Design Thinking Training

Design Thinking Training

• Do you notice that innovation of new products, services and processes stagnates?
• Are you looking for ways to get your organization moving?
• Do you keep coming up with the same solutions and get stuck?
• Do you think that people in your organization should show more initiative and creativity?
• Do customers keep surprising you with what they want, instead of the other way around?
• Are there complex problems in your organization and do you not know how to tackle them?

If the answer to several questions is ‘yes’, then Design Thinking is a refreshing and effective method to get acquainted with. It promotes innovation and entrepreneurial behavior in your organization.

What is Design Thinking?

“Design thinking is a human centred, creative approach to problem solving. One that starts with people and ends with innovative solutions tailored to meet their needs.”

– Tim Brown, IDEO –

Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation. It integrates creative thinking and intuitive thinking with analytical thinking. Especially the latter is highly developed in ‘us’ adults. Complex problems, however, can no longer be solved by analytical thinking alone. They are often too comprehensive for that. Changes around us happen so quickly that more is needed than analytical thinking alone.

Using our natural ability to think creatively can help. Something we were good at as a child, but gradually lost sight of. Combined with our strong analytical skills, we can tackle complex problems successfully.

The essence of Design Thinking is about solving problems in a human-centered way. About being able to empathize with the perspective of different stakeholders. Based on the information that emerges, we use creative thinking techniques to come up with powerful solutions to successfully solve business cases. This process consists of five steps.

I followed the Design Thinking training with Rex. I had no prior knowledge and went in blank. To my surprise, it was a very enjoyable training; in just two half-days, I received a very complete package with both a lot of theory and a lot of practice. What I found very valuable was working in groups on the basis of a self-selected case and the online tool Miro. All phases of Design Thinking were put into practice this way. This gave a good insight into the possibilities of Design Thinking. The training has brought me the following: I can now “measure” frictions and wishes with the customer, apply creative thinking techniques to come to original solutions that fit well with what the customer wants. Absolutely recommended!”

– Anja Rentier, Mediator/Coach

The five steps of Design Thinking

During the training we go through the following steps:

1. Really understand the customer. This is the empathy phase.
2. Really understand and formulate the issue. This is the definition phase.
3. Coming up with many ideas for the issue. This is the idea generation phase.
4. Choosing the best ideas and making them into testable prototypes. This is the prototyping phase.
5. Testing and validating the prototypes with customers. This is the test and validate phase.

Applying Design Thinking means continuous learning, letting go of existing patterns and testing new solutions. It is a non-linear method in which the joint result is more important than the correct sequence of process steps. It is also a short-cycle method. It is about getting insights from the right stakeholders as quickly as possible. You then test these, validate them and adjust them again. You repeat this a number of times. This way, you quickly find the right solution for your customers. Moreover, in this way you increase the innovative power and the entrepreneurial behavior in your organization.

“Thanks to Rex’s online training Design Thinking, I can now instrumentalise things I already intuitively knew and did. This allows me to better include my team in the innovation steps we take. I was looking for creative and innovative inspiration to help develop a deep tech startup I am involved with. I experienced the various sessions as fun, interactive and educational. The training provided me with good examples, inspiration, questioning and creative thinking techniques and concrete methods that I can immediately apply in my daily practice.”

– Claudia van Hoef, CEO Neuroscopia (‘deep tech startup’)

What is the benefit for the organization?

•  Higher turnover and profit on products and services.
• Products that better meet customer needs.
• Acceleration in innovation projects.
• Increased customer satisfaction.
• Increased cooperation with customers
• Complex problems are finally solved
• Employees learn to think creatively. From continuing to do what you did, to finding solutions off the beaten track.
• Increased employee satisfaction with internal innovation projects.
• Increased entrepreneurial behavior among employees.

“An “interactive creative thinking roller coaster” was my first reaction after the instructive and interesting Design Thinking training. During a powerful week-long training, the Design Thinking process is run through on the basis of practical examples. Through this method, the training offers tools to support various processes within the organization. Initially, I followed the training with my colleagues to get more structure into our innovation process by means of the Design Thinking process. I soon found out that the training has more to offer than just the tools for this. Structure in consultation (Six Thinking Hats by De Bono link naar https://www.twnql.nl/six-thinking-hats/?lang=en), stimulation of creative parts of the brain (through simple active work and communication forms) and addressing and discussing “feeling” are just a few examples. As far as I am concerned, this training is highly recommended and offers tools and skills that can help any organization to generate creative momentum. The amount of information that we received this week was just right for all of us to transfer the positive energy from the training to our organization with a satisfied feeling!”

– Captain of the Marines

Also Twinkles in the eye of this reaction? Read more enthusiastic reactions from relations here.

Design Thinking training courses

TWNQL provides various Design Think courses; one, two and five days. Our one-day taster session is recommended to get acquainted. The taster session is experienced as an intensive, inspiring and result-oriented day!

This day is very suitable for directors, managers, professionals and consultants who want practical tools to lift the organization to a higher level of innovation. In order to secure the skills, it is wise to have several employees participate in the training at the same time.
All our training courses are practical and result-oriented. Participants are challenged in terms of knowledge, skills and mindset.

TWNQL result

In addition to a guaranteed TWNQL (twinkle) in the eyes, after the training you are capable of:

• Get to the core of an issue using effective communication techniques.
• Gain insight into the drives, frictions and needs of the end user.
• Map out a client’s ‘journey’ and transform it into new opportunities.
• Use distinctive creative thinking techniques to think outside the box.
• Turn ideas into concepts and make them visual.
• Assess what you and your organization can gain from Design Thinking.

How long, where, when and how much does it cost?

Training days are from 9:00 to 17:00. We use various locations in Noord Brabant (around Eindhoven and Den Bosch) and Utrecht. Depending on where most participants come from, we make a choice.

The one-day training (open registration) costs € 485 (ex VAT) per person including training materials, food and drinks. Besides open enrollment the training Design Thinking is also very suitable as in-company training. Please contact us for an offer at no obligation.

Interested in one of our Design Thinking training courses? contact us now!