstorming and communication with a playful approach, giving them permission to make mistakes and iterate on their ideas. I have seen their student staff grow and evolve as they take on more responsibilities, and absolutely love it when I see a former student leading a workshop. Having a space to play with design has been invaluable for Digital Media Studies program.” Kristana Textor, Lecturer, Digital Media Studies
"We collaborate with iZone to empower students through design thinking workshops that transform ideas into reality. Their expertise has been instrumental in guiding our pre-college students as they develop VR projects and supporting participants in our game jam as they refine and shape their concepts." Meg Moody, Assistant Director of The Mary Ann Mavrinac Studio X
“CASC 161 significantly improved my systems thinking, design thinking, and innovation skills, equipping me with various approaches to tackle challenges. I learned how to break down complex challenges using multiple methods within systems thinking. CASC 161 not only enhanced my problem-solving skills but also made my decision-making skills more tuned.” Thiloginy (Thilo) Sathiaseelan, ’25
“CASC 162 strengthened my creative confidence by effectively combining theory and practice. Through engaging with both conceptual frameworks and hands-on activities, I learned to approach real-world problems with creativity, openness, and innovative thinking." Shuge (Stephanie) Wang, ‘25
