Strategic Design Thinking

"Design Thinkers don’t just solve problems — they reframe them to uncover better possibilities."
Lilian, Storyteller, Content Creator, Arthur, Design Thinker

Strategic Design Thinking

Who should Attend:

This program is designed for professionals and individuals who want to enhance their problem-solving, creativity, and innovation capabilities using the Design Thinking approach. It is suitable for:

• Business leaders and managers seeking innovative ways to improve processes, products, or services.

• Project managers and team leads looking to foster collaboration and creative problem-solving within teams.

• Sales, marketing, and customer service professionals aiming to design customer-centric solutions and experiences.

• Entrepreneurs and innovators developing new ideas, products, or business models.

• HR and learning professionals designing engaging employee experiences and culture initiatives.

• Anyone seeking to enhance creativity and strategic thinking in addressing real-world challenges.

No prior design experience is required—just an open mind and a willingness to think differently.

What will the Participants learn:

Participants will gain practical knowledge and hands-on experience in applying the Design Thinking process to solve real-world challenges creatively and effectively. They will learn to:

• Understand the core principles and stages of Design Thinking.

• Empathize with users to uncover needs, motivations, and pain points.

• Define clear problem statements that drive purposeful innovation.

• Generate creative and viable ideas through structured ideation techniques.

• Develop and test prototypes to gather feedback and refine solutions.

• Apply Design Thinking within their organizational context to improve processes, services, and customer experiences.

• Cultivate a mindset of empathy, experimentation, and continuous improvement.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to apply Design Thinking to drive innovation, collaboration, and impactful change in their workplace.

What will the Participants achieve at the end of the training:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to confidently apply Design Thinking principles to analyze complex problems, generate innovative solutions, and implement user-centered improvements. They will develop stronger creative thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills that can be applied across diverse professional and organizational contexts.

Course Duration:

2 Day (9.00am to 5.00pm)

Class size: 

10 person maximum

Course material:

• Course workbook

Course Outline (subjected to changes by the trainer):

Day 1 – Understanding & Framing the Problem

• Morning Session: Introduction & Empathize

Focus: Build foundational understanding of Design Thinking and learn to empathize with users

• • Welcome and overview of the Design Thinking process

  • Icebreaker: “Everyday Problems” activity to connect learning to real-life experiences

  • Introduction to the Empathize stage: understanding user needs, behaviors, and pain points

  • Hands-on activity: Conduct mock user interviews and create an empathy map

• Afternoon Session: Define the Problem

Focus: Synthesize user insights to form clear and actionable problem statements

• • Recap of Empathize stage and key takeaways

  • Introduction to the Define stage: turning observations into insights

  • Group activity: Identify patterns and user needs

  • Develop “How Might We” problem statements

  • Reflection and group sharing on problem definitions

Day 2 – Creating & Testing Solutions

• Morning Session: Ideate and Prototype

Focus: Generate innovative ideas and bring them to life through prototypes

• • Introduction to the Ideate stage: brainstorming and creative thinking techniques

  • Group brainstorming: generate as many ideas as possible

  • Prioritize and select top ideas for development

  • Introduction to the Prototype stage: low-fidelity prototyping methods

  • Group work: Create paper, digital, or role-play prototypes

• Afternoon Session: Test and Present

Focus: Validate ideas, gather feedback, and present outcomes.

• Introduction to the Test stage: learning through feedback and iteration

• Peer testing: gather feedback on prototypes

• Refine ideas based on insights and observations

• Group presentations: showcase solutions and share key learnings

• Final reflection: Applying Design Thinking in the workplace

• Wrap-up and closing discussion

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Design Thinking training, participants will have a clear understanding of the core principles, stages, and methodologies that drive human-centered innovation. They will learn to empathize with users, define meaningful problem statements, generate creative ideas, and develop prototypes that can be tested and refined through feedback.

Participants will also be able to apply Design Thinking tools to real-world organizational challenges, fostering collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement within their teams. Ultimately, they will leave the program equipped with the mindset and practical skills to drive innovation, improve customer experiences, and create impactful, user-focused solutions in their professional contexts.