Think Like a Designer is an introductory freshman course taught by executive director of the Stanford Design Program, Bill Burnett, in the Product Design departement to introduce Stanford freshmen to this unique major. The course was an overview of the skills that a good designer needs (sketching, need finiding, brainstorming, teamwork, prototyping) as well as the process one goes through to create and propose products (need-finding, ideation, testing, etc.). The class had three major projects, redesigning the ramen experience (Ramen Experience.pdf), redesigning Stanford's dining halls and redesigning the camera (Camera Assignment.pdf). The results of these three group projects are pictured here.
The sliding system, as illustrated here, solves several problems. First, it allows students to easily take as much food as they need while eliminating trays. Second, every time you have to slide on a new plate, the user becomes more aware of what he or she is consuming.