Interactive Media and Business (IMBX-SHU)

Design Your NYU Shanghai is a first-year course to help you make the most out of your college experience. You'll be introduced to design thinking as a creative approach to explore majors and interests, craft global opportunities, and engage in intercultural connections. This action-oriented course uses rapid prototyping and reflection activities to ignite personal growth as you navigate this transformative time of your life. Fulfillment: General Elective.

Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: general elective.

Students are introduced to design thinking as a tool to make the most out of their NYUSH collegiate experience and prototype meaningful opportunities offered by NYU's Global Network. This course will use rapid prototyping methods to test out academic, career, and creative interests throughout the semester. Class discussions will explore topics such as wayfinding, purpose of college, reflective practice, as well as hearing global experiences from students and alumni.   Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB elective.

“How would you like to pay?” A simple question may provoke diversified answers in the digital age. The financial applications of digital technologies, or so-called fintechs have engendered many alternative forms such as QR codes, mobile apps, and Bitcoin for financial activities including payment, loans, and investment. What technologies make these innovations possible? What are the aesthetic norms embedded in fin-tech app designs? How do the fin-tech companies interact with banks, policy-makers, and regulators? While Ant Financial and Tencent Finance make China the leader of fin-tech innovation, how does the global map of fin-tech innovation look like? After all, how have fin-techs re-shaped people’s everyday life, and perhaps will reform human being? Through a weekly three-hour meeting, this course is to make sense of fin-techs from a wide variety of perspectives. Integrating lectures with workshops and company visits, this course will equip students with critical thinking and practical skills that allow them to dialogue with various actors, such as computer programmers, project managers, investors, as well as academic intellectuals. Prerequisite: Junior Standing. Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB elective; Business and Finance Major Non-Finance Electives; Business and Marketing Major Non-Marketing Electives.

This course is for anyone who wants to be involved in technology innovations --- not only inventors, but everyone who is interested in initiating, implementing, translating, and commercializing technology innovations. It will introduce the full process for the identification, invention, and implementation of new technologies. The lectures will address three major components of the innovation process: Needs finding and screening, Concept generating and screening, and Strategy development and business planning. With case studies on innovative products from around the world, successes and failures, practical advice, and 'Getting Started' discussions, students are encouraged to learn from real projects. The brainstorm sessions and group projects are designed to encourage students to apply important lessons to their own ideas. At the end of this course, students will gain a deep understanding of the entire technology innovation process and start work in developing or using technology innovations. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB elective.

The traditional understanding of media industries reminds us of mass media such as TV, radio, newspaper etc. Digital technologies, however have reshaped how media is made, consumed, and comprehended by increasingly fragmented audience groups. Self-made public accounts, search-based video streaming platforms, and social media apps refreshed our vision of media and challenged the existing ways of running a successful media. How to develop a thorough understanding of the rapidly changing market? This course is an introduction to the media industries, with a particular focus on the institutional forces (i.e., market structures, law and regulation, technological advancement, and audience dynamics) that shape the content and forms of emerging media. Combining lectures and guest talks, this class will make sense of the key concepts, professional terms, and business logics embedded in the production and operation of the global media industries. Furthermore, we will take case studies approach to examining the economic and social influences of media companies in specific contexts, particularly China, U.S., and U.K. These knowledge, together with the analytical skills that the students will acquire through in-class discussions, will allow them to comprehend and cope with the interplay among technology, market forces, and regulators in a wide array of media companies, including television, film, news, social media, video streaming, and the media-related tech businesses. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB Business Flexible core course.

Innovation Lab is a foundational, intensive project-driven course where students explore current challenges and opportunities at the intersections of emerging media and innovation through the lenses of design, prototyping and innovation. The course helps students understand how these high-level concepts intersect with skills to form the basis for new applications of technology and human industrial art in business contexts and beyond. At the end of this course students will be able to think critically and holistically about not only what makes innovations possible but will also how to utilize emerging media technologies and ideas to bring innovations into the world that respect and acknowledge the values of design, iteration and innovation. Prerequisite: None Fulfillment: IMB Foundation course; IMA elective.

