Interdisciplinary design course structure: Lessons for engineering instructors from a capstone design course

This paper provides lessons learned from 6 years of developing and delivering an interdisciplinary undergraduate capstone and graduate course titled the Integrated Design Experience (IDX) at Washington State University and the University of Idaho. The IDX course addresses real-world problems with the aim of finding sustainable solutions in the built environment. Students and faculty from engineering, design, and community planning disciplines collaborate with industry, governmental, and professional practice stakeholders to research and develop innovative solutions to complex problems that demand multi-scalar and multi-disciplinary approaches typically outside the range of any single stakeholder. This paper describes the evolution of interdisciplinary curriculum strategies and expansion of disciplinary involvement and project topics.