Design Thinking: The Essentials

Learn essential design thinking skills from expert practitioners and turn good ideas into improved outcomes

Forward thinking practitioners and workplaces utilise innovative ways of designing and applying solutions through human centred strategy, policy, plans and initiatives. This design thinking course will equip you with the skills and confidence to turn good ideas into sustainable and improved outcomes with users/customers at the heart of your thinking and implementation. 

You will learn foundational design thinking skills from expert practitioners to introduce new ways of working across your teams and organisations, generate more creative and relevant solutions, and make better strategic decisions. You will be able to apply design thinking methodology to real world challenges and gain an invaluable understanding of delivering better outcomes and/or services in co-creation with your communities, customers and stakeholders.

Course information

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Course content

In this design thinking course you will be introduced to ideas to inspire new ways of human-centred working and tools to kick-start innovative improvement solutions. Each session will include:

• an introduction to key elements of the 5-stage design thinking process.
• case studies and/or live examples.
• tools for you to take away and apply in practice.

Participants will be set a live challenge relevant to their work in the period between module 2 and 3.

This design thinking course will cover the following content:

Module 1: Define

• Introduction to design thinking.
• Example case study.
• Tool: Mind map.

Module 2: Empathy

• Capturing insights.
• Example discussion guide.
• Tool: Deep listening and questioning.

Module 3: Ideation

• Understanding opportunity spaces.
• Example case study.
• Tool: Live brainstorming.

Module 4: Prototype

• Test and learn.
• Example blueprint.
• Tool: Harvesting for prototypes.

Module 5: Engagement

• The value of co-creation.
• Case study conclusions.
• Tool: Mapping what next.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of this design thinking course you will have developed:

• Foundational understanding of the design thinking process.
• Skills in human-centred design and co-creation models.
• An ability to utilise the right tools at the right time.
• Working knowledge of design thinking examples and case studies.
• An appreciation of the value of innovation.
• Confidence to apply design thinking in practice.

Delivery style

This design thinking course will be delivered as an interactive workshop consisting of an instructor-led lecture, group and individual activities. This training approach allows participants to work through concepts introduced by the trainer in an application-focused teaching environment. Participants will challenge their understanding of the concepts and consider their application once back in their individual workplace.

Our face-to-face courses are delivered on UTS campus. Location details and teaching materials will be made available to participants prior to the course. 

Who is this course for?

This design thinking course is designed for professionals seeking a foundational understanding of design thinking in practice. This course is also suitable to professionals who seek skills in innovation, strategy, policy and business improvement initiatives, as well as those who seek community and social outcomes. This course is also suitable for new or existing project teams who are looking to challenge their design thinking skills as they work on live challenges together.

If you are ready to extend these capabilities beyond immediate challenges and explore how today's ideas can inform future outomes, the you might be interested in our Futures Thinking in Practice course. in this course you will learn advanced methodologies, such as scenario planning and backcasting, to evolve your design thinking into strategic foresight for policy and organisational innovation.

Course prerequisites

This design thinking course has no prerequisites and is open to all members of the public.

About the presenter

Tish Creenaune is an Associate Director at the Institute for Public Policy and Governance. Tish is a highly regarded and experienced public sector executive with over 30 years working in the education and training, innovation, communities and social policy fields as a policy planner and strategic project manager leading change projects and reform. She has worked closely with senior officers in government agencies and Government Ministers in leading the implementation of policy and delivered on social, innovation, community and educational outcomes through influencing a diverse range of stakeholders.

Tish was the founding Director of the Catalyst Lab Innovation Program, the first NSW education innovation lab leading the exploration, design and scaling of innovative education ideas and incubator for innovation in education, providing a structured process to trial and prototype new ideas. She is a skilled facilitator in design thinking and innovation: developing and customising innovation processes and methodologies to solve for complex problems.

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