Imagine rallying your team around a challenge that stirs anticipation. A challenge big enough to push them beyond their comfort zones. But first, you need an expert guide who can show them the way.

Module one is designed to prepare you to be that guide. We’ll introduce you to the course and walk you through the Design Thinking process to give you a sense of what it’s all about. Then, we’ll show you what makes a good Design Thinking challenge and help you pick your own.

You could redesign a process, app or website. You could tackle a problem with a workflow, initiative, or system. Maybe you have a business idea you want to develop. Or, choose from one of our fictional briefs and practice in a safe environment.

Lessons in this module include:

• 1.1 Introduction
• 1.2 Understanding Design Thinking
• 1.3 Choosing a Project [DEMO]

After this module, you’ll have a clear understanding of the Design Thinking process, and you’ll have selected your own challenge.

Design Thinking is a journey of discovery. And at the beginning of a new project, is when we know the least about it. So naturally we’ll have a lot of questions.

These questions will reveal opportunities we didn’t know existed. The best way to get answers to these questions is to talk to people. People who are affected by the challenge, those with stories that can give us the nuance and insight we need so that later we can make effective decisions.

Lessons in this module include:

• 2.1 Plan Your Research [DEMO]
• 2.2 List Your Interview Questions [DEMO]
• 2.3 Conduct Your Interviews [DEMO]
• 2.4 Create an Affinity Map [DEMO]
• 2.5 Create Your Personas [DEMO]
• 2.6 Key Takeaways

At the end of this phase, you’ll have gained all the knowledge you need to succeed. You’ll have planned and conducted interviews, analyzed your findings, and summarized everything into actionable insights.

Once you have this depth of understanding, you’re ready to start the creative process of imagining your ideal future and generating ideas.

Successful Design Thinking requires a tactical blend of creativity and strategy. It’s an exciting mix of two very powerful forces.

By pushing creative boundaries, you open yourself up to a broad range of possibilities. And by systematically evaluating your ideas, you stand a high chance of achieving product-market fit.

Lessons in this module include:

• 3.1 How to Write a Problem Statement [DEMO]
• 3.2 How to Write HMW Questions [DEMO]
• 3.3 Principles of Effective Brainstorming
• 3.4 How To Be More Creative [DEMO]
• 3.5 Conduct Your Brainstorming Session [DEMO]
• 3.6 Evaluate Ideas Using the DVF Framework [DEMO]
• 3.7 Key Takeaways

At the end of this phase, you’ll have crafted a clear and actionable problem statement. You’ll have thoroughly explored a range of solutions and applied creative techniques to improve your chances of discovering a disruptive idea. Then, you’ll have evaluated your ideas against the DVF framework. This will ensure you’ve been rigorous in your selection, removed any biases, and made the most informed decisions possible.

Once you’ve completed this phase, you’ll be ready for the next one. This is where we’ll build prototypes of your best ideas and share them with your target audience for feedback.

When time and resources are tight, the best approach to innovation is lean and iterative.

Your best chance of success comes from moving quickly, pivoting at any point, getting feedback, and making continuous improvements.

Plus, you’ll reduce risk in your project if you regularly talk to your target audience. This’ll also help you identify issues early and validate your decisions.

In this phase, you’ll learn about a range of different prototypes and what kinds of ideas they’re suitable for. You’ll learn how to make a prototype of your idea and test it with your target audience to see how well it works. You’ll also watch a live demonstration of a prototype test so you can see exactly how it’s done.

Lessons in this module include:

• 4.1 Creative Ways to Prototype Your Ideas
• 4.2 Building Your Prototype
• 4.3 How to Find People to Test Your Prototype With
• 4.4 How to Conduct a Prototype Test [DEMO]
• 4.5 Test & Iterate Your Prototype
• 4.6 Key Takeaways

Once you’ve finished this phase, you’ll have a working prototype of your own disruptive idea. You’ll have validated it through rigorous prototype testing and you’ll be well on your way to Design Thinking mastery.

At this stage, you’ll have created a disruptive innovation you’re proud of. Something that makes a difference to people’s lives. Something that moves the needle for your business. And something that symbolizes your progress towards Design Thinking mastery.

You’ll have learned the skills you need to become a versatile Design Thinking practitioner who can adapt to meet new challenges. Who knows the fundamentals so well that they can confidently explore unfamiliar territory.

Lessons in this module include:

• 5.1 Course Summary and Key Takeaways
• 5.2 Live Project Flyover (Coming Soon)

In this final module, all that’s left is to review and summarize your learnings. This is so you can process your experience and consolidate your newfound knowledge. At this stage, you should be proud of yourself for mastering a high-value skill and developing the strategic and creative confidence to become an expert in the innovation process.

This course teaches mastery of the fundamentals that will allow you to tackle any problem from multiple angles.

We don’t believe in set processes. We believe in teaching the mindset, principles and approaches that create versatile practitioners adept at solving real world problems.

That’s why, along with the expert tuition and live demonstrations contained in this course, we’ve also created a comprehensive workbook of Design Thinking activities. You can use this workbook to follow the course and fill out the templates after each video.

You can also use this workbook on all of your future Design Thinking and innovation projects. This will ensure that you have the structure and guidance you need while building your confidence and competence as a Design Thinking expert.

We’ve also supplied a series of fun fictional briefs that give information on a variety of Design Thinking challenges for you to tackle. These are designed to give you everything you need to complete this Design Thinking course in a safe environment.

Resources in this module include:

• Activity Workbook
• Brief 1 – Redesign Remote Working
• Brief 2 – Reduce Food waste
• Brief 3 – Elderly Social Connections
• Brief 4 – Inclusive Playground Redesign
• Brief 5 – Financial Wellness for Millennials
• Brief 6 – Mental Health and Digital Overload