Solve problems and innovate faster.
zu Academy’s hands-on training equips teams to improve experiences, innovate products, and streamline processes using Design Thinking. Learn to align, explore bold ideas safely, and drive meaningful change — no design background required.
"The cause of poor UX rarely has anything to do with the word Design, but rather all the steps further upstream."
Albert Jame
Chief Experience Officer
zu
/ Design Thinking
How it helps
- Align teams
- Builds buy-in
- Focuses on real problems
- Incorporates user needs
- Encourages iteration
- Breaks down silos
What you’ll learn
- Human Centred Design
- Methodical Problem Solving
- Innovation & Transformation
- Cross Functional Teamwork
- Changing Culture
- Rapid Experimentation
Where it can be applied
- Product Design
- Service Design
- Process Improvement
- Change Management
- Problem Definition
- Brand Development
Past Students
"Design Thinking has been a game-changer, reshaping how we solve problems and approach strategy. zu’s environment brought our team together and kept us energized. We’re now solving problems in weeks instead of months, thanks to the user-centered mindset zu instilled."
Rob Jones
Chief Executive Officer
Sandbox Mutual Insurance
"Design Thinking takes time to sink in, but its impact across our organization is undeniable. Thanks to zu for their dedication to user-centered solutions, showing us a faster, more effective way to solve problems. Their enthusiasm for innovation has inspired us."
Jordan Wapass
Executive Director
Mohawk Council of Awkwesasne
"I was surprised by the number of practical takeaways from such a short course—it was fantastic. The online training was well-organized, balancing theory, activities, and breaks. zu’s attention to pacing made the experience smooth and impactful, showing the power of design thinking."
Michelle McDonald
Chief Information Officer
Prairie Centre Credit Union
/ Courses
Design Thinking Fundamentals
Your first introduction to the world of design thinking. This jam-packed 4-hour walkthrough of the entire methodology is designed to give you a foundational, practical understanding of the essential design thinking steps, as well as where and when to apply them.
Ideal For:
- Organizational leaders curious about design thinking and its applications across various challenges.
- Teams and professionals looking for a new problem-solving framework and potential career differentiator.
- Teams and professionals looking to explore design thinking with a low-commitment, high-impact experience.
Course Details
What you'll learn
- Understand the basics of the design thinking process.
- Practice key techniques for empathy, ideation, and prototyping.
- Learn how to uncover user insights and define problems.
- Explore ways to generate creative ideas and test solutions.
- Identify opportunities to apply design thinking in your role.
Course Outline
- Introduction & Overview: Explore the principles of design thinking and its impact on innovation.
- Empathy in Action: Learn techniques to connect with users and uncover key insights.
- Defining Problems: Craft problem statements that inspire creative solutions.
- Quick Ideation: Use brainstorming exercises, like Crazy 8s, to generate ideas.
- Prototyping & Testing: Build simple prototypes to test concepts and gather feedback.
- Next Steps: Discuss practical applications and answer questions tailored to your goals.
Design Thinking Intensive
Advance your understanding by taking a deep dive into the process of design thinking. This course gives you hands-on experience applying the methodology, giving you the tools and skills to solve complex business problems faster and more effectively in your own work and with your organization.
Ideal For:
- Product teams wanting to align on a methodology that will help them better design products, faster.
- Customer experience leaders looking to solve problems creatively, break the silos, and de-risk projects.
- Organizations looking for methods to quickly generate, develop, prototype and test new ideas.
Course Details
What you'll learn
- Gain a clear understanding of the entire design thinking process, from research to implementation.
- Learn how to uncover user insights through actionable, empathy-driven research techniques.
- Master innovative approaches to defining problems and generating creative ideas.
- Embrace a prototyping mindset that encourages rapid testing, iteration, and improvement.
- Discover practical ways to enhance customer experiences and solve organizational challenges.
- Understand when and where design thinking can create the most impact for your team.
Course Outline
- Introduction & Background: Uncover core principles of design thinking and how they spark innovation.
- Empathize: Master techniques that connect with users, uncover insights and guide impactful solutions.
- Define: Transform insights into focused problem statements, unlocking innovative possibilities.
- Ideate: Dive into creative brainstorming methods to generate bold and actionable ideas.
- Prototype: Quickly transform ideas into tangible prototypes to test concepts, gather feedback, and refine.
- Test: Learn user testing techniques to validate concepts, collect feedback, and refine solutions iteratively.
- Wrap-Up: Engage in a Q&A to explore next steps and apply design thinking to your unique challenges.
Design Thinking Masterclass
Take your design thinking expertise to the next level. This six-day immersive experience is tailored for leaders and teams committed to embedding innovation into their culture. Gain advanced tools, strategies, and techniques to tackle complex challenges, foster creativity, and drive long-term impact. Learn how to facilitate workshops and create engaging, results-driven sessions that inspire collaboration and change.
Ideal For:
- Senior leaders and consultants driving transformation, fostering innovation, and expanding their strategy.
- Design and product teams tackling complex challenges with advanced methods and aligned practices.
- Organizations ready to embed design thinking into their culture in order to create a competitive advantage.
Course Details
What you'll learn
- Master the complete design thinking process, from research to implementation.
- Apply advanced techniques from the Google Design Sprint to solve challenges rapidly.
- Develop facilitation skills to lead engaging and productive workshops.
- Design workshops tailored to team needs and organizational goals.
- Refine prototyping and testing methods to ensure impactful outcomes.
- Build strategies to embed design thinking into your organizational culture.
Course Outline
- Days 1–3: Design Thinking Intensive
- Introduction & Background: Uncover core principles of design thinking and how they spark innovation.
- Empathize: Master techniques that connect with users, uncover insights and guide impactful solutions.
- Define: Transform insights into focused problem statements, unlocking innovative possibilities.
- Ideate: Dive into creative brainstorming methods to generate bold and actionable ideas.
- Prototype: Quickly transform ideas into tangible prototypes to test concepts, gather feedback, and refine.
- Test: Learn user testing techniques to validate concepts, collect feedback, and refine solutions iteratively.
- Wrap-Up: Engage in a Q&A to explore next steps and apply design thinking to your unique challenges. Days 4–5: Google Design Sprint
- Learn the structure of the Google Design Sprint and its real-world applications.
- Map problems and identify key opportunities.
- Sketch solutions, prioritize ideas, and build rapid prototypes.
- Test solutions to gather actionable feedback for iteration. Day 6: Facilitation & Workshop Creation
- Develop skills to lead engaging and impactful design thinking workshops.
- Learn workshop design principles tailored to team and organizational goals.
- Practice facilitation techniques to manage diverse groups and drive collaboration.
/ Instructors
zu Academy instructors are experienced professionals who apply human-centered design to real-world challenges every day. Passionate about innovation, they bring practical insights and tools directly from the field to the classroom, creating an engaging and hands-on learning experience for all participants.
Albert Jame
Partner & CXO
Rebecca Ready
Strategy Director
Rachel Elson
UX Strategist
Christianne Rooke
Research Strategist