DESIGN THINKING FOR INNOVATION
Better Business Communications
Format:
This workshop can be taught in-person or online in one full-day or two half-day sessions.
Group Size:
Minimum of 8
Previous Clients:
T-Mobile, Microsoft, Remitly, REI, Downtown Seattle Association, Nordstrom
Past Attendee Feedback:
”There were definitely some new ways of brainstorming that I had not used before!”
“Definitely learned some applicable, actionable skills that I can start using right away.”
“A great workshop. I loved learning new ways to think!”
“Appreciated learning new methods of lateral thinking and inspiration to apply when stuck or starting out on a new idea.”
Why Take This Course?
With AI getting more and more attention and resources, it’s important to remind ourselves that humans still excel at coming up with truly creative, inspired, and blessedly off-the-wall ideas. While we hominids have a gift for innovation, it’s not always easy to get those ideas out of our brains and into the light. That’s where the practice of design thinking is truly a breakthrough. This method of brainstorming, originally developed at Stanford University, continues to excel at rapid problem-solving. Whether the ask is for product and service ideas, new customer experience processes, or marketing strategies, design thinking can unlock a myriad of possible solutions in a surprisingly short amount of time.
Who Should Take This Class?
This course is for strategists, product managers, designers, writers, and anyone whose team needs to come up with disruptive and innovative solutions to difficult business and creative problems.
Course Outcomes
Develop an understanding of the benefits of the design thinking process and how to replicate it on your own after the workshop
Come up with multiple solutions to an actual business challenge currently facing the team and its organization
Experience the value of developing strategies and solving problems in a non-hierarchical, collaborative environment
Course Description
In this workshop, we’ll use a proprietary approach to design thinking called Design Swarms, a method developed by Surya Vanka, former head of user experience at Microsoft. We’ll use whiteboarding and collaboration tools to practice design thinking in real-time, as participants identify and solve a design problem by walking through the critical steps of the design thinking process: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Here are a few of the topics we’ll cover:
> What types of problems/projects are good candidates for a design thinking approach?
> Tools for gathering and analyzing user data and insight to inform their design
> Taking a user-centered approach to avoid jumping to conclusions
> Methods for rapid brainstorming to quickly arrive at viable solutions
> Generate a number of usable solutions to a real-world problem confronting the team and organization
> Techniques for creating prototypes on the spot
Prerequisites and Requirements
None
more options for optimizing your team:
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CREATIVE INSPIRATION SERIES
If it’s time to get the creative juices flowing again, SVC will curate a series of amazing, inspiring experts who will share their wisdom and energy. Past speakers include design leaders, entrepreneurs, and artists.
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Thinking Strategically
Getting some clarity around “strategy” (vs. tactics, sales goals, and mission) and how to come up with a successful one is a skill that can be learned. And this is the workshop where it all comes together.
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More Effective Creative Briefs
Most marketing teams either don’t write creative briefs, or they fill them with details but no real strategic thinking. This training is to help teams learn how to write (and receive) briefs that are readable and actionable.