Course Methodology

The course uses plenty of case studies, videos, and other useful material, all of which help participants drive the concepts behind design thinking. The course is very much hands-on from the get-go, supported by necessary forms and templates associated with each one of the design thinking phases. Participants are expected to be quite active as they are expected to use different material and supplies throughout the 5 days course.  

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Employ different analytical methods to uncover the vital human needs behind desired solutions
• Use a problem resolution approach that incorporates empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing in a fun and challenging atmosphere
• Apply design thinking to real business problems and produce innovative, user-focused solutions
• Implement design thinking methods associated with every stage of the problem solution journey
• Prototype suggested solutions rapidly and proactively, and test these prototypes to reduce costly mistakes and risks, accelerate organizational learning and respond to market challenges

Target Audience

This course is suitable for anyone interested in discovering the power and versatility behind design thinking. the audience could come from different professional backgrounds such as: graphic designers, entrepreneurs, project stakeholders, project managers, software engineers and application developers, and anyone interested in learning innovative problem-solving approaches useful in resolving problems outside or within the work environment. 

Target Competencies

• Analytical skills
• Probing and questioning data
• Creative thinking
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Problem solving
• Strategic thinking
• Giving feedback
• Visualization and articulation of ideas
• Interviewing techniques
• Active listening 

A quick introduction on design thinking

• What is design thinking?
• Breaking down barriers to innovation with design thinking
• Design thinking – the essentials
• System thinking
• Agile methodology
• Combine and exploiting
• The design thinking process
• Stages in design thinking
• Stage 1: Empathizing with your users
• Stage 2: Defining the problem and interpreting the results
• Stage 3: Ideating
• Stage 4: Prototyping
• Stage 5: Testing
• Design thinking methods
• The team and the facilitation process

Empathy and the people factor

• Empathy as a starting point in design thinking
• The empathic approach 
• Improving designs by empathizing with target audience
• Context mapping – Probing, designing and using
• Using ethnographic methods to improve design outcomes
• The interview
• Guidelines to conduct user interviews
• The need to question everything
• The power of stories in building empathy
• Choosing the design thinking challenge

Defining and designing the challenge

• Defining the problem
• Synthesizing information
• Synthesizing and making sense of the information
• The role of affinity diagrams – grouping ideas and facts
• The empathy map
• Why and how
• The role of personas
• Creating the Point of View
• Defining and framing the design challenge
• Asking the “How Might We – HMW”
• Mapping the stakeholders
• Defining the challenge

Ideating    

• Defining ‘ideation’
• An overview of Ideation techniques
• Drawing the user experience design
• Selecting the best idea
• Overcoming barriers
• Capturing reflections and feedback

Prototyping and testing   

• Reasons for prototyping
• Getting started 
• Pitfalls to avoid
• Prototyping methods and best practices
• Let’s try before we build
• Evaluating the prototype
• Talking feasibility and viability