This class is based on the entrepreneurship methodology of Steve Blank, "The Lean Launchpad" with some changes to adapt it to our specific circumstances. The methodology enables to test and develop business models based on querying and learning from customers. This is a practical class – essentially a lab. Our goal, within the constraints of a limited amount of time, is to help you find a repeatable and scalable business methodology for your startup. This will allow you to build a company with substantially less money and in a shorter amount of time than using traditional methods. Rapidly iterate your product to build something people actually want. You will build minimum viable products (MVPs) weekly to avoid hypotheticals and get real customer feedback that you can use to iterate (small adjustments) or pivot (substantive changes) faster. Prerequisite:‌ ‌Junior to Senior only (exceptions granted on a case by case basis). Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB elective.

Business success requires being different. To succeed, a business needs to stand out from the competition. This is the fundamental challenge facing the business strategist. In this course, we will develop a four-way framework to help us think differently and better and become better business strategists. The four components of the framework (4 C’s) are: strategy from contrast, strategy from combination, strategy from constraint, and strategy from context. We will examine many examples of great business strategies of each of these four types, and we will also use this framework to help us generate entirely new strategies. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: Business major elective; IMB Business elective; IMA/B elective for the IMB major.

Design Thinking is a theoretical, methodological and practical framework that has the potential of bringing about socially responsible innovation. This course will introduce the core concepts and toolkits of design thinking as the foundation of innovative thinking and practices. It requires you to step out of your comfort zone and to examine and challenge your own assumptions. Critical thinking, teamwork, and empathy are the three pillars of this course. Prerequisite: None Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB or Business elective; Business and Finance Major Non-Finance Electives; Business and Marketing Non-Marketing Electives.

This course examine how content creators, scientists and businesses can leverage Creative AI to disrupt existing businesses. As the power of creative AI is entering everyone's daily life, we can all become a new breed of creators. Whether it is through music, text or images, AI protocols can be used to create an infinite amount of content. In our lives today, content is a source of human jobs, revenue and value proposition for many businesses. In this course, we examine how this capacity to create unlimited content is challenging the status-quo of many business models. Prerequisite: Having completed at least one Business (BUSF, MKTG), Economics (ECON), or IMB (IMBX) course Fulfillment: IMB IMA/IMB elective.

This workshop course asks students to investigate the intersection of media and business through the design, analysis, production, and marketing of games. Why do we play games? What makes them interesting? How does one create a game that people want to buy? Students will learn about the historical context and references of different types of games and study theories of design, interaction, and game development. They will apply and synthesize this theoretical knowledge by playing the role of game creator and constructing an original analog game. After identifying a target audience, students will engage in prototyping and testing with iterative feedback. They will also develop strategies for production, branding, and marketing of their game. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: IMB IMA/IMB elective.

Content creation and management on social media has become an indispensable element of our lives and an important building block for commercialization in the entire creator economy. Therefore, understanding content creation and management on social media from the business perspective is absolutely essential in the commercialization process, especially in the long term. The course is comprised of both knowledge-based and practice-based modules that help students gain transferrable skills in both content creation and management. It offers an in-depth analysis of the common operation strategies and business features of various entities in the “self-media” ecosystem. With some technical guidance, the students are also given the opportunity to organize their goals and resources and then strategically create video content that meets their initial targets. Prerequsite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: IMB IMA/IMB elective.

How do brands change and re-invent themselves? In this workshop course, you will play the role of brand strategist for an existing product or service, creatively re-branding it in a new light. Taking into account the current brand position and history, along with new consumer attention and technologies, you and your team will re-envision the brand’s future. Over the length of the course, you will engage in a series of guided weekly design challenges to re-invent the brand — from demographic research to audits of brand competitors to logo creation. By the end of the course, you will have gained experience with both verbal communication and visual argumentation, along with hands-on creative branding innovation and practical business skills. Prerequisite: GPS (Not open to first-semester freshmen). Fulfillment: IMB IMA/IMB elective.

