1.0 Week Overview & Learning Objectives

1.1 The Evolution of Design Thinking

Design Thinking has transformed from a creative process into a strategic business methodology used by the world’s most innovative companies. Originally developed at Stanford and popularised by IDEO, this human-centred approach has helped organisations like Apple, Google, and Airbnb create breakthrough products and services. This week, we’ll master the complete Design Thinking framework and learn how to apply it to solve complex, ambiguous problems.

The Business Impact of Design Thinking:

• ROI: Design-led companies outperform S&P by 211% over 10 years (DMI)

• Innovation: 80% of companies see innovation improvement after adoption

• Time to Market: 50% faster product development cycles

• Customer Satisfaction: 2x higher customer satisfaction scores

• Employee Engagement: 70% higher employee engagement in design-led organisations

1.2 Learning Objectives

By the end of this week, you will be able to:

1. Understand the five phases of Design Thinking and their purposes

2. Apply each phase to real-world problems with appropriate methods

3. Facilitate Design Thinking workshops and collaborative sessions

4. Synthesise user research into actionable insights and opportunities

5. Generate innovative solutions through structured ideation techniques

6. Prototype and test concepts quickly to validate assumptions

7. Integrate Design Thinking into organisational workflows and culture