The Innovation and Design Club at Chicago Booth is creating its first design thinking competition that brings together top talent students across the University of Chicago with different backgrounds. Groups of students will tackle a real-world problem while learning about the design thinking process. The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), which aims to enrich Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy, is the competition’s official sponsor and will be providing a problem for the student teams to solve. Teams will have access to dedicated coaching and support by business and design professionals, and will learn how to build prototypes and iterate to improve their solutions. Teams will present their ideas in front of a panel of judges at an event on May 17 that is open to the public. Each team will be judged primarily on the depth of user insights they uncovered and the progress they made through iteration. Prizes will be awarded to the top teams.

This event is part of UChicago Innovation Fest 2019, a month-long celebration of pioneering discovery and entrepreneurial endeavors at the University of Chicago. Organized by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the series of events, workshops and accelerator programs, including the globally recognized Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge, highlights the breadth and impact of innovation at UChicago in the areas of entrepreneurship and research commercialization, scientific advancements, and social and global impact. This year’s Innovation Fest will take place May 1-June 9, 2019. For more information, visit innofest.uchicago.edu.