This course will cover the foundation of user-centered research and guide students to apply three research methods to understand a real-world problem through an independent project, translating their research findings into insights that inspire solutions. Students will get exposure to both generative and evaluative research methods including in-depth interviews, contextual inquiries, participatory design, field research, survey, & concept testing. Students will learn and practice the key phases of user research including planning, execution, data analysis, and insight communication. Students will also select and apply appropriate methods for a given problem in a real-world scenario. By the end of the course, students will deliver an oral presentation to report their research to key stakeholders, and complete a written report that documents the research progress, key findings, and their critical review of selected user research methods. Prerequisite: GPS (Not open to first semester freshman). Fulfillment: IMB IMA/IMB elective.

This practical, hands-on course will explore questions such as: How can we design engaging, creative learning experiences that are relevant to the cultural goals and needs of today's youth in China, while laying the foundation for creative learning for the workforce of tomorrow? What are engaging, effective creative learning resources, and how are they best implemented in Chinese learning settings? How can we take advantage of young people's near ubiquitous love of the arts to facilitate creative learning?’ In this course, students will work in teams to design digital learning resources and experience designs at the intersection of music, coding, arts, and technology. The course will begin with an introduction to emerging trends in learner engagement and design-based research, especially related to web- and mobile-based musical experiences and principles of making music with new media. Innovations in and applications of musical interaction, interactive technologies, user-centered design & engagement, scaffolded learning, creative learning, pedagogies of play and making, and educational entrepreneurship will also be explored. Students will work together in teams and paired with a partner audience of learners and teachers in Shanghai drawn from local and regional international schools, ed-tech startups, and cultural partners. Together they will assess the needs and opportunities of partner students and teachers, and engage in a two-stage iterative, reflective co-design process prototyping custom learning resources and experience designs with their partner end users. At the end of the course, students will present and demo their learning resources as part of a public showcase to an external audience of partners, educators, technologists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and experience designers in Shanghai. Prerequisites: None. Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB elective.

Have you ever considered why the products and experiences we utilize operate or function the way they do? Have you ever dug beneath the surface of the physical thing in front of you and questioned why you choose to use it the way you do? Have you ever been frustrated by a physical interface? In our journey of learning about Human Factors we will explore design decisions that lead to how Humans interact with physical objects. We will look at case studies and examples of how ideas are developed as a result of Human Factors research and incorporate our findings into an object we design. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: IMB IMA/IMB elective.

Technology products and services are increasingly a huge part of how businesses reach their end-customer and Product Managers (PMs) are the ones to lead teams to build software that solve real problems. This course is designed as an introduction course of how PMs do this across a variety of contexts to evaluate customer needs, translate needs into functional requirements, prioritize different aspects of development, work with cross-functional teams, launch a product and create a holistic vision of how customers experience the product. This course will focus on lectures, discussions, case-studies and hands-on exercises that replicate a typical product process at a startup, tech or non-tech company. This course equips students with the mindset, tools, frameworks to mindfully discover, design and build things that make an impact and meet the needs of real humans. We will cover both core product thinking, and also how to translate that into practical ways to make decisions and build great products. Prerequisite: None Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB elective.

This course examines the legal and regulatory instruments that shape and influence the flow of communication and media across international borders, starting with the first international treaties for the post, telegraph and radio in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It then investigates how flows of communication and media are intertwined with current political and legal issues such as national security, freedom of expression, privacy, human dignity, and the general norms of world order. To what extent are media governed by law, and to what extent are they a law unto themselves, especially when they cross jurisdictional boundaries? Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: IMB IMA/IMB elective; Social Sciences International Relations track 200 level

This class explores the evolution of the global beauty industry from the nineteenth century to the present. Using materials such as primary and secondary sources and case studies, students will consider how entrepreneurs and cosmetic firms such as Unilever, L’Oréal, and Shiseidō have imagined and defined beauty throughout the globe. The course begins by tracing the historical factors that led to the formation of the industry. We will examine how firms translated societal values into brands, globalized them, and transformed societal perceptions of beauty. The course then analyzes new trends, such as the recent rise of the Asian beauty industry. The final section will look at the industry in the digital age and how firms have worked to resolve issues of their own doing. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB elective.

This course leads the students to form a critical understanding of the media and communication dynamics that orient the flow of financial capital. The class will navigate the conjuncture of media and finance through the combination of theoretical training and analyses of empirical cases. We will look at financial activities both at the individual and firm levels, including stock market investment, financial management, home mortgages, student loans, credit scores, retirement funds, and micro-finance. We take three approaches to the media-finance encounter: media &communication studies, science & technology studies (STS), and political economy. We will analyze the events and cases pertinent to the communication of financial information via information network, interfaces, and media platforms. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: IMB IMA/IMB elective.

Entrepreneurship and Globalization examines how entrepreneurs shaped the global economy from the 1800s to the present. Students will read and discuss case studies that examine the lives of some of the most prominent business founders and leaders in modern history through the framework of globalization. The cases explored in this course provide a dynamic framework for exploring the challenging decisions entrepreneurs faced in different eras of globalization between the nineteenth century to the present across a broad range of contexts and industries. Topics include the opium war, music, the fashion industry, bananas, sports and global media. We will learn about the creative ways that business leaders navigated cultural differences, information asymmetries, and conflicting interests. A typical class tries to get into the minds of the protagonists, establish the context in which they took decisions, debate the legacy of those decisions, and discuss how the class would have acted in those circumstances. Throughout the semester, students will research and develop a historical case study. Prerequisite: Completion of at least one Business foundation course (BUSF, MKTG, MGMT); junior standing or above

IMB Capstone 1 is a course that guides students through designing an independent project integrating the mindsets, methods, concepts, and skills learned in courses offered through the IMB curriculum. Students will research, design, prototype, and create a proposal and work plan their project under the guidance and supervision of IMB faculty through workshop seminars. The IMB Capstone sequence takes place over two semesters and requires the completion of two main assignments: a research paper and a practical media/business project. Prerequisite: Senior students with a primary or secondary major in IMB Fulfillment: IMB Major Capstone.

IMB Capstone 2 is a course that guides students through prototyping and evaluating an independent project integrating the mindsets, methods, concepts, and skills learned in courses offered through the IMB curriculum. Students will research, design, prototype a project based on their IMB Capstone 1 proposal and work plan under the guidance and supervision of an IMB faculty mentor throughout the semester. The IMB Capstone 2 course requires the completion of two main assignments: a research project documentation paper and a practical media/business project prototype. Prerequisite: IMBX-SHU 400 (IMB Capstone 1) Fulfillment: IMB Capstone.

This course explores the disruptions and creative possibilities that realtime emerging media provides through the lens of learning how to design, create, produce and perform in realtime. Students will be learning how to design and produce for realtime interactive audiences, understand the modern streaming media pipeline, the fundamentals of virtual production, digital content creation and the basics of game engines and other software - all in the service of delivering a more engaging and intimate connection between audience and performer. Students will design and perform 2 distinct realtime performances as well as work together with peers to conceptualize, design and produce a short realtime ‘pilot’ using the tools and techniques you’ve learned in the first two projects. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB elective.

This course explores the disruptions and creative possibilities that realtime emerging media provides through the lens of learning how to design, create, produce and perform in realtime. Students will be learning how to design and produce for realtime interactive audiences, understand the modern streaming media pipeline, the fundamentals of virtual production, digital content creation and the basics of game engines and other software - all in the service of delivering a more engaging and intimate connection between audience and performer. Students will design and perform 2 distinct realtime performances as well as work together with peers to conceptualize, design and produce a short realtime ‘pilot’ using the tools and techniques you’ve learned in the first two projects. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: IMA elective; IMB IMA/IMB elective.