Essential Design Thinking

A compact introduction to Design Thinking covering essential tools you can apply immediately to your projects.

This foundational, intensive introduction to Design Thinking helps you understand its application in complex environments, learn an adaptable framework to use across different types of projects and gain confidence in the core tools and methods.

From uncovering user needs to problem framing; rapid prototyping through to testing and pitching, this course gives you a hands-on learning experience supported by our expert coaches throughout. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a digital toolkit containing everything you’ve used.

Format

  • 2-day in-person, or

  • 5x 0.5-days live online

  • Other formats, including hybrid, on request

Who’s it for?

This course is for organisations and teams who are new (or nearly new) to Design Thinking, and want a practical, hands-on introduction to the core principles, tools and methodologies.

Designed for people and teams:

  • responsible for delivering new products and services or improving existing ones;

  • wanting to strengthen their innovation skills; or

  • managing innovation programmes.

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The detail

Learning outcomes

On this course you’ll learn how to use a highly practical and flexible framework for applying Design Thinking on live projects both in the private and public sector. It will enhance your user-centred focus; create the foundations for collaboration across teams and departments; and provide you with a wide array of tools and methodologies for enabling innovation in your organisation.

What’s covered

  • A complete Design Thinking process and framework

  • Stakeholder Mappping

  • Hypothesis Amnesty (to surface assumptions)

  • Ethnographic Research

  • Sense-making through Insights, Personas and Empathy Maps or User Journey Maps

  • Opportunity Statement for framing opportunities

  • Creative Ideation methods

  • Prioritisation tools

  • Rapid Prototyping and Testing

  • Business Model Canvas

  • Story Blueprinting and Pitching

What’s included

  • Experienced coaching team (with years of insights across multiple sectors)

  • 1-hour online alignment session with your key stakeholders to finalise the content for your needs

  • Curated case studies, relevant to your organisation

  • Digital toolkit with all the tools used

  • Digital certificate for adding to your profile

Format

  • 2-day in-person, or

  • 5x 0.5-days live online

  • Other formats, including hybrid, on request

Testimonials

A fun and insightful two days jam packed with information, practical tips and tools. You can immediately see how to apply back in the office.
— Strategic Delivery Lead, '25
…the course and its contents was practical and provided logical tools and skills to use. …the coaches were always able to answer questions or add colour to an issue, explaining tasks and issues where we were coming stuck
— Participant, '24
We would thoroughly recommend the design thinking course to any team or organisation going through a transformation process, or who just want to do things a bit differently.
— Westminster City Council, '24

Enquire now

Contact us if you’d like to book a call to discuss your organisation or team’s learning needs. If you are looking for a training package which doesn’t fit your specific needs, we’re happy to create a fully bespoke L&D programme for you.