Description

Training Introduction:

This course introduces participants to Design Thinking, a human-centered approach to innovation and problem-solving. By focusing on users’ needs, this methodology fosters creativity and collaboration to develop innovative solutions. Participants will learn the five phases of Design Thinking—empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test—and how to apply these principles to real-world challenges. Through practical exercises, group collaboration, and case studies, the course aims to equip participants with the tools needed to generate ideas and solve complex problems in a user-centered, iterative way.

Prerequisites:

• No prior knowledge required; suitable for beginners
• Ideal for professionals in design, product development, business strategy, and innovation
• Familiarity with basic project management or user experience concepts is beneficial but not necessary

Table of Content:

Module 1: Introduction to Design Thinking

1. What is Design Thinking?
2. The origins and evolution of Design Thinking
3. Why Design Thinking matters in today’s innovation landscape
4. Overview of the five phases of Design Thinking

Module 2: Phase 1 – Empathize: Understanding Users

1. Importance of empathy in design and innovation
2. Conducting user research: Interviews, observations, and surveys
3. Creating empathy maps: Capturing users’ feelings, thoughts, and pain points
4. Practical exercise: Conducting user research for a real-life problem

Module 3: Phase 2 – Define: Framing the Problem

1. Synthesizing research findings to define user needs
2. Writing clear problem statements: What is a Point of View (POV)?
3. Identifying design challenges and opportunities
4. Practical exercise: Crafting a problem statement from user insights

Module 4: Phase 3 – Ideate: Generating Ideas

1. The importance of divergent and convergent thinking
2. Brainstorming techniques: How to generate a wide variety of ideas
3. Encouraging creativity and avoiding judgment in ideation
4. Practical exercise: Facilitating a brainstorming session with your team

Module 5: Phase 4 – Prototype: Building to Think

1. The role of prototyping in Design Thinking
2. Types of prototypes: Low-fidelity vs. high-fidelity
3. How to quickly build prototypes to test ideas
4. Practical exercise: Creating a prototype based on your chosen idea

Module 6: Phase 5 – Test: Validating Solutions

1. Testing your prototype with real users
2. Gathering feedback to iterate and improve the design
3. Identifying success metrics and evaluating usability
4. Practical exercise: Conducting user testing on your prototype

Module 7: Iteration and the Non-Linear Nature of Design Thinking

1. The importance of iteration and flexibility in the Design Thinking process
2. How to revisit earlier stages based on user feedback
3. Refining ideas and prototypes through multiple iterations
4. Practical exercise: Refining your prototype based on test results

Module 8: Design Thinking for Innovation

1. Applying Design Thinking in different industries and fields
2. Real-world examples of innovation driven by Design Thinking (e.g., Apple, IDEO, Airbnb)
3. How companies use Design Thinking to create user-centered solutions

Module 9: Collaboration and Cross-Functional Teams in Design Thinking

1. The role of collaboration in the Design Thinking process
2. How to build effective cross-functional teams for innovation
3. Techniques for fostering creativity and open-mindedness in teams
4. Practical exercise: Engaging in group ideation and prototyping

Module 10: Tools and Techniques for Design Thinking

1. Overview of tools like Miro, MURAL, Figma, and paper prototyping
2. How to choose the right tools for ideation, collaboration, and prototyping
3. Practical exercise: Using digital tools to collaborate and iterate remotely

Module 11: Measuring the Success of Design Thinking Solutions

1. How to define success in Design Thinking projects
2. Metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for user-centered designs
3. Aligning Design Thinking outcomes with business objectives

Module 12: Case Studies: Design Thinking in Action

1. Detailed analysis of successful Design Thinking applications in real-world projects
2. How Design Thinking helped solve complex problems in various industries (e.g., healthcare, technology, education)
3. Lessons learned from challenges and failures in Design Thinking initiatives

Module 13: Final Project: Solving a Real-World Problem with Design Thinking

1. Select a problem and conduct user research
2. Create empathy maps and define a clear problem statement
3. Generate multiple ideas and prototype a solution
4. Test your prototype, gather feedback, and iterate for final delivery
5. Present your final solution and process to the class