From MOOC Napkin Sketch to Kickstarter HCDE MS STUDENT WINS MOHAI INNOVATION CHALLENGE In Fall 2013, HCDE Master’s student Kali Kuwada participated in an HCDE Directed Research Group (led by faculty members Cindy Atman, Jennifer Turns,
and Andy Davidson) to study the effectiveness of design-based Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Through the Directed Research Group, Kuwada enrolled
in the MOOC “Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society,” taught by Dr. Karl Ulrich of the University of Pennsylvania, where she sketched an innovative concept for kitchen compost storage. She submitted her rough sketch of “Compost Caddy” to Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) Napkin Sketch Innovation Challenge, and won— receiving legal advice, a provisional patent, and $500 on Kickstarter from MOHAI to bring her idea to life. Kuwada, advised by Professor Beth Kolko, spent the next several months researching and testing compostable materials and estimating a project budget. Next, she will meet with a patent attorney and begin the Kickstarter funding process. Kuwada described the process as a huge learning experience and thanks her Directed Research Group/MOOC instructors and MOHAI for their support helping
14 KALI KUWADA’S WINNING SUBMISSION TO MOHAI’S NAPKIN SKETCH INNOVATION CHALLENGE
to bring “Compost Caddy” to life. Kuwada’s goal in completing the HCDE MS degree is to develop solutions to improve educational, health, and environmental efforts. In summer 2014, she will intern at the Seattle-based global health organization PATH as a UX Intern. Her team will work on creating an app for healthcare workers in lowresource areas of Ghana and India to help diagnose and treat childhood pneumonia.