3 hours
Design Thinking & Process
Master the fundamentals of design thinking and research methodologies that drive successful product and service innovation.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the double diamond design process
- Learn qualitative and quantitative research techniques
- Apply design research to real-world challenges
- Develop skills in user-centered design approaches
Topics Covered
- Introduction to Design Thinking
- The Double Diamond Framework
- Qualitative Research Methods
- User Interviews & Observation
- Synthesis & Analysis Techniques
- From Research to Insights
Hands-On Activities
Double Diamond Mapping
30 min
Map a real business challenge through the four phases of the Double Diamond framework.
Instructions
- Choose a current challenge from your organisation
- Identify the Discover phase — what do you need to learn?
- Define the problem space — narrow to a specific statement
- Develop possible solutions — diverge again
- Deliver — converge on the most promising approach
Research Planning Canvas
25 min
Design a research plan for a product or service challenge using the Research Planning Canvas.
Instructions
- Define your research question
- Select appropriate methods (interviews, surveys, observation)
- Identify target participants and recruitment strategy
- Plan your timeline and resources
- Define how you will synthesise findings
Exercises
pair · 20 min
User Interview Role-Play
Practice conducting user interviews with a partner, focusing on open-ended questions and active listening.
- One person plays the interviewer, the other the user
- Use the interview script template provided
- Practice the 5-second silence technique
- Ask follow-up 'why' questions at least 3 times
- Switch roles and repeat
- Debrief: what insights did you uncover?
group · 25 min
Affinity Mapping Sprint
Synthesise research data into themes using affinity mapping techniques.
- Each team member writes observations on sticky notes (1 insight per note)
- Silently cluster related notes together
- Name each cluster with a theme statement
- Identify the top 3 most significant themes
- Present findings to the wider group
Practical Examples
Healthcare
NHS Digital Service Redesign
The NHS used design research to understand why patients were missing appointments, conducting 200+ interviews across 12 trusts.
Outcome: Reduced missed appointments by 23% through a redesigned reminder system informed by patient journey research.
Consumer Products
Dyson Product Development
Dyson employs ethnographic research, observing users in their homes to identify pain points with existing products.
Outcome: Led to the development of the Dyson Airwrap, which addressed frustrations identified through 600+ hours of in-home observation.
Industry Success Stories
Travel & Hospitality
Airbnb
Challenge
Declining bookings and poor user trust in the early days of the platform.
Approach
Co-founders went door-to-door conducting user research, photographing listings and interviewing hosts. Applied design thinking to reimagine the booking experience.
Result
Revenue doubled in one week after implementing research-informed design changes. Airbnb grew to a $75B+ company.
Government
Gov.uk
Challenge
UK government websites were fragmented across 1,800+ separate sites with poor user experience.
Approach
Applied rigorous user research and design process, testing with real citizens at every stage.
Result
Consolidated into a single platform serving 60M+ users, won the Design Museum's Design of the Year award.
Useful Resources
IDEO Design Thinking Guide
FRAMEWORK
The Design of Everyday Things — Don Norman
BOOK
Nielsen Norman Group Research Methods
ARTICLE
Miro — Collaborative Whiteboard
TOOL
Don Norman: The Design of Everyday Things (Talk)
VIDEO
Key Takeaways
Structured approach to problem-solving
Research planning and execution skills
Insight generation techniques
Fostering real-time entrepreneurship
to help accelerate career growth for venture builders, product designers and innovators.
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