Design Thinking
Innovation is about Mindset and Methodology. Sparking curiosity, a bias for action, persistence, being comfortable with ambiguity and appreciating collective intelligence are at the heart of the Innovator’s Mindset.
Who is this course for?
This course is open to all employees as problem solving is a skill needed at every level within an organisation.
We regularly deliver Design Thinking training to:
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Early Careers Graduates
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Leadership teams
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Returners
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Engineering and Sales teams
Learning Outcomes
Course Essentials
Start Date: To be agreed with client
Delivery: Live
Ideal no. of participants: Max 20 people. The group of 20 is split into five groups of four to allow for teams to develop and present their ideas.
Learner Engagement: Instructor led learning facilitates brainstorming and presentation. Design thinking focuses heavily on teamwork.
Duration: Design Thinking course is best delivered over three days but can be condensed to two depending on the needs of the client.
Format: In-person or virtual.
Participants develop a framework to ideate, problem solve and present an idea or business solution
This is the basis of a Design Thinking mindset that means participants can approach problems holistically, think critically, embrace ambiguity and see “failure” as an opportunity for learning, growth and other outcomes
Course Description
Working in teams, the participants set out to create a new product, service, way of working or business model of value. Together the teams gather insights, frame problems, ideate, prototype and carry out testing.
Participants are provided with a challenge on the first morning of the programme. We take input from our client on what the focus should be. The programme then follows a four-step process to take participants from considering a particular problem or business opportunity to delivering a practical real-life solution.
The steps are outlined below.
Gather Insights Module
Here we look at adopting a beginner’s mindset, how to use storytelling to analyse a user’s current solution, creating personas and asking open questions.
Frame Problems Module
To help us frame problems, we use tools such as affinity mapping and journey mapping. This can help us to develop a POV (Point of View). At this stage, we recognise the need to avoid jumping to solutions.
Ideate Module
A wonderful component of the ideation phase is to recognise that quantity breeds quality. This sense of abundance is enhanced when we learn how to find our flow, defer judgement and work in a psychologically safe culture.
Prototype and Test Module
The nature of prototyping and testing means we need to learn to be comfortable with ambiguity. We also recognise that we learn faster by falling sooner and at this stage we look at a build to think approach and how to make low-cost models quickly.
We can also facilitate a half day “pitch your idea” session. This is an opportunity for the participants to present their innovations to the group and other lines of business. Given how teamwork is integral to the success of the design thinking approach, we would also recommend a half day session on teamwork and collaboration at the beginning of the design thinking session. This will look at the elements needed to foster psychological safety within teams and help foster the foundations for a successful Design Thinking approach.
How Can We Help You?
Contact Aoife Garvan for further information about this course.