Arnoud Koning, one of our facilitators, teaching an online course through a laptop computer
Courses

FastTrack Design Thinking

Become a design thinker in 5 fast-paced days
Online
Design Thinking

Overview

Course information

Build a foundational understanding of Design Thinking through our live-taught, 5-session FastTrack Online Design Thinking course. You’ll be introduced to design thinking by getting hands-on experience using industry-leading tools and methods under the guidance of our expert coaches, applying these techniques to a brief that simulates a real-world challenge. Armed with this new understanding, you’ll return to work able to deliver engaging, human-centric solutions & with the skills you need to drive innovation in your workplace.

What you’ll learn

  • The fundamental principles of design thinking
  • What’s needed to deliver innovation within an online environment
  • How to use a wide range of design thinking tools
  • The practical ways design thinking can be applied within your work environment

The coaching team:

Masterclass with:

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From £795.00 +VAT
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Who’s it for?

This course is for anyone who is new to design thinking and wants to gain a foundational understanding of design thinking & practical experience in applying its core principles and methods. We have had participants from large corporates, independent consultancies, start-ups, government departments & academic institutions, and everyone has left with skills they can take away and apply to their everyday work environment.  

This is a beginner–level, practical course where you’ll experience design thinking in action. At Design Thinkers Academy London we’re proud to facilitate all our online courses live, with all participants learning in real time from design thinking experts. This means we’re able to answer any & all questions as the course runs, so everyone leaves with a clear understanding of how to apply design thinking effectively. 

Day-by-day summary

Day 1:

Introduction
Setting the foundation

In our introductory session we will onboard you to the course. This is an opportunity to meet the other participants, outline your ‘Hopes & Fears’ for the session and sort out any technical difficulties. Our coaches will also take you through the foundational principles of design thinking & prepare you for the week ahead. 

Topics covered 

  • Meeting the coaches & other participants 
  • Set expectations for the week 
  • The basic principles of design thinking  

Day 2:

Discovering behavioural insights
Using design thinking tools & methods

In session 2 you’ll get introduced to the design thinking process and mindsets through a masterclass from David Kester, founder of the Design Thinkers Academy London and DK&A. After this you will start working on the week’s live challenge, undertaking user research and understanding how to make sense from data to gain customer insights.  

Topics covered 

  • The design thinking process 
  • Hypothesis amnesty 
  • User research  
  • Interviews  
  • Turning data into insights 

Day 3:

Framing the customer question
Applying design thinking to a live challenge

Based on the insights you’ve uncovered in the previous session, you’ll build a clear picture of what you know around the week’s set challenge, to then reframe this challenge to identify a real problem or promising opportunity that will act as your platform for innovation throughout the week. 

Topics covered 

  • Stakeholder mapping 
  • Customer journey mapping 
  • Personas 
  • Opportunity statements  

Day 4:

Develop & Deliver
Testing ideas with prototyping

Keeping your reframed challenge from the previous session as your central focal point, you’ll explore different ways of responding to this challenge & innovate different solutions. You’ll experience various brainstorming techniques and get started with rapid prototyping and testing of early-stage concepts.  

Topics covered  

  • Ideation methods 
  • Idea prioritisation 
  • Concept proposition 
  • Storyboarding 
  • Prototyping 

Day 5:

Bridging learnings & practice
Solidifying learning

To round off the course and solidify what you’ve learned, the coaches will share inspiring case studies relevant to the participants and you’ll have the opportunity to share any challenges that you’ve encountered or foresee in applying design thinking moving forward. The final session also features an activity to help participants identify their peak strengths and areas to develop further.  Certificates are awarded to all participants. 

Topics covered 

  • How to apply design thinking beyond the course 
  • Relevant business case studies 
  • How to keep developing your skills 
  • Awarding of certificates 

What FastTrack Design Thinking alumni say

It was a great experience - the team are amazing. Very well organised & the apps worked well. Really worth the money.

Kobus Jooste
Deputy Hospital Director, Mediclinic Middle East

This course is fantastic, brilliant facilitators and delivered in such an engaging, exciting and creative way - definitely try it out!

Joey Parker
Insights Translation Manager, Wellcome Trust 

Great course held by some clearly motivated experts in their field.

Craig Brown
Change Manager, OVO Energy 

It was a great, highly engaging, intense & action-packed course. Really helped us to get to grips with the content.

Lisa Harding
Customer Experience Manager, National Savings & Investments

Our live teaching approach

Expert coaching Reveal more
Learning from experienced design thinkers & interactive workshops.
Collaborative innovation Reveal more
Co-creating with others & exploring how to drive innovation within a team.
Networking opportunities Reveal more
Connecting with people from around the world & expanding personal networks.

The coaching team

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David Kester

Managing Director
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Goldie Chaudhuri

Design Director
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Dave Caygill

Strategist & Coach

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FAQs

How will the online sessions be taught?

Different to many other online courses, this is a live course, meaning you will be directly taught in real time by our coaches. It is not a self-paced, online tutorial course, but is a high-intensity live course from leading coaches in the field and will be an individual experience for each delegate taking part.  

There will be an onboarding session to help you get aligned with the relevant design thinking tools & sort out any technical problems. It's also a chance to meet other delegates, go through 'Hopes & Fears' and ask any questions before the course begins. 

Is FastTrack Design Thinking similar to Design Thinking Fundamentals?

The two courses are similar, but not the same. Our Design Thinking Fundamentals course is taught in-person across the course of two days at our studio in London, as opposed to FastTrack Design Thinking which is taught online through 5 sessions each lasting 2.5 hours.  

The two courses are each designed to introduce you to design thinking & give you practical experience of using design thinking tools and methods. The primary difference in terms of what you will learn through FastTrack Design Thinking is how to use these tools effectively within an online environment. 

What equipment do I need for the course?

Equipment:  

  • A computer/laptop with a stable internet connection 
  • Microphone (in-built into computer or through headphones) 
  • Speakers (in-built into computer or through headphones) 
  • Webcam 

Tools:  

  • Zoom  
  • Mural 
  • Google Docs 

All tools can be downloaded prior to or during the first session. 

English isn’t my first language, does that matter?

FastTrack Design Thinking is live taught in English, it is therefore necessary to have a good grasp of basic English to get the most out of the sessions.

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