Design Thinking Online Short Course
Course description
Course overview
This online short course is an introduction to Design Thinking, an interactive thought process which will enable you to understand your end user better, to create innovative products and services. You will learn how this approach can help you solve problems creatively in a range of different industries, from both the public and private sectors, prior to formulating your own original ideas with clarity and flair.
You will learn from case studies, lively class discussions, and hands-on assignments. And you will receive personalised feedback on each of your assignments from your tutor, an industry specialist. The digital classroom will also enable you to communicate with your fellow classmates. You will need to commit 2 hours per week of self-study.
In each lesson you will explore different steps, starting with framing problems, creating a bank of ideas, and finally developing a prototype which focuses on the demographic you desire to design for. This course provides a variety of tools, activities and real examples with the aim of boosting your design thinking abilities. An emphasis on the consumers' perspective is present throughout.
Who this course is for
This online short course is designed for individuals keen to explore the methods and mindsets behind effective creative design thinking. You'll become familiar with different ways in which to approach a variety of briefs. This course is perfect for current students, junior managers, consultants, and aspiring entrepreneurs. A great program for those who wish to advance their career while learning about the importance of the end-user's perspective in launching or revitalizing a new or existing business. All levels welcome.
Key information
Topics covered
- Idea generation and boosting your creativity
- Design thinking tools: innovating the starting point
- Assessing your ideas and application in the real world
- Research methods: understanding your customer
- Building customer personas: investigating behaviours and needs
- Customer journey mapping
- Stakeholders, the gatekeepers and finding individuals to champion your ideas
- Defining your minimal viable product
- Conceptualising your idea
- Prototyping and user-testing
- Developing a business case from your concept
- Exploring ways to capitalise on your idea
- What stakeholders want: from sustainability to beyond
- Providing a user-friendly experience
Learning outcomes
- By the end of the course, you will have or be able to;
- Identify and assess opportunities through customer needs analysis
- Create a clear set of product specifications based on customer needs that are desirable, feasible, and viable
- Implement a proven 4-step method for planning and executing a prototype for a product, service, or business idea
- Use observational techniques to gain a deeper understanding of end-user insights
- Generate ideas while determining which ones are likely to produce specific, desired outcomes
- Defined your minimum viable product
- Develop a prototype in line with your chosen demographics needs
- Provide a user-friendly experience
- Created a portfolio of options
- Deliver a project from an idea to a prototype
- Receive a digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials
Please have the following materials to hand for the first lesson:
- Notebook and pen
Please see our Guide to taking online short courses.
Tutor
Robert Urquhart
Robert Urquhart is an editor-at-large, copywriter and strategic consultant, and a lecturer on BA (Hons) Design Management and Cultures at London College of Communication.Robert studied fine art before moving in to sound design, producing sound effects for animations on Channel 4 Learning.
Robert then went on to curate an art gallery and hosted music events. From there he moved into large-scale music festival production, as well as research and development for
technology start-ups in London.
In 2005, Robert started writing for design magazines and working in viral advertising as a copywriter working on campaigns for Skype, Activision and Samsung. Bringing skills in storytelling, production and knowledge of design together, in 2010 Robert worked for the London Design Festival heading up the new online vision.
Since then Robert has travelled a lot, lectured, written as a freelance journalist and futurist for many of the world's leading design press, worked as a copywriter and, latterly, as a strategic consultant working with product designers, marketeers and architects.
Robert won a D&AD bronze award in 2012.
www.roberturquhart.com?